“There are 140-145 households in this place that consists of villages like Dalitbada, Panimool, and Dadabada. A decade ago, there was only one water outlet at Dadabada, Dalitbada and Panimool. All households had to share this one outlet. They had to wait hours to get their turn. And whatever water they could fill, they had to ration it from cooking, drinking, cleaning and for their animals.
Eventually an organization supported the construction of a drinking water system in each of the locations. Villagers also contributed their time and effort in order to construct two reserve tanks. They also laid down supply pipes from the source. Since then, we have been using the same water distribution system for our livelihood.
Maintaining the source of water is the main concern for all of us. It is located on a flat surface and we had fenced it in the past. It only lasted temporarily. Castle and people enter and the safety of the source has been compromised at different times. The source will only be safe if we could build a permanent fence around it.
The quality of water that comes to us is not the best but we are using it because we have no other choice. For two years, an organization supported us with a chlorine solution to be applied directly in the reserve tank. However, it wasn’t a sustainable solution as we needed to keep cleaning the tank. Therefore, it’s high time we think about alternatives.
We have appointed a keeper to regulate the water supply. He is a very strict and sincere guy. If there’s any problem in the supply line, he rushes to the source, diagnoses the problem, and addresses it as soon as possible. But we cannot rely on one man to solve all these problems. It would be foolish of us. We need a proper mechanism where problems are recorded, presented, solved. The solutions then can be applied if such problems arise. For now, it is all ad hoc. When something goes wrong, people run.
We have also identified a new source of water. It would be great if we can bring water from there as well. It would suffice not only for the drinking needs of people but it could also be used for irrigation purposes. The current source may not be enough for all in the future.
I think the over-ground GI pipe is better than the underground plastic pipes as the latter is prone to breakage and leakage. It is evident that cattle and laborers working on farms constantly break the pipe to quench their instant thirst.
There’s the problem of drinking water even in our school. We get the supply from a small source nearby. We have a small tank we are using with some regular maintenance. However, the problem is with the source. Not only that it is unsafe, but it also takes several hours to fill the tank since the source and discharge are feeble.
We didn’t have proper toilet facilities at the school in the past. Now it is under construction. We will have separate facilities for boys and girls. There would be no problem for the students in the coming days to excrete. However, as the toilets will come into use, the water needs of the school will increase and we don’t have resources to address it.”
