In Gaumukhi Rural Municipality-7, Narikot, 250 households are facing a drinking water problem. The government has not provided a drinking water supply in the settlement for years. As a result, all the residents of the households have been fetching water from a well in the Saune River, located below the settlement.
Tej Bahadur Puri,58, from Gaumukhi Rural Municipality-7, Narikot, complained that although the local representatives were informed about the issue there is no easy access to water. He said they fetch water from a well in the riverbed, but during the rainy season, the water becomes muddy and undrinkable. Rama Pur,49, added that livestock pollute the water at other times, and in summer, the water source dries up, causing a shortage. Due to the lack of drinking water facilities, every year during the rainy season, the well becomes muddy, and the waste near the well is carried into the water, forcing them to drink contaminated water. Additionally, drinking contaminated water has led to illnesses like cold, fever, and diarrhea among the residents.
A lift drinking water project was launched in the ward in 2019 with a budget of Rs 7,33,53,000. The project aimed to provide drinking water to 451 households, but it has not been completed yet. For the project, a budget of Rs 6,30,06,000 was required, but only Rs 10,00,000 has been allocated this year, according to Komal Puri, the ward chairperson of Gaumukhi Rural Municipality-7. She said that the lift project was started because the ward lacked a proper water source. The people are facing problems due to the incomplete project. Ward Chairperson Puri mentioned that they are working on completing the project and solving the drinking water issue.