Not a single day of water ensured to Manma, Kalikot, locals

By Prem Raj Simkhada, Kalikot, Apr.17:  Locals of the Manma Bazar, headquarters of Kalikot district, are not ensured even a day of drinking water. 

Consumers have complained that they are just paying monthly bills and not getting drinking water from their taps, even for a day. 

Denizens are mithering that the concerned authorities do not pay attention, even though the shortage of drinking water in Khandachakra Municipality, considered the heart of the district, continues to grow.

Dhan Bahadur Batala, a hotel entrepreneur at Manma, said that the government has not paid heed to the concerns of locals. 

He said that the government is well aware of the water issue in the area. Even the local level government has not raised a finger towards solving the issue, so it's not worth it to be happy thinking that the local government is near and will hear the issues. 

The hoteliers are impacted because of the water issue in Manma. 

Kamal Shahi of Khandachakra Municipality-1, revealed that at times when drinking water issue is getting worse, those in power have directly taken water by connecting pipe in a water tank. 

He said that taps of locals bear no water for weeks. 

He stressed that the lack of efficient water distribution has caused issues for locals. 

The Manma Drinking Water Consumer group, which has shouldered the responsibility of water distribution, is also oblivious of the issue.  The employees have not even come to take stock ofthe water tank. 

Water is stored for two days a month in a water tank, which was made to distribute water to locals in the western part of Manma. That water is then distributed to the Army barracks and the district jail. 

Local Srijana Shahi complained that she is getting a monthly bill of Rs. 150 even after not getting water for a day.

There are widespread complaints that even the local government is not interested in water management in the market.

Local Dip Bahadur Shahi, who has been running a medical practice in Manma, said that he has been living in Manma for 20 years.

 He said that he has not received enough water even for a single day in his two decades of stay there. 

We have protested and lodged complaints with the administration many times, but to no avail. 

But since no one has solved the drinking water problem, Shahi says he now has to go up to an hour away on his motorcycle to fetch drinking water.

Municipality Mayor Kamal Bahadur Shahi said that the lack of drinking water is a problem at the source, even after the new plan is completed.