Lalitpur, October 30

Just six months back, people in Koyelacchi, Bhindalacchi, Khadgi tole and Chyasal tole at Patan of Lalitpur Sub-metropolitan City had to collect water supplied by tankers but now they have reliable supply of safe drinking water.

The communities, chiefly comprising of farmers and labourers, were compelled to buy water from tanker and depend on the fast drying stone spouts. More than 50 per cent of the people in the area do not have access to piped water supply.

They had also dug up a well to meet the water shortage, but the water from the well was too contaminated to drink.

But things have changed now. They buy safe and

bottled drinking water at the rate of three rupees for 20 litres.

The locals, through the Gaja Laxmi Drinking Water (GLDW) Project, a community-based safe drinking water bottling programme, produce drinking water that meets the WHO standards and distribute among 2,000 people here.

The GLDW is supported by the UN HABITAT, Water for Asian Cities Programme and the Urban Environment Management Society (UEMS). “The residents are relieved now,” Babu Ram Awale, president of the committee formed to manage project said adding that his has ended scarcity of drinking water in the locality.

The project has deep-dug well from which water is pumped, filtered through the bio-sand technology filters, chlorinated and bottled in jars. Necessary tests are done to confirm that the water meets WHO standards and then it is supplied to the locals, he said.

People from the community are charged three rupees per 20 litre jar of water while people from outside the community are charged five rupees per jar, Awale said adding that they supply water to som 100 families everyday.

Dal Bahadur Singtan, executive director of UEMS said that the GLDW project was funded by the UN-HABITAT and now it has already been handed over to the community to make it self sufficient in supply of safe drinking water.