Rural municipality buys water to satiate villagers' thirst

Paanchthar – A local level body in Paancthar has focused on providing facilities to the people by discarding its own ease. 

The Kummayak rural municipality – reeling under perennial drinking water crisis – made the declaration of supplying drinking water to the people in its first village assembly. Now it is distributing water after completing the tanker purchase process under a programme crafted to distribute water in affordable price. 

The rural municipality has purchased tanker along with a tractor for Rs 4.5 million. Municipality's Chairman, Jaya Bahadur Chemjong, said the office would identify the wards hit hardest by the drinking water crisis before distribution. 

The locals had earlier been compelled to purchase a liter of water for two rupees or more. Chemjong said now the locals are finding it easier to run household works and operate hotel business. 

The rural municipality will be distributing a liter of drinking water for 60 paisa until the completion of the Tamor Lift Drinking Water Project – the second largest after Melamchi project in the country. 

Local hotel entrepreneur, Devendra Kumar Sambhahamfe said, "The rural municipality has provided us with drinking water at an affordable rate as we have to buy water to drink." Sambhahamfe was of the opinion that the municipality must focus in the villages as the service is currently centered in marketplaces. The Yasok Bazaar along consumes 50,000 to 60,000 litres of drinking water on a daily basis. 

Yasok Drinking Water and Sanitation Consumers Committee Chair and ward no 1 Chairman, Devendra Kumar Lawati, said the drinking water project is struggling to provide 20,000 to 25,000 liters of water on a daily basis. 
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