– Khadga Bahadur Sahi, Bangkhi, Hima Rural Municipality, Jumla
“यस क्षेत्रमा करिव १४०-१४५ घरधुरीहरू छन् । यहाँ दलितबडा, पानीमुल, डाँडाबडा गरि तीनवटा गाउँहरू पर्छन् । एक दसक अघिसम्म तीनैवटा गाउँका लागि एउटा मात्रै धारो थियो । यि सबै गाउँका मान्छेहरूले एउटै धारामा पानी थाप्नुपर्दा घण्टौँसम्म पालो कुर्नु पर्थ्यो । अनि जति पानी थापे पनि त्यो पानीले भात पकाउने कि, पिउने कि, लुगा धुने कि, गाईवस्तुलाई खुवाउने,… आफै बिचार गर्नुपर्थ्यो ।
समय बित्दै जाँदा एउटा संस्थाले प्रत्येक ठाउँको लागि भनेर पिउने पानीको लाइन बनाइदियो । दुईवटा ट्याङ्की निर्माण गर्न र मूलबाट धाराहरूसम्म पाइप बिछ्याउन गाउँलेहरूले पनि श्रमदान गरे । त्यही बेलादेखि अहिलेसम्म सोही पानी वितरण प्रणालीबाट यहाँको जीवकोपार्जन भइरहेको छ ।
पानीको मुहान व्यवस्थापन नै हामीहरू सबैको सरोकारको विषय बनेको छ । अलि सम्म परेको ठाउँमा मुहान भएकाले पहिले पहिले त हामीले घेराबरा गरेका थियौँ । त्यो घेराबार अस्थायी प्रकृतीको भएकाले केटाकेटी र वस्तुहरू सहजै छिर्न सक्ने हुँदा बेलाबेलामा मुहानको सुरक्षामा चुनौती खडा हुने गरेको छ । मुहानको वरिपरी स्थायी पर्खाल बनाउन सकेको खण्डमा मात्रै पानीको मुहान सुरक्षित हुन सक्छ ।
हाम्रा धाराहरूमा आउने पानीको गुणस्तर त्यति राम्रो छैन तर हामीसँग अर्को विकल्प पनि त छैन । दुई वर्षसम्म त एउटा संस्थाले सिधै ट्याङ्कीमा हाल्न वाटरगार्ड दिएर सहयोग गरेको थियो । तर त्यो दिगो समाधान थिएन किनभने बेला बेलामा ट्याङ्की सफा गरिरहनुपर्थ्यो । त्यसैले अर्को विकल्प खोज्न ढिलो गर्नु पनि भएन ।
पानीको आपुर्तीको व्यवस्था मिलाउन हामीले एकजना चौकिदार नियुक्त गरेका छौँ । निकै कडा तर इमान्दार छन् उनी । पानीको आपुर्तीमा केही समस्या हुने बित्तिकै मूलमा गएर, समस्या पत्ता लगाएर, त्यसको समाधान गरिहाल्छन् । तर सबै समस्याको समाधानका लागि हामी एउटै मानिसमा भर पर्नुहुँदैन । पर्र्यौँ भने त्यो हाम्रै मुख्याइँ हुन्छ । समस्या आयो भने त्यसलाई रेकर्ड गर्न, प्रस्तुत गर्न र समाधान गर्न एउटा भरपर्दो संयन्त्र हामीलाई चाहिन्छ । त्यस्तो समस्या फेरी आयो भने सहजरुपमा समाधान गर्न सकिन्छ । अहिले त जस्तो आउँछ, त्यस्तै टर्दै जान्छ भन्ने खालको छ । ठूलो समस्या केही आइहाल्यो भने यहाँ सबैको भागाभाग हुन्छ ।
हामीले पानीको नयाँ मुहानको पहिचान गरेका छौँ । त्यहाँबाट पनि पानी ल्याउन सके त गज्जब हुन्थ्यो । त्यसो गर्न सके हामीलाई पिउनका लागि मात्रै होइन बारीमा सिंचाइ गर्न पनि प्रसस्त पानी पुग्थ्यो । अहिलेको मुहान त भोलिका दिनहरूमा सबैलाई पुग्छ भन्ने केही ग्यारेन्टी छैन ।
भाँचिने र चुहिने सम्भावना कम भएकाले जमिनमूनि बिछ्याइने प्लास्टिकका पाइपहरूभन्दा जमिनमाथि राखिने जिआइपाइप अलि राम्रो हो कि भन्ने मलाई लाग्छ । गाईवस्तु र खेतमा काम गर्न आउने खेतालाहरूले एक छिनको प्यास मेटाउन पाइप नै भाँच्ने गरेको पाइएको छ ।
हाम्रो विद्यालयमा पनि खानेपानीको ठूलो समस्या छ । नजिकैको सानो मुहानबाट पानी ल्याइएको छ । बेलाबेलामा मर्मत गरेर चलाइरहेको एउटा सानो ट्याङ्की पनि छ । तर समस्या चाहीँ पानीको मूलमा नै छ । मूल असुरक्षित त छँदै छ, पानीको धारो नै सानो आउने भएकाले ट्याङ्की भरिन निकै बेर लाग्छ ।
पहिले त हाम्रै स्कुलमा पनि शौचालयको उचित व्यवस्थापन थिएन । अहिले चाहीँ नयाँ बन्दै छ । यो बनिसकेपछि महिला पुरुषका लागि छुट्टाछुट्टै ट्वाइलेटहरू हुनेछन् । आगामी दिनमा कुनै विद्यार्थीलाई दिसापिसाब गर्न कुनै समस्या हुने छैन । तर शौचालय बनिसकेपछि यहाँ पानीको आवश्यकता झन् धेरै बढ्नेछ, जसको व्यवस्थापन गर्न हाम्रो विद्यालयमा पर्याप्त स्रोतसाधान छैन ।”
– खड्क बहादुर साही, बाङ्खी-१, हिमा गाउँपालिका
