Drinking water shortage as landslide buries water source

Doti : The post-monsoon rains that triggered landslides and floods in the district buried the source of water resulting into the shortage of drinking water at Dipayal and Silgadhi in the district.

Maintenance of water source is an urgent need to ensure smooth water supply. The 500-meter long pipe fixed to supply water from its source near Rajpur bazaar was swept away by the landslide. The drinking water and sanitation consumers’ committee has admitted that it was yet to repair the structures at water source.

For some days after the landslide and river flood, Dipayal Silgadhi Municipality opted to distributing water, carrying it in fire engine. The water was distributed at Pipalla, Dipayal, Rajpur and Silgadhi people. The municipality also stopped distributing water now. “We’re bound to consume murky water. The Seti River is unclean. Taps stopped spewing water. As the municipality stopped providing water, we are in a wretched condition,” a local Ram Kumar Singh shared plight.

The water source at Kalena stream of Dipayal Silgadhi Municipality-9 was buried by the landslide caused by the post-monsoon rains. Hotelier Siddha Raj Joshi informed that people are deprived of basic need of drinking water and sanitation due to damage in water supply.

Consumers’ committee chair Ram Bahadur Dhami however said the employees from drinking water facility were mobilized for the maintenance but it was difficult to complete on time because the source of water itself was buried in landslide. He vowed to resume the water supply as soon as possible.