Ranipati residents of Palpa to get drinking water soon

By Our Correspondent,Palpa, May 8: People in Ranipati of Ribdikot in the district, who have been reeling under an acute drinking water problem for years, are going to have a regular water supply. 

People of some 100 families who have been struggling hard to get drinking water are now happy after work to build a lift drinking water project began in partnership with the Rural Municipality, and Kriya Foundation and PIDA, a non-governmental organisation.

The Ranipati locals had been meeting their needs with the water brought from the source of the Dhaure Gaire stream since 1961, but the water in its source dried up after the 2015 earthquake.

After the drying up of the water source located at a distance of one and a half kilometres from the village, the local people also used other alternative sources to bring water to their settlements.

To solve the water shortage problem, the local people also adopted the method of collecting rainwater and using it in the dry season. 

But this alternative method did not meet their water need after the source, which used to supply 3,000 litres of water a day dried up.

The locals were unable to get enough drinking water, not to talk about water to irrigate land and feed cattle. 

They even had to buy water from tankers.

As the situation became more complicated, the lift project was started in collaboration with the rural municipality and a non-governmental organisation. 

Through this project, at least 200 litres of water will be provided to 100 households each in Ranipati daily.

According to Som Bahadur Karki, Chairman of Ward No.4 of the rural municipality, the project has reached the final stage of operation. 

According to Madhav Dhakal, Chairman of the Water Consumer Committee, the tank built for the project and the tank of the old Dhaure Gaura drinking water project will be interconnected and water will be supplied to all houses through the old distribution system. 

Locals have said that the project would supply sufficient water required for household uses, to feed cattle and for irrigation. Nepal Electricity Authority has provided subsidised electricity for the water supply project. 

The Shaura Gaira Water Supply Management Committee is now in charge of the project management.