Kailali – Participants in a workshop titled “sustainable water resources management” have stressed on the need to manage water for sustainable future. The program was jointly organised by USAID and International Water Management Institute.
As part of sustainable water resources management program, in 2017, the Water management institute conducted a study of 644 households in Melekh, and Punewata of Doti district, and Kuti of Kailali district, on how their water resources were and how they were managed.
According to Research office at Water Management Institute, Emma S Karki, the study found that the mountain and hill regions have been facing problems of water shortage, and the available resources have not been properly managed. She added the women living in hilly areas have been compelled to travel a long distance to fetch water and waters that have gone to waste have not been properly utilized.
Out of the 644 houses that were researched, 84.5 percent have been using tube-well water for drinking, 33.2 percent of the houses have fetching water from public tap for household use. The people in region are dependent on 75.9 percent underground water and 54 percent rain water.
Around 4.5 percent of the people have electric water pumps, and 20.5 percent people have diesel pump for pulling water, she said.
Researcher and Irrigation Engineer of the institute, Dr Beshraj Thapa said the water management program has been supporting the locals to conserve the waters that were being wasted by distributing solar panels and water spray nozzles.
Similarly, Nara Bahadur Khadka, a farmer from Doti, said he has been able to utilize the water collected in a pond for irrigation to vegetable farms.
He also advised that the local bodies should bring in farmer-centric programs by managing the water resources for sustainability and conduct study for long-term management of the water.
