By: Dev Kumar Sunuwar

Kathmandu: They lived for ages on the riverbanks of Kathmandu tolerating the putrid odour, but they never let go of their dreams to live affluent lives — and their dreams could finally materialize. In their bid to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor in Kathmandu, the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction (DUDBC) under the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works (MPPW) is building housing colonies for slum-dwellers who have settled by the banks of various rivers in Kathmandu.

Kathmandu: Department of Health Services, Epidemiology and Disease Control Division informed that gastroenteritis that broke out in Nayakbada, Rokab, Sakala, Ramidanda and Ragada VDCs of Jajarkot since May 4 has so far claimed 10 lives. Treatment service was provided to 450 patients suffered from the diarrhoea, stated in the press release issued by the Division on May 16.

By: Gopikrishna Dhungana

Kathmandu: If everything goes as planned, clean water is likely to flow in Bagmati River in five years time. A fresh initiative is being launched for the Bagmati clean-up after scores of governmental and non-governmental agencies failed to bring the plan to fruition.

By: Kushal Regmi

Kathmandu: A group of Okharpauwa residents who had blocked the garbage trucks on Wednesday morning have agreed to allow the garbage to be dumped again after the Municipality decided to give them Rs 100,000 for a drinking water project.

Kathmandu: Kathmandu Metropolitan City agreed to provide funds for drinking water and irrigation projects in Okharpauwa VDC of Nuwakot after locals obstructed the dumping of garbage. “The KMC has agreed to provide Rs. 0.2 million to carry out the drinking water project in the current fiscal,” said Jeet Bahadur Balami, an Okharpauwa local and a member of the talks team. The problem of garbage dumping has been settled for now.

Kathmandu: At least 40 security personnel deployed at Tribhuvan International Airport were admitted to emergency section of Birendra Police Hospital at Maharajgunj on May 12 after they complained of abdominal pains and vomited frequently. Of the 40, 34 reported back to their duties after short treatment, while six have been hospitalized for further treatment.

Mahottari: Many VDCs in Mahottari district are reeling under acute shortage of drinking water with the rise in temperature. Muneshwor Chaudhari, a local of Ramnagar, told that residents of Gaushala, Ramnagar, Bijulpura Bardibas, Hathilet and Kishannagar are facing acute drinking water problem as water sources have dried up due to long dry-spell.

Myagdi: Diarrhoea that has been raging in three VDCs of the Myagdi district for the past three days has sickened more than 200 people. Dr. Lal Bahadur Malla of District Hospital Myagdi told that the hospital has dispatched a team of medics with medicines to the diarrhoea affected VDCs including Kuhu, Babiyachaur and Pulachaur to control the diarrhoea outbreak.

Tulsipur: Residents of ward no. 1 of Goltakuri VDC in southern Dang district have been elated after the drinking water project which was closed for the past 13 years came into operation. The project resumed after locals mobilized voluntary labour for months worth hundreds of thousands of rupees.

Narayanghat: A heap of garbage dumped in Ramnagar and Dimura jungles in Bharatpur Municipality have affected protected and domestic animals living around the Chitwan National Park. Due to lack of a permanent dumping site, the municipality has been dumping wastes generated by city denizens in jungle areas and human settlements.

By: Bikram Giri

Mahendranagar: Animals and birds sheltering at Shukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve are reeling through hard times after several lakes inside the sanctuary started drying up in the prolonged drought. The wildlife reserve has started creating artificial lakes to cope with the situation.

Paanchthar: Construction works of Siktemba Drinking Water Project has been completed. Community Support Programme contributed Rs. 1.1 million and locals provided labour worth Rs. 0.3 million to complete the project.

Sindhuli: Residents of Mallagaun, Hirapani and Dovantar are worrying for the bursting of a tank constructed by Small Town and Drinking Water Project. The locals are worrying after the 3,00,000-litre water tank constructed at the hill of Nibuwachaur in Kamalamai-9 is leaking.

Birendranagar: Minister for Health and Population, Girirajmani Pokharel has told that diarrhoea outbreak in Jajarkot has been contained. Talking to journalists in Birendranagar after carrying out an on-site inspection of the diarrhoea-hit area of Jajarkot district on May 14, Minister for Health Pokharel said the diarrhoea claimed the lives of eight people in three VDCs of the district.

Kathmandu: At the present time when there is acute shortage of drinking water in the city, the local clubs have started to distribute water to the city dwellers. The New Nepal Youth Club at Maitighar has distributed tanker water to the local residents on May 14.

Melamchi: Many hotels here in Chautara are in the state of closure as there has been no water supply  in the area for the past five days. The locals have to wander far and wide in search of drinking water after the residents living near the water source halted water supply to Chautara demanding to fulfill their nine-point demands including road construction, rural electrification and employment.

By: Krishna Prasad Gautam

Rukum: Residents of Chaurjahari, chief commercial centre of the district, are facing acute shortage of drinking water. They are compelled to ferry water on mules from the Bheri River as the water sources have dried up due to long dry-spell. "There is not a single drop of water from the tap," said a hotel entrepreneur Balbir Gosain, adding, "We are forced to ferry water on mules from the Bheri River at one hour walk."

