Dhading, April 24

People living in the southern belt of Dhading district have been reeling under acute shortage of drinking water for years.

Water crisis has hit Dhunibesi and Nilkantha municipalities, and Thakre, Galchhi, Gajuri, Benighat, Siddhalek, Jwalamukhi and Tripurasundari rural municipalities.

The 2015 earthquakes further worsened the water troubles in the district as most water sources went completely dry after the calamity. A polluted stream at about two hours walking distance is the only source of drinking water for locals. The residents of both rural and urban areas have been affected by the water crunch.

The growing water crisis has also affected the reconstruction campaign in the district. Quake victims who received government grants have not started to build houses owing to water crunch. “The impact of water scarcity can be seen in the reconstruction of quake-damaged houses in many areas,” said District Coordination Committee Dhading Chief Jagannath Nepal.

As per DCC chief Nepal, of the 73,000 beneficiaries in the district, 65,000 received the first tranche of the government grant; around 32,500 received the second tranche and 9,000 received the third.