Drinking water crisis persists in Badiya and Kaneligaun despite ongoing efforts

Baitadi: Residents of Badiya and Kaneligaun in Ward No. 2 of Dogadakedar Rural Municipality continue to face a severe drinking water crisis, despite various government efforts, including the 'One House, One Stream' campaign.

According to local resident Karan Singh Bhat, nearly 300 households in Tigaun have been grappling with a drinking water shortage for the past twelve months. The situation worsened after the drinking water scheme constructed with assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in 2052 BS became dilapidated. Traditional water sources have also dried up, leaving locals dependent on distant water sources.

“There is a lot of problem with drinking water. The drinking water scheme built by the ADB has become dilapidated, traditional water wells have dried up. There is a shortage of drinking water here for twelve months,” Bhat said.

Locals allege that while the 'One House, One Stream' initiative has been launched in other settlements, no attention has been given to the drinking water problems in Badiya and Kaneligaun. Residents are forced to spend hours each day fetching water. “We have to wait in line for hours to fill it. We spend days and nights filling it,” said local Raghubir Bhat.

Another local, Lokendra Bista, expressed frustration over the continued neglect of the issue. “The problem of the residents of Badiya and Kaneli village is drinking water. No initiative has been taken from anywhere to solve this problem,” he said.

To address the crisis, the Sudurpaschim Provincial Government began construction of the Lift Drinking Water Scheme five years ago. However, the project remains incomplete due to budget constraints. Ward Chairman Bishnu Dutta Bhatta confirmed that the lack of budget over the past five years has significantly delayed the scheme. “The lift drinking water scheme being constructed by the provincial government would have brought relief to the citizens of Badiya. However, there is a huge problem with drinking water at present,” he said.

Chairman Bhatta added that although the construction is ongoing, slow progress due to shrinking budgets has hindered timely completion. “The construction work of the scheme is going on gradually. It is hoped that it will be completed next year,” he stated.

According to Govinda Prasad Devkota, Chief of the Divisional Water Supply Office, the provincial government initiated the project with a total budget of Rs 3.96 crore. “The said scheme is being worked on in four 'schemes'. Out of these, three 'schemes' are of lift technology, so the work of burying electric poles and pulling wires to run the motor has been completed. It will take some time to complete the construction,” Devkota said.

While the work nears its final stage, the people of Badiya and Kaneligaun remain in urgent need of a sustainable solution to their year-round drinking water woes.