Sudurpaschim's Malas region reeling from acute water shortage

By Pushkar Bhandari,Dadeldhura, Jan. 29:There has been an acute shortage of drinking water in the settlements bordering Chure mountain region in Dadeldhura and Kanchanpur districts. 

It is said that due to the destruction of forests, drinking water springs have sunk, causing a severe shortage of drinking water in the villages in Malas area of Parashuram Municipality-7.

Residents of Basanyuta, Kazigada, Dadhigada and Khoria in Chure mountain ranges are facing an acute shortage of drinking water. "There has been a scarcity of drinking water mainly in four villages in the Malas area," said Bibek Dhami, a local. He informed that more than a hundred households have been forced to leave the area owing to the problem. No government agency has paid attention to the problem or allocated budget to address it. 

In the past years, there was no problem of drinking water in the settlements in the Chure mountain range. There were wells and springs in every settlement. 

Buddhi Dhami, a local, said that there is no water in the wells and springs now. He said that since the water sources in the settlement have dried up, they have to go to the faraway river to fetch drinking water.

Ram Bahadur Mahata of Kazigada said, "Every member of the family, not only women, has to carry water from distant places. Half of the family members have to work hard to arrange drinking water every day." 

Locals said that there is also a problem with cleanliness and hygiene due to an acute shortage of water supply. Mandhir Singh Dhami of Dadhigada village said that it is difficult to use the toilet due to lack of water. He said that it is difficult to produce vegetables in kitchen garden while production of cash crops has also long been affected. 

Malas region is considered a leader in producing cash crops like ginger, turmeric and garlic, and fruits. Locals said that the cash crops and fruits produced in that area will be sold in Mahendranagar in Kanchanpur district. They complained that they have not heard about any plan from the ward, local government, and district bodies for the water supply to address the crisis in the villages. 

Angbir Dhami of Khoria said that although the candidates of various political parties have promised to solve the water supply problem in Malas area during every election in the past, the water supply plan has not yet been formulated. "Sher Bahadur Deuba, who won a parliamentary seat seven times from Dadeldhura and became the Prime Minister five times, had promised to develop facility for water supply in every election so far,” he said. 

According to him, Deuba promised to make necessary arrangements to build water supply and irrigation schemes in Malas region but all those promises remained just slogans. 

Krishna Bahadur Dhami, ward president of Parshuram Municipality-7, said that initiatives will be taken to build a water supply project in Malas region. "Since the water springs have sunk or dried up, water needed to be pulled up from the low-lying region." he said. "We are requesting a plan for a lift water supply project from various agencies as it is not possible from the budget of the ward office to build such a facility and supply water to every household."

Khagendra Bahadur Singh, Spokesperson for Parshuram Municipality, said that the municipality is implementing development plans by giving priority to Malas area. He informed that the local body is discussing with various donor 

agencies for the construction of a water supply scheme in the remote Malas area settlements in the Chure range.Bharat Badair Joshi, Mayor of Parashuram Municipality, said that water supply schemes have been constructed in some settlements of Malas area, and if the budget for the construction of water supply schemes in Kazigada, Dadhigada, Basnyuta and Khoria villages cannot be obtained from other agencies, the municipality would allocate budget for the project. 

Integrated Development Society, Dadeldhura, a non-governmental organisation, has built a solar energy supported lift drinking water project which has provided waters supply facility to the villages of Baddimalas, Pipalkot and Bhumithala in the Chure range.