Water sources drying up in Dhankuta

By Kabiraj GhimireHile, Aug. 28: Recent data show that water sources in Dhankuta Municipality are steadily drying up. 

A survey carried out by the municipality, with technical support from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), revealed that 14 per cent of the town’s springs and ponds have already dried up.

Out of 791 sources surveyed -- 759 springs and 32 ponds -- a total of 107 have disappeared. Of them, 90 are springs and 17 ponds. According to Anju Pandit, a water resource management analyst at ICIMOD, the causes were identified as follows -- 50 per cent due to drought, 19 per cent due to earthquakes, 17 per cent due to infrastructure development, eight per cent due to neglect and six per cent due to floods and landslides.

At present, only 684 active water sources remain in the municipality. Among these, water flow has already declined by 66 per cent, while 80 per cent is still in use. The survey was conducted last month by 20 community representatives, supported by two municipal technicians, under the municipality’s initiative and with ICIMOD’s technical guidance, according to Information Officer Bikash Adhikari.

A similar situation has been reported in Chhathar Jorpati Rural Municipality. A survey there, also supported by ICIMOD, found that out of 806 water sources, 125 (16 per cent) have dried up. 

 Of the 760 springs and 46 ponds recorded, only 681 remain active. Water flow has dropped by 75 per cent in these sources, while 87 per cent are currently in use.

The survey further revealed that 57 per cent of the active sources are tapped and supplied through pipelines, while 15 per cent hold religious and cultural significance.