Koilabas locals reeling under acute water shortage

By Diwakar Pokharel,Deukhuri, June 15: A fire engine is being used to supply the locals of Koilabas in Gadhawa Rural Municipality, Dang, with drinking water in an effort to mitigate the problem of acute water shortage. 

Locals have been reeling from acute shortage of water after the water sources along the Nepal-India border dried up.  

Due to the shortage, the municipality has started supplying water from fire engine. Koilabas, in Ward No. 8 of Gadhawa Rurla Municipality, is located 28 km away from Gadhawa, the rural municipality centre. 

In Koilabas, which has 208 households with 1,012 people, water is being delivered from the fire engine every morning. Municipality Chairman, Yamnarayan Pokharel, said that water was distributed from the fire engine to ensure an easy supply of drinking water.

He said, "It is not possible to distribute water from fire engines for cleaning purposes, but we are distributing it to meet crucial needs. We will continue doing this until the problem is resolved."

A long spell of drought has added to water woes in the area.  At the initiative of the local people's representatives, deep boring was planned in 2020, a tank of 100,000 liters was built and water was distributed by connecting the tap to every house, but no water came. During the dry season, water in the boring dries up. 

Abdul Khalik Siddiki, the ward chairman, said that there is a big problem of water in Koilabas.  He said, "When there is a long drought, there is a dire shortage of water in Koilabas. But now there is some relief after Garhwa Rural Fire Brigade started distributing water to locals."

Earlier, locals used to get water from well. But after a prolonged period of mining of gravel, sand from the Koilawas River, water level depleted significantly, eventually drying up and resulting in acute shortage of water, said Ward chair Siddiki.