Pokhara—The process of water treatment project has commenced at Mardi stream area which is the major source of drinking water coming to Pokhara. Public toilets, laundry spots and funeral houses will also be built to the northern site of the drinking water dam. People from Saidi Ghatta, Siding, Lumre, Ghalel and Ribhan of Kaski will be benefited from those constructions.
Villagers around the Mardi stream have been performing the funeral rites in the shores of that stream for centuries would be stopped following the above mentioned construction works. The swamp and soap water won’t be mixed in the Mardi water following that development tasks.
The project has been started jointly by Pokhara Lekhnath Metropolitan City (PLMC), Nepal Water Supply Corporation (NWSC )and Pokhara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI). According to PCCI Chairman Bishwo Shankar Palikhe, the budget of Rs 9 million has been allocated for the treatment project. Six different committees that have been formed in local level would forward the quality construction in the places they choose. According to PLMC senior engineer Sarada Mohan Kafle, a team of engineers from PLMC would inspect the construction work carry out by villagers.
Earlier, it had been announced that the Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) would build a water treatment plant for Pokhara drinking water project with an investment of Rs 4.52 billion. People from Pokhara have been drinking contaminated water that is treated by chlorine for decades.
According to NWSC Pokhara acting Chief Dineshwor Yadav, Pokhara receives some 30 million liters of water from Mardi source, some 11 KM north of Pokhara. Pokhara needs some 45 million liters of water daily. Pokhara daily gets 40 million liters of water from various sources including Mardi but a big amount of water going wasted as there is no systematic water supply system.
Pokhara have been receiving water from 16 inch pipe for 3 decades but another new 20 inch pipe line has been used for more than five years. JICA had supported Rs 135 million to build that system.
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