Dispute causes water crisis in Dhading

Dhading, December 4

Locals of Dandagaun, Kiranchowk VDC in Dhading are reeling under acute drinking water crisis as all water resources in the village have gone dry.

The villagers have expressed resentment at the negligence of the Drinking Water Division Office and the District Development Committee regarding their issues, despite repeated requests.

Two years ago, Bhim Bahadur Tamang, a land owner at Pida VDC had agreed to allow water to be carried through pipes from his land to help the villagers of Dandagaun. The water resource had been registered in the District Water Resource Committee on March 19, 2015.

However, locals of Dandagaun destroyed the pipes later, because of disputes between locals of Pida VDC and Dandagaun VDC.

Then chief district officer Bishwo Prakash Subedi had reportedly sent a team from his office to investigate the problems. The team had submitted a suggestion to the CDO saying that there was no point in obstructing the project as it did not disturb the locals of Pida.

CDO Subedi had directed consumers to start the halted work after settling the dispute between the locals of two VDCs. But work was stopped after the discussion between the locals of the VDCs did not reach an amicable conclusion.

Meanwhile, Chairman of Consumers’ Committee Naniram Parajuli said that the villagers in Dandagaun had established pipelines again, but the villagers at Pida VDC had thrown away the pipes.

As many as 86 families in Dandagaun are suffering from acute shortage of drinking water.

“We are deprived of drinking water due to frequent obstruction of the under-construction project,” said Rampyari Adhikari, a local of Dandagaun.