The residents of Raragaun, located in ward 1 of Tila Rural Municipality, have endured a severe drinking water crisis for over four decades. The situation remains dire with dwindling local water sources, unutilised project budgets, and increasingly unreliable water supplies.

Villagers are forced to queue for hours daily to collect water, often leading to disputes. Many households are limited to just one jerry can for three to four days. Water is available for only two hours in the morning and two hours in the evening, which is insufficient for the 280 households in the village.

“Years have passed without enough water to meet our needs,” said Suran Basnet. “The crisis will continue until a reliable water project is built.” He said that despite efforts to locate new sources in neighbouring villages, none have been found.

Eight years ago, the department of water supply launched a five-year project to channel water from the Dipukhola source, but the project faltered due to poor management by the local consumer committees and the office. Funds were allocated for the purpose but not properly utilised, leaving the village without a viable solution.

After the local government took over, it initiated a plan to lift water from the Tila River to the village, with an initial budget of Rs5 million. However, progress has been slow, and water has yet to reach the village. Locals have resigned themselves to the ongoing delay, seeing pipes being laid but no immediate results.

The Dumkali Drinking Water Project, established 43 years ago, still provides some water, but the source has dried up, exacerbating the problem. Four taps were installed in the village in 1978, but now, water barely flows. Sometimes, the taps don’t even release a drop.

For residents like Kare Pariyar, the situation is even worse. “We walk for an hour to fetch water from the Tila River, which is contaminated,” he lamented. “The water supply does not meet the demand. Every day, there are fights in the village over water.”

The water shortage has also devastated agriculture. Fields that should be fertile now look barren, with farmers unable to irrigate them. “The land is dry, despite a river flowing beside the village, we still suffer,” Pariyar said.

In a bid to resolve the ongoing crisis, Tila Rural Municipality has awarded a Rs40 million contract to build the project. However, the residents remain sceptical. The municipality has awarded the Shiva Deuti Sulochana Baju JV with the contract to complete the project within three years. Despite these efforts, locals remain unconvinced, given the repeated failures of past initiatives.

Dhan Prasad Chaulagain, the chief of the municipal technical section, said that survey and pipe installation work has already begun. However, with years of unfulfilled promises behind them, the people of Raragaun are wary about their future water supply.