Lalitpur, February 26

Even as the dry season sets in, residents of Chyasal in Lalitpur, unlike in many parts of the country, have no reason to worry about water shortage.

The Rain Water Harvesting and Water Recharge project, which was launched by Urban Environment Management Society in April 2007, will continue to quench the locals’ thirst.

Every summer, the traditionally dug wells and stone spouts dried up and left the Patan neighbourhood with no alternative  source of water. As an experiment, the UEMS fitted a 5,000-litre collection tank, two bio-sand filters and 3,000 litre distribution tanks by digging two wells.

Set up under the Gajalaxmi Drinking Water Management Committee, the project provides 10,000 litres of water per day in the dry season. The rainwater harvesting project is serving as the lone source of water for 319 households for the past nine years. The Chyasal-based project now serves as a role model for many such projects initiated by NGOs across the country.

“More than 60 per cent of the Rain Water Harvesting and Recharge systems are functioning so far and that is the beauty of the recharge cycle,” says Herina Joshi, UEMS RWH Project Team Leader.

According to UEMS, it has rebuilt 151 public wells, constructed 26 new wells, seven iron removal plant, seven bio-sand filters and installed 187 RWH systems so far in Lalitpur.

UEMS, established in 2002, addresses water and sanitation issues. Its major activities are rehabilitation of traditional dug wells, construction of new community dugwells, improvement of spring boxes, installation of RWH system for recharging wells, installation of water bottling plant, installation of water treatment facilities like iron removal plant, biosand filter and construction of affordable sanitation facilities.