BELBARI: Residents of Samala in Letang Municipality-7, Morang, who had long been compelled to fetch drinking water from rivers and streams, have finally found relief with the operation of a new drinking water project. The project has significantly eased daily life in the area.
Samala, a location gaining popularity among tourists in recent years, had been facing a severe shortage of drinking water.
Local resident Raj Bikram Rai shared that during the dry season, the old Lumai drinking water system could not meet local demand, forcing people to rely on distant wells and streams.
To address this, a drinking water tank was constructed on Samala Danda at a cost of Rs 3.4 million, funded by Letang Municipality. A pipeline was laid across approximately 6 kilometers, carrying water from the Kalikhola source to the tank.
However, initially, water could not be distributed from the tank to the settlements. In the current fiscal year, Letang Municipality allocated an additional Rs 500,000 to extend the pipeline to local neighborhoods, with active participation from the community, informed Deputy Mayor Krishna Kumari Niraula.
According to Padam Kumar Rai, Chairperson of the Samala Drinking Water Construction Consumers Committee, around 3,000 meters of pipeline have now been installed from the tank, and 13 taps have been set up in various settlements.
So far, 57 households in Pandhere, Garagare, Tinpata, Bhirgaun, Kartike, Gahiri Tole, Dandatole, and Lamteka have received access to tap water.
Rai expressed hope that resolving the long-standing drinking water crisis will also help boost tourism development in Samala, which continues to emerge as a promising tourist destination.
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