LALITPUR, Oct 26: China’s Yunnan Province has handed over public welfare projects to Nepal’s Lalitpur Metropolitan City. This includes a solar powered community bathroom named Unicsolar Shower Station, which is the first of its kind in the capital city, and a roof photovoltaic project.
Amid a special function organized in Lalitpur on Friday, the Yunnan Commercial Representative Office in Nepal handed over the projects to Ward-3 of Municipality. The Unicsolar Shower Station is equipped with a 4,000-liter hot water facility generated by solar energy and has three shower rooms each for males and females. The community bathroom will benefit at least 80-100 persons to take showers per day, according to a press statement issued by the organizer.
In addition, the rooftop photovoltaic project has an installed capacity of 36kw which could generate around 60,000kwh annually and provide green and free energy to the community for a long-term. Addressing the ceremony, Mayor of Lalitpur Metropolitan City Chiri Babu Maharjan expressed gratitude to the Chinese side for supporting the heritage city Lalitpur.
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Terming the project as “excellent state-of-art facility,” Mayor said that it would highly benefit the locals. He further shared that the municipality seeks to explore collaboration with the Yunnan Province in more avenues in near future.
On behalf of the Yunnan Provincial Government, the Yunnan Commercial Representative Office in Nepal was established in 2015. The Office has been working as a business cooperation window and communication platform to bridge Yunnan and Nepal.
Yang Chenfeng, Director of Yunnan Provincial Commercial Representative Office in Kathmandu, informed that they have executed 9 livelihood projects since 2022 including 2 Friendly Parks, 3 Solar Power Projects, 2 Public Shower Projects and 2 School Bags Donation Projects in different districts. “These two projects will improve the locals’ living conditions, generate employment opportunities and also enhance the quality of the city,” Yang remarked.
The "Yunnan Hand in Hand Project" aims to improve the living standards and the well-being of the local people in Nepal. It is funded by Yunnan People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, supported by Yunnan Provincial Energy Investment Group, and implemented by Yunnan Provincial Commercial Representative Office in Kathmandu.
Following the handover, Shree Gopal Maharjan, Ward-3 Chairman, shared that the project reflects Chinese development and could be a great learning for Nepal to implement similar practices in other places. “There is a water crisis in many places across Kathmandu valley, thus the shower station welcomes public not just from this ward but from the overall capital,” Maharjan remarked.
