Jhapa, September 3

A drinking water purification centre in Ilam Municipality has yet to come into operation although it was constructed seven years ago.

The municipality had constructed the purification centre with a budget of Rs 20.7 million to provide pure drinking writing water to the locals of the municipality. However, because the centre has been lying idle for all these years, locals have been forced to drink non-purified water.

The centre has not been running as its reserve tank is dysfunctional and no repairs have been done, although the Ilam Municipality, Drinking Water and Sanitation Division Office, and JICA had offered Rs 5 million, Rs 2 million, and Rs 3 million for its maintenance respectively.

Sub-engineer at the municipality Radha Krishna Ghimire said that water from the roughing filter has to be stored in separate tanks with gravel and sand.