Dhading, September 8

Without adequate drinking water facilities, the Chepang people of Brushbang Chepang community in southern Dhading have been living on rainwater.

There are only two water sources which are two hours’ walk away from the Chepang village. During monsoon, the hapless Chepang people of 35 households collect rainwater for consumption.

Fulmaya Chepang, 74, said her family was using rainwater for drinking, cooking, and other household purposes.

Dhading District Development Committee and an NGO Shanti Nepal had provided a water tank of 1,000 litres capacity to each of the 26 Chepang families six years ago to combat their water woes. However, the Chepang people are still facing the problem of lack of drinking water, and those who did not get the tanks have dug a lake to collect rainwater.

DDC Dhading had allocated a budget of Rs 14 million for drinking water and income generation programmes to the Chepang people last year.

Prem Bahadur Chepang, chairman of Brushbang Food Rights Group formed by the Chepang community to address their food and nutrition needs, however, said he did not know where the budget was spent.

The DDC had allocated the budget to supply water through a lift system, but the budget was frozen after work on the project did not begin.