Khamme Damai of Paganath in ward 1 of Bhagawatimai Rural Municipality in Dailekh district had a piped water tap at his home. However, for the past six years it had run dry as the entire water supply system in the village was in disrepair due to mismanagement.

“Pipes were broken and weeds had grown inside the tanks. But after repairing the old system, we now have water at our doorstep,” said Damai. Villagers had requested for a new project, but it was never approved. He now realises that old systems can be revived through timely maintenance.

Nepal Water for Health, a non-government organisation, had constructed a drinking water project and supplied water to all households in Paganath when it was a Village Development Committee before the country transitioned to a federal system in 2015. However, the water supply system had not been operational for several years and was deteriorating. Residents had started demanding a new project.

According to Bhagawatimai Rural Municipality, the Gauthali Water Supply and Sanitation Project was repaired and brought back into operation in the current fiscal year, 2024-25. The project now supplies 112 households in Pagnath, Pokharidanda and Halasimtol through 100 taps and several water storage tanks. As the previous water source was insufficient, an additional source was integrated into the system. The project also provides water to Pagnath Health Post and Jwala Basic School.

Similarly, the rural municipality repaired the supply system at Lamatada in ward 7. The project, built years ago under the Rural Water Resource Management Project, had fallen into disuse. Last fiscal year, the municipality undertook a full-scale repair, reaching 20 more households with 18 new taps.

“The local people had lost hope in the project. But its repair and restoration have made them happy now,” said Chitra Bahadur Khadka, chairman of Lamatada Water and Sanitation Consumer Committee.

Bhagawatimai Rural Municipality has repaired several other drinking water projects which were old and neglected. The villagers at Bestada, Kholgadi and Mulaka have been supplied with drinking water following the repairs. They are pleased that the projects were restored at a low cost and in a timely manner.

With support from the Sustainable Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Project—a bilateral water, sanitation and hygiene initiative funded by the Government of Nepal and Government of Finland—Bhagawatimai Rural Municipality has continued efforts to repair and maintain existing projects rather than initiating expensive new ones. The funding model includes a one-percent cash contribution from consumers, 20 percent labour contribution, 10 percent from the rural municipality, and 70 percent with the project budget.

Five such neglected drinking water projects were repaired in the last fiscal year as well. Vice-chairperson Mina Khadka Thapa of the local unit said repairing old projects saved money. “Previously, new projects were approved even when minor repairs would have sufficed. We have now maximised benefits by mobilising a minimal budget,” she said.

Consumer committees are being upgraded into water management institutions and registered under the rural municipality’s water resource committee. Nine consumer committees have already been registered. The rural municipality and the Sustainable Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Project have been conducting capacity-building programmes for committee members to ensure the sustainable management of water projects.

Consumers now cover minor maintenance and caretaker expenses. According to Water and Sanitation Facilitator Prakash Adhikari, strengthening consumer committees will ensure the long-term sustainability of these projects.