Baglung. As many as 380 families of Dagatundanda of Badigad rural municipality have been forced to face the fate of kakakul as the ‘One House, One Dhara’ scheme, which was started ten years ago, has not been completed so far.
Residents of Dagatundanda have started migrating due to drinking water. A new scheme was launched in 2072 BS to provide taps to 380 households in the villages benefiting 700 households through the public tap of drinking water brought in 2048 BS. Locals are angry that the construction of ‘One House, One Stream’ was started after the 25-year-old project became dilapidated, but it was not completed even in 10 years.
Although efforts have been made by the Drinking Water and Sanitation Division Office to provide drinking water to 380 households through the new scheme, the project has not been completed even after 10 years due to lack of budget. Prem Lal Sapkota, former sarpanch of Datatundanda, said the locals have started migrating due to lack of drinking water.
“The residents of Dagatundanda got relief in 2048 BS after the drinking water from the source of Tarebhir came to the village 13 kilometers below, but after the plan was 25 years old, the ‘One House, One Dhara’ scheme was introduced. The project was not completed for 10 years,” sapkota said.
Bhimlal Pokharel, a local, said that although the project for the construction of one house, one tap was started in 2072 BS as per the demand of the locals, there was a problem as the drinking water project was incomplete due to lack of budget. Of the 380 houses owned by the locals of Durlung, Rayan, Hamel, Nautuwa, Betani, Bhattani, Than, Dhand, Payalpokhari, Tundanda, Daga, Jimi, Tutifed and Gahte villages, only 167 houses have received taps so far and water distribution has been delayed, said Sudip Acharya, engineer at the Water Supply and Sanitation Division Office.
A budget of Rs 24.5 million has been spent so far on the Tarebhir Drinking Water Project, which is estimated to cost Rs 50 million. Engineer Acharya said that eight water collection tanks, 13 kilometers main pipeline and eight kilometers distribution pipeline have been prepared so far under the scheme which started from the fiscal year 2072/73 BS. In the current fiscal year, 135 houses will be provided with taps and 235 out of 380 houses will be supplied with water, he said.
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