Kavre, October 18

A fund of over 100 million rupees has been collected in Kavre’s Panchkhal for a drinking water project.

According to Sunkoshi-Panchkhal Extensive Drinking Water Project Consumer Committee Chairperson Kumar Lamichhane, Rs 101 million has been collected for the project. “While some 12 million rupees was loaned from consumers, the remaining amount was collected from them as per the mandatory contribution provision,” said Lamichhane.

The proposed drinking water project to be constructed with the joint investment of the government, Town Development Fund, Asian Development Bank and the local consumers is expected to cost some 2.21 billion rupees.

Contract of the project was signed between the Urban Drinking Water and Sanitation Project, Town Development Fund, Panchkhal Municipality and the local consumers on July 29. “We had to collect the fund from the locals as per the provision that we consumers had to deposit five per cent of the cost,” said Lamichhane. The water lift project will pump water from the Indrawati River and distribute it to different settlements in Panchkhal. The project will complete in 3 years’ time.

According to Lamichhane, the project is under the tender process now. “Maybe the tender will be opened this month itself. Once the contractor is awarded, construction work will start immediately,” Lamichhane said.