DHARAN, June 13: At a time when the residents of Dharan are facing an extreme shortage of drinking water, Mayor Harka Sampang has managed to bring water from the Kokaha River from a distance of about 42 kms through a voluntary labor contribution campaign.
On the 98th day of the campaign, Kokaha's water was diverted into the Pakuwa River at Dharan-20 at midnight. Although political parties, party leaders and critics of Mayor Sampang have been constantly criticizing him, he has succeeded in bringing water from the Kokaha river through labor contributions.
Datta Kumar Limbu, project manager of the labor contribution campaign, informed Republica that at midnight, the Kokaha water was released into the Pakuwa River. He said, “People did many things to us - they protested - but we finally succeeded in bringing water from the Kokaha River.”
The main source of the Kokaha River is located in Hattisar-20, Dharan. Water can be brought from the main source area by lifting it to the hill pass, but since it costs too much in electricity, Mayor Sampang has brought water as an alternative by laying a pipeline through gravity flow. The pipeline has been laid for about 42 kilometers through the territory of the neighboring city of Barahakshetra. Susan Thapa, sub-engineer of the Dharan Water Supply Management Board, informed Republica that it is 35 kilometers away from Pakuwa River where the water was released last night.
Mayor Sampang himself had been continuously working in the field for two days to bring Kokaha water to Pakuwa River. He had announced that he would not return home until Kokaha water was released into the Pakuwa river. On Sunday, he stayed in the Patnali area without returning home, but last night, even though the water was released into the Pakuwa River, he did not return home and spent the night on the riverbank. Mayor Sampang was emotional and cried after the water was released. “We have worked very hard. It is not an easy job to carry the pipe for 42 kms. We made the impossible possible,” said Mayor Sampang, “I want to remember the hungry workers and donors. This is a great achievement as it is a perennial source of water.”
For the Kokaha drinking water campaign, more than Rs 40 million financial support including pipes, food, etc. were received from both domestic and international donors. Every Saturday more than 5,000 people from Dharan and outside Dharan used to come for labor contributions. Mayor Sampang has also managed to connect the water of Pakuwa River, Sardu, Nisane River and Balu River through the labor contribution campaign. Harka Sampang Support Committee UK and Gorkha Peace Foundation have built a water tank worth Rs 23,700 in Nisane, while another tank has been built by Hark Sampang Support Committee in Seuti Bagar. Now the Gorkha Welfare Trust is upgrading the Khardu River water supply project.