Phidim, May 3:

It’s been over 10 days since the locals of Ward No 5 of Angna VDC of Panchthar are facing the Maoists’ wrath after the latter cut water supply to the ward since April 23 for not voting them in the CA polls.

The Maoists cut the ward’s water supply pipe after the Maoists lost the election in both constituencies of the district, making thirsty residents of the ward trudge for three hours to fetch water.

Water was being supplied to the ward from a source of water in Ward No 3 of Dhukure VDC through the Teendharey Dhodeni Drinking Water Project. The Maoists led by Hitler Dewan and Ranglal Dahal had cut the pipe at Dhukure.

Consumers’ committee member Sahman Karki said people in 62 households of the ward are hit by the disruption in water supply. Karki added that the project had been supplying water for four years. Once the election results were declared and Maoists lost both seats of Panchthar, angered Maoist cadres smashed a 300-metre length of the pipeline, rendering it useless.

After an all-party meet on April 29, Maoists’ Maoist district in-charge Harka Nemwang had directed his local cadres to restore the water supply to the ward, but nothing has been done so far to this effect, said consumers’ committee chairman Sher Bahadur Karki.