DAMAK: The demand for drinking water in Damak municipality has outrun the supply, as the authority became unable to provide drinking water to the local residents.

Two million litres of

water is being consumed daily in Damak municipality. If the demands were to

be fulfilled, the authority needed an additional two million litres.

Drinking Water and Sanitation Consumers’ Committee (DWSCC) in Damak Municipality has stopped accepting new applications from the residents of Damak municipality for the installation of new water taps citing that it could not meet the new demands from consumers.

Of the total of 1,000 new applicants, over 500 were

in waiting list for the

installation of the taps in their houses.  

“We couldn’t supply water to the additional consumers as we lacked the required capacity. Thus, we stopped accepting new applications,” DWSCC manager, Krishna Thapa, said.

The news has angered the local residents waiting for several months to get their drinking water. 

Even as the municipality supplies two million litres of drinking water, only 25 percent of the population has access to pure drinking water, said Thapa.

Thousands of residents living in different wards

of the municipality still rely on their drinking water from tube wells, manually operated pumps and other traditional sources - with severe consequences on their health.

Damak municipality houses 60,000 people. Of them, only 3,250 families residing in ward no 1,2,5,6,10,11,12, 13 and 14 get their water taps flowing from the DWSCC.

“We are unable to distribute drinking water all

areas of each ward,” Thapa said, adding,

The installed capacity of the water tank is 400 cubic meters. 

The new drinking water project which is in pipeline in Damak, under the assistance of the Asian Development Bank, is expected to be completed by 2012.

Even as the new project came operational in three years, it will only meet the demands of those who are in waiting list.

First phase of the survey has been completed, said DWSCC chairman, Pashupatiraj Gautam.