Lack of Clean Drinking Water in Golkhadi, Askot Village in Dhankuta

  January 4, 2023 By: INSEC

Article 35 of the Constitution enshrines Right to Health as a Fundamental Right. Sub-Article 4 further establishes The Right to Clean Drinking Water under the Right to Health.

Despite that, the locals of Golkhadi and Askot of Sangurigarhi Rural Municipality are being deprived of the Right to Clean Drinking Water. There is a lack of access to a clean drinking water supply in Golkhadi and Askot after the natural water source has dried up. Their fertile land has turned into deserts.

Anita Rai, 46, of Sangurigarhi Rural Municipality-7, Askot, said she had to wake up at 5 am every day and walk for an hour and a half to fetch drinking water from a well. She has to spend three hours every to secure drinking water for her family. She has an added expenditure of buying vegetables as her vegetable garden is barren due to lack of water.

She also shared her concern regarding her children. “My children have missed their schools because they have to fetch water some days.”, she said.

Santaman Rai, 59, said he has been suffering from a water shortage for a long time. He has complained to and requested help from  Government Representatives and various non-governmental organizations. However, the authorities haven’t taken any action yet.

Jitendra Rumdali Rai, Chairperson of Sangurigarhi Rural Municipality, said that the federal water supply project is investing in plans to mitigate the existing problem.

He said that the  Federal Water Supply Project has invested and allocated a budget to solve this issue. The work is in progress.

The Federal Water Supply Project aims to implement a lift system to supply water. Rai says that the project is not projected to be completed this year. The Rural Municipality doesn’t have any budget to solve this issue.

The local people’s representatives of Golkhadi and Askot of Sangurigarhi Rural Municipality-7 are unsatisfied with the work of the Government. Even after six years of establishment of the Local Government, they lack functional resources.

According to the village statistics, there are 250 households in Golkhadi and Askot.

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Ishwar Thapa