‘One tap one household’ brings joy to Lespar locals

By Ganesh Paudel,Parbat, Jan. 31: Residents of Lespar in Modi Rural Municipality-4, Parbat, who had long been facing an acute water shortage, are now overjoyed as drinking water has been supplied to  all 211 households in the area.

 Despite having a water source nearby, the village, known for its tourism potential, was facing difficulties in accessing clean drinking water.

With the support of Kadoorie Agriculture Aid Associates British Gurkhas Nepal, water taps have been installed in 211 households, one community school and four community buildings. The project, completed within six months, was officially inaugurated on Tuesday.

According to Project Manager Buddha Pun, the drinking water project was completed at Rs. 13.65 million. Of this, the local community contributed Rs. 1.97 million in the form of labour while Rs. 11.68 million was funded through the organisation.

Former VDC chairman and local Narsingh Pun said that the project included the construction of two intake tanks, two filter tanks, one distribution chamber and five reserve tanks.

Water is sourced from Latakharka and Sisnera springs located in a forest above the village and is distributed through a 6,762-metre-long pipeline.

The project was jointly inaugurated by Peter Paul de Groote, Director of Kadoorie Charitable Foundation Hong Kong and Hiradevi Sharma, Chairperson of Modi Rural Municipality. 

Speaking at the event, Andrew Mills, Director of Kadoorie Agriculture Aid Association Nepal, expressed happiness in providing clean drinking water to Lespar residents. He also highlighted Kadoorie’s ongoing contributions to remote communities in Nepal by building drinking water projects, suspension bridges and healthcare facilities. 

At the event, Dr. Narayan Gurung, Technical Director of Kadoorie Agriculture Aid Association Nepal, praised the unity of Lespar residents, which enabled the project to be completed within six months. 

Similarly, Chairperson Hiradevi Sharma said that due to limited local resources, building large-scale projects has been difficult at the local level, and this initiative has greatly supported the municipality.

With household taps now operational, residents no longer have to fetch water from rivers, springs and streams. 

Bhim Bahadur Pun, Chairperson of the Lespar ‘One Tap One Household’ Consumer Committee, said that beyond daily use, locals are also utilising the water for commercial vegetable farming.

This development has significantly transformed the daily lives of locals, who had struggled for years to secure drinking water. Lespar, predominantly inhabited by the Magar community, is now emerging as a growing tourist destination. 

The Nayapul-Deupur-Lapsibot-Deurali-Lespar route, an alternative to the Annapurna Circuit Trek, is increasingly being used by tourists travelling from Jaljala in Parbat to destinations such as Nagi and Poon Hill in Myagdi.