Jhapa, March 27

Residents of Birtamode in Jhapa district have been facing a hard time due to short supply of drinking water in the district.

As Birtamode Drinking Water and Consumer Sanitation Committee had failed to distribute adequate water for the past one-and-a half month, local folks have been reeling under water shortage.

“Water has not been supplied for three days now and whenever it is supplied, it is murky,” complained Pabitra Prasai of Birtamode-8, Shantitole. She complained that the committee was playing with the health of hundreds of people by supplying unhygienic water.

Despite the short supply of water, Birtamode residents are compelled to pay the water tariff every month.

The inadequate supply of drinking water has mostly hit those with multi-storey houses as they are unable to supply water to the top floor. “With worsening water shortage in the locality, we have been intensifying the construction of a water reservoir with filtration facility at a cost of Rs 30 million near New Buspark, Birtamode,” said chairperson of the committee Jal Kumar Gurung.

He claimed that people would be provided enough water within six months.

“Though we have successfully distributed adequate drinking water for the past 22 years, rapid population growth, increased load shedding hours and lack of fuel, among other reasons, triggered the water shortage.

With the completion of the filtration system, we will be able to address the problem of water shortage,” he said.