By: Krishna Kisi

Kathmandu: It is astonishing that millions of rural people from Mechi to Mahakali are getting drinking water free of cost at the time when people are not getting water even after paying for it. The government of Nepal has also aimed to provide drinking water free of cost to 1.6 million people within 2010. Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Fund Development Board has provided drinking water facility free of cost to around 8,24,000 people in 71 districts of Nepal. At present, 1,279 drinking water projects are under operation throughout the country to provide clean drinking water to the people.

The projects including deep boring, shallow tube well and dug well in tarai region, taps and rainwater harvesting in hilly region are providing drinking water facility to the people. “We have succeeded in providing drinking water facility free of cost to over 0.8 million rural people of the country within 2009,” said Arjun Narsing Rayamajhi, executive director of the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Fund Development Board, adding, “We are aiming to provide drinking water facility to 1.6 million people within 2010.”
Bhupendra Aryal, programme development officer of the board informed that the board has been running drinking water projects throughout the country since 1996. The board had fixed time limit of the first drinking water project from 1996 to 2003 and second project from 2004 to 2009. World Bank provided financial assistance worth Rs. 3 billion 900 million to complete the projects. The board has included participatory development concept and is working to provide safe drinking water and sanitation facility to people living in rural areas of the country. The board has taken objective to operate drinking water projects in Taplejung, Mustang, Rolpa and Rukum district in the current fiscal year.
Joint-secretary at the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works Suman Sharma told that about 19.71 per cent people have access to drinking water facility from the projects operated by the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Fund Development Board.

Source: Annapurna Post, December 16, 2008