Janakpur, July 17 -- Hand pumps, fields, and other sources of water have gone dry in the Madhesh province of Nepal, prompting the provincial government to mobilize fire engines and other vehicles to deliver water to affected communities.

The months from June to September, often the monsoon window in the Himalayan nation, are not the same for the southern plains of Nepal--the grain basket this year--with the absence of rain. The provincial government has now declared eight districts as drought-affected areas following the absence of rain.

"All the eight districts of Madhesh Province have been declared drought-affected areas. The region, which usually used to see the rain, is yet to receive it. It has affected the paddy cultivation in all...