RAUTAHAT: Even after 10 years since construction began, the Judibela Water Supply Project in Chandrapur Municipality-2 in Rautahat remains incomplete, forcing locals to rely on arsenic-contaminated groundwater.
The project, intended to supply safe drinking water to nearly 10,000 residents across 2,500 households, has seen only 55 percent physical progress since its launch 10 years ago.
While all other nine wards of Chandrapur Municipality now have access to clean water, Ward No. 2, Judibela, continues to be left behind. According to the Water Supply and Sanitation Division Office in Sarlahi, only about half of the project has been completed so far.
Bhola Thapaliya, chairperson of the Judibela Water Supply and Sanitation Consumers Committee, expressed concern over the delays. He said the locals are still consuming arsenic-rich water extracted from a depth of 30 to 50 feet.
The project, which began before the federalization of the country, has since fallen through the cracks, receiving little attention from either the federal or provincial governments.
Although various agencies have been approached to resolve the issue, no substantial progress has been made. At present, water is being directly pumped to around 200 houses, bypassing proper storage in tanks.
Teknath Kharel, a member of the same committee, said that around 35 kilometers of mainline pipelines are still required to distribute water to every household in the ward. He pointed out that pipelines are essential to reach homes from Phulbari to Bhantol and Raiyatol. He also suggested that a second water supply project may be necessary, as the current project alone may not be sufficient to meet demand.
According to the 2078 census, the ward has a population of 9,982 and 2,048 households, although ward chairman Dutta Bahadur Thing said that the actual number of houses has now exceeded 2,500.
Engineer Bibek Jha from the Drinking Water and Sanitation Division Office overseeing the project confirmed that 55 percent of the work was completed by the end of fiscal year 2023/24.
A 450,000-liter overhead tank has been built under the project, but a payment of Rs. 5.4 million to the contractor responsible for the tank remains outstanding.
So far, the project has completed deep boring installation, office building construction, electrification, pump house construction, and the laying of approximately 27 kilometers of mainline pipelines. However, the work has stalled due to a shortage of funds, especially for the purchase of remaining pipelines.
Engineer Jha said that although the office has requested a budget, there is still no confirmation as to whether the funds will be released. He noted that the remaining work can be completed if the budget is allocated in time.
The Drinking Water and Sanitation Division Office has estimated that an additional Rs. 20 million will be required to complete the project and has formally submitted this request to the Ministry of Energy, Irrigation and Drinking Water of Madhes Province.
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