Dhauligadh water supply project making notable progress

By Netra Shahi,Jumla, Jan. 22: Jumla's largest water supply project, the Great Dhauligad Water Supply Project, is progressing fast. This project, supplying water to 8,695 households, is being executed in two packages. 

According to Dipendra Bhatta, Acting Chief of the Federal Water and Sewerage Management Project in Jumla, the physical progress of the project is on track with the set targets.

The project has achieved physical progress of 43 per cent, with the financing progress reaching 34 per cent, Bhatta said. He further said that the ongoing work encompasses various aspects, including intake construction, DC, IC, pipeline construction, and tank construction, extending from the first intake to RVT.

In the designated area, tanks ranging from 100 to 600 cubic metres are currently under construction. Specifically, within Chandannath, Tatopani, and Gutichour Rural Municipalities, construction is under way for one 600-cubic-metre tank, one 300-cubic-metre tank, two 200-cubic-metre tank, and three tanks with capacities of 150 and 400 cubic metres, respectively. The construction efforts are in full swing in these locations, Bhatta informed.

The construction of the transmission pipeline, covering a distance of 71.93 km under Package 1, is currently in progress. The development of the distribution pipeline, spanning 200 km from the tank to the stream in Package 2, too is proceeding at a rapid pace. About 130 to 140 km of the distribution pipeline has already been completed, according to the office.

Bhatta said that the construction companies Kankai JV Lalitpur and CMC Construction Pvt. Ltd. are actively involved in executing Package 1. An allocated budget of Rs. 544 million has been earmarked for the completion of Package 1, and for Package 2, the estimated amount is Rs. 370.7 million.

A contract for Package 1 was formally signed with the construction company on March 18, 2022, for a duration of 36 months. Similarly, the contract for Package 2 was signed on July 3, 2022, with a scheduled completion time frame of 30 months.

43,718 population to benefit

Amid a drinking water scarcity in Jumla headquarters, the Dhauligad water source, situated at an elevation of 3,918 metres above sea level, will bring relief to 43,718 individuals residing in Chandannath Municipality, Tatopani Rural Municipality, and Gutichour Rural Municipality of Jumla. 

Civil Society President Raj Bahadur Mahat expressed confidence that this project has the potential to transform the region, particularly as the population increases and Jumla headquarters grapples with a drinking water shortage.

Highlighting the significance of the Dhauligad Drinking Water project as a National Pride Project, Mahat emphasized the need for collective efforts to take it forward. 

Srijana Rawat, a resident of Chandannath Municipality-4, echoed the same sentiment, expressing optimism that the project would offer significant relief during the times when access to drinking water remains a pressing issue.

As per the office's report, the project has been progressing in alignment with the given targets. However, the action plan indicates a budgetary shortfall. For the ongoing year, the Great Dhauligad water supply project is operating with a regular budget of Rs. 120 million, but it appears that an additional Rs. 120 million will be required to meet the project's needs for the current fiscal year.

The request for the required funds has been submitted to the relevant agency. If the government ensures a budget of about Rs. 400 million for both the current and next fiscal years, the project aims to install 8,695 drinking water pipes as outlined in the plan within the specified timeframe.

Additionally, the Drinking Water Department has expressed intentions to explore opportunities for selling this water internationally, branding it as Yarsa mineral water.