GAIGHAT: Hundreds of local residents in Beltar and Triveni VDCs of Udayapur district have been deprived of drinking water facilities since long after two mega drinking water projects in the area have been defunct.

More than Rs 20 million was spent on the projects financed by the Asian Development Bank. The villagers alleged that the defunct was prompted due to negligence on part of technicians of District Drinking Water Office and users’ committee.

The water distribution has been halted ever since the damage on the pipeline of Triveni Drinking Water Project.Keshav Thapa, a local said that the project could not be operated due to conflict between users’ committee and technicians. He blamed the lack of quality goods in construction for the damage of some structures of the projects.

According to Thapa, the bone of contention, now is who will repair the damages. Due to the failure of the project, at least 3, 000 residents of Wards 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 of Triveni VDC, Beltar bazaar and some wards of Beltar VDC have been deprive of drinking water.

District Drinking Water Office, however, has attributed the malfunctioning of the projects to the obstruction by the users’ committee. Keshavlal Shakya, chief of the office, said that they were trying their best to end the dispute.

“We will repair the damaged structures soon and the projects will be run with the underground water,” he said.