To the local villagers, the idea of bringing drinking water from a stream that flows 560 meters down the human settlement -- and that too without electricity -- was a farfetched one. [break]
But, Sunar did it. By convincing all the villagers, he succeeded in bringing drinking water from Nepane Khola of Ransingkiteni VDC. In the process, he used solar powered water pump, which does not require electricity.
On Friday, Sunar was greeted with garlands and vermillion powder by the villagers.
"I never thought that we could get water so easily," said Tulasi Sunar, a local resident of Ransinghkiteni-4. "Now, I feel quite relieved. I do not need to go all the way down to the stream to fetch just a bucket of water. We can get water in our own courtyard."
Sunar led the villagers to complete Netakharka Drinking Water Project, which has now provided drinking water to 39 households in Ransinghkiteni VDC-4.
According to Sunar, the villagers set up a 1950 watt-solar panel to run a motor that channels water of Nepane Khole up to the human settlement. "The motor brings water up from the stream," said Sunar. "And, we distribute water to the villagers through public taps."
To complete Netakharka Drinking Water Project, which cost Rs 2.2 million, Alternative Energy Promotion Center (AEPC) and Dhaulagiri Community Resource Development Center (DCRDC), among others, provided technical and financial assistance to the villagers. "It was a very challenging project," said Ishwor Lal Rajbhandari, chairman of DCRDC. "We provided a grant of Rs one million."
Apart from AEPC, local mothers´ groups and other people also provided financial support for the project. "We collected Rs 1.2 million from among ourselves," said Jivan Prakash Kaucha, a local resident. "The locals worked tirelessly for two months to build the project."
With the completion of the project, local women feel that their lives have now completely changed. "Earlier, I used to wake up in the wee hours to fetch water," said Dhan Kumari Sunar, a resident of Ransinghkiteni-4.
Tek Bahadur Thapa, principal of Nepane Secondary School, says use of undrinkable water would often spread diarrhea epidemics in the past. "Now, we hope that our children will not have to die of diarrhea," he said.
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