Water scarcity has driven 45 families out of their homes in three local units of Sankhuwasabha district.

According to the authorities, 10 households in Chainpur Municipality, 25 households in Dharmadevi Municipality and 10 households in Panchkhapan Municipality have been forced to migrate due to water crises in their areas.

Bholaman Shrestha, ward chairman of Dharmadevi-7, said water shortage had mostly affected the villages of Kuwapani, Aahale, Malwase, Kalche, Padare, Jagir Gaun, Kudule, Chuwade and Phaping.

Locals of Chuwade village said they had to walk for more than three hours daily to fetch water from Arun River.

Dharmadevi municipal office has identified six wards—4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9— in the municipality  as water crises-hit areas. Mayor Ramesh Kumar Gimi said the municipal office was planning to install deep boring water projects to address the problem of water shortage in the municipality.

“We are starting from wards 7 and 8 of the municipality. Rs 4 million has been allocated for the projects,” Gimi said.

The municipality estimates that Rs 7 million will be required to set up water boring systems in six wards.

In Panchkhapan Municipality, several families have been forced to leave their homes as a result of water scarcity, particularly in wards 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8.

Mayor Bipin Rai said more than 3,000 families in the municipality were reeling under acute water shortage.

“We need to construct an integrated water project to address the situation and that will cost us at least Rs 150 million,” he said.

Mani Sundar Rai, ward chairman of Sabhapokhari Rural Municipality-1, said around 300 households in the ward were affected by water shortage “Water sources are far away from the settlements. The municipality hasn’t been able to supply water to the villages due to lack of budget,” he said.