Water crisis hits overcrowded Birgunj prison, inmates struggle to cope

There is a severe water shortage at the Birgunj prison, which is already overcrowded with inmates. Ten hand pumps inside the prison compound, including two main sources, have stopped working for over a month, making daily life extremely difficult for the prisoners.

One inmate shared how hard life has become without water. “There are too many of us here, and it’s very hot. We need water for everything—from bathing and cooking to drinking, washing clothes, and cleaning utensils. But for the past month, we haven’t had enough water, and it’s made life really hard,” he said.

Currently, the prison holds 1,311 inmates. Acting jailer Rupak Mandal said that only two boring wells outside the prison compound are being used to supply water to over 1,400 people, including inmates, security personnel, and staff.

“All the hand pumps inside the prison have dried up,” Mandal said. “So, we’re supplying water from two outside borewells, both inside and outside the prison.”

He added that they’ve requested help from Birgunj Metropolitan City and nearby municipalities, but have not received any water support so far. Mandal said at least two more borewells need to be installed immediately to manage the crisis.

The prison, spread over two bighas of land, is holding nearly three times more inmates than its actual capacity, making the situation even worse.