Butwal: Butwal market is reeling under acute shortage of drinking water after the water sources started to dry up with the soaring heat. The water problem augmented after the Nepal Water Supply Corporation Butwal Branch did not explore alternative sources of drinking water to increase water supply. Instead, the corporation has limited its water supply once a day by deducting its regular water supply.

Hetauda: Churiyamai VDC in Makawanpur has become clean after the open defecation free declaration. Sign boards featuring 'Open defecation prohibited' have been placed in different places of the village. The sign boards also features that one who do not use toilet and defecate in the open will be punished.

Bara: It has been found that the drinking water pumped out of tube-wells in 20 districts in the Tarai contains 5.72 per cent arsenic. This fact is based on a survey “Arsenic Reduction and Potable Water Purification” carried out by Nepal Red Cross Society, Bara and Environment and Public Health Organisation (ENPHO).

Gorkha: Three persons have died so far in a diarrheal epidemic that broke out in Lapu VDC of Gorkha last week. The deceased are Gita Gurung (31), Ambir Gurung and a youth of Gumda Thulogaun. More than 30 people in wards nos. 5, 7, 8 and 9 of the VDC have been suffering from the disease.

Bhojpur: Bhojpur, the district headquarters, is reeling under acute water shortage after the dozer damaged the pipelines in the course of road construction. Water supply has been disrupted in Bhojpur and surrounding areas while constructing linking road to Dingla from Bhojpur. The police, army and hospital are hit hard by water shortage.

By: Dipendra Baduwal

Narayangadh: Kedar Mishra of Padampur VDC is preparing to migrate to other places by selling his house and property. “There is no drinking water. It is difficult to cook food,” he said, adding, “For how many days do we survive on the water borrowed from the neighbours?”

Dang: Dhikpur VDC is the first to become an area free from the problem of open defecation in the Rapti zone. Every house in the VDC has toilet and no one defecates in the open. The entire VDC has become clean after the women, students, political parties and youth clubs initiated ‘One House, One Toilet’ campaign in the VDC.

Gulmi: Residents of Gulmi visit the neighbouring Arghakhanchi district for water. Locals of Attarkanda of Arkhale VDC-2 are forced to visit Mereng of Arghakhanchi district every evening to fetch water after politicization in the construction of drinking water project. A local Gopal Marasini said, “The activists of Nepali Congress Party have prevented to bring drinking water project in the village as we support CPN-UML.

Lahan: Presence of arsenic has been detected in tube wells of 29 VDCs out of 106 and two municipalities in Siraha district. According to the Nepal Red Cross Society, Siraha branch, arsenic has been found in water of tube wells at 29 VDCs, putting the residents of the area at risk of arsenic contamination.

Siraha: A separate dug well has been constructed for a dalit family here at Jamdaha-4 of Siraha after the so called ‘non-dalits’ prevented them from fetching water from a public well. Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation Fund Development Committee Kathmandu built a well for the Dom family after the villagers disallowed 11-member family of Gita Marik Dom to use the public well.

Nuwakot: About 95 households of Mahadevkhark at Giling VDC-6 are facing drinking water problem after the thieves stole the pipelines of a drinking water project constructed three years ago. The locals told that the Kamero Khola Drinking Water Project needs repair for the supply of drinking water in the village but the consumers committee has not shown interest to repair the project.

By: Birendra Raman

Janakpur: The school children in some VDCs of Dhanusha are busy in ferrying water as there is acute water shortage due to soaring heat. The locals are facing water woes as it has not rained for the past long time.  Residents of Badhari, Bengadabar, Dhalkewar and Bharatpur of Dhanusha district are facing acute shortage of drinking water.

Sindhuli: Consumers have padlocked the office of Siddheshwor Drinking Water and Sanitation Consumers Committee on May 10 demanding to investigate the irregularity in the project. They have demanded for the investigation on irregularity in the pipeline extension and tank construction.

Gaushala: A drinking water project started 10 years ago in Matihani VDC of Mahottari district is still incomplete due to lack of budget. The locals told that the Government of Nepal and Drinking Water and Sanitation Office Mahottari had aimed to complete the project at an investment of Rs. 10 million but the overhead tank of the project could not be constructed due to lack of necessary budget.

Our country is known as the second richest country in terms of water resources in the world. But, the people are suffering from the problem of drinking water woes for the past many years. When the Kathmanduites have to suffer from water woes then what will be the condition of people living in far-fledge places. We can easily assume their condition.

Fear is heightened just at the mention of the F garbage disposal site of Okharpauwa. That name is synonymous with many problems that the Kathmandu metropolis faced over time. Even today there is always a fear that garbage might start piling up in the city if something goes wrong with the deal that the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) had struck with the Okharpauwa residents.

By: Sharada Adhikari

Kathmandu: Be it a housewife, a teenager or a businessman, everyone will bring these home after their trip to market. These are not only convenient to use but also multipurpose. From household to commercial purposes, polythene (plastic) bags are used extensively as they are handy and easily accessible. From street hawkers to department stores, customers are provided with plastic bags to carry their purchases home.