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The locals in Budinanda Municipality, Kolti market area have protested over the shortage of drinking water for a month on 3 june. They surrounded the municipality along with playing drums using empty water pots during the protest.

Amar Giri, who has been running a hotel in Kolti, said that the people of Kolti market area have been facing problems regarding shortage of drinking water for years. He added that despite requesting the Municipality several times, no action has been taken to address this issue. They are struggling  because of inadequate drinking water during summer. Kolti market area is the main business center for four local levels in the northern region of the district, as well as some areas in Humla, Mugu, and Kalikot of Karnali Province. However, due to the shortage of water, visitors do not stay in Kolti, leading to a decline in business.

Likewise, the shortage has also created challenges for the Kolti Primary Health Center. Pratik Neupane, a medical officer at the center, stated that the lack of water has resulted in inadequate sanitation. Additionally, the number of patients increases significantly during the summer, with more than 150 people seeking treatment every day. Many of these patients suffer from diarrhea, which is primarily caused by the contaminated water. The Kolti Primary Health Center has been facing a water shortage for over a month. If this continues, the risk of an epidemic spreading will increase significantly.

The locals have complained that there is a high possibility of spreading epidemics as they are compelled to drink contaminated water from the river due to lack of drinking water.

Janak Kumar Bohora, Mayor of the Budhinanda Municipality, said that the drinking water supply in the market area is insufficient to meet the demand of the locals due to lack of management. The municipality is working on long term solutions to address the water shortage caused by the drying up of the water source. Additionally, people destroying the  water pipes on their own and neglecting their duties have contributed to the problem.

Santosh Kumar Shah, the Chief Administrative Officer of Budhinanda Municipality, stated that locals protested regarding the matter as the water supply line was cut in the middle market of Kolti and water was also not supplied to the lower market. To address this, it was agreed to distribute water evenly by assigning municipal employees to manage the distribution.

Padam Bahadur Singh