Optimum Utilisation of Available Water at Source: Case Bananganga WSS

Improved Water management system

The Bananganga Water Supply Scheme (WSS) covers more than 120 HH with 712 population of Bhairabi Ward number 3. 244 of the population are Dalits. This is a water managed source improvement cum gravity water system from a historical spout. The whole community used to depend on this spout for water. There used to be quarrels, disagreements among water fetchers. Women specially used to have to wake up early morning for water and spend more time on queuing.

The source is within the temple area where the spout is located. The source is protected, and a reservoir tank is constructed to tap the source water. From this reservoir, the spout is fed, and another line goes to another community where more than 90 HHs are served through 10 PSPs of 2 sub-schemes. After construction of this scheme there is harmony in the community, the historical place is conserved and protected, Dalit HHs have easy access to water points.

The sacred place with historical spout, source, and collection reservoir.

The RM Chairperson and Team Leader of RVWRMP jointly inaugurated the system by opening tap stand faucet in an event with traditional music and much fanfare.

After inaugural ceremony, the team met with RM executive body at RM office. The meeting was chaired by RM chairperson and participated by vice chair, all 7 ward chairs, CEO, and other staffs of RM. This was an interactive program where Parikshit and Laxmi Chandra Mahat clarified the concerns and queries as raised by participants. The participants mainly focused on:

• Livelihoods and irrigation schemes

• Irrigation ponds and improved water mill

• Rainwater Harvesting in w.n 1 and 2 of RM

• Lifting water supplies under federal and provincial government

• Cooperative process

• Sustainability of constructed structures

• Total sanitation activities including school WaSH

• Exposure visits to Finland and Europe.

Interactive meeting at Bhairabi RM chaired by RM chairperson.

Observation of Nawakhola WS, Bhairabi w.n 2:

The team was welcomed by UC and locals even though the observation was quite late. The team observed the point source development activities with storage tank. This type of construction happens to be climate resilient scheme. The higher discharge is tapped and stored in the tank and utilized during lean period. There are 4 such source improvement schemes under Nawakhola WS. This scheme benefits 92 HHs with 535 population. Of this 9 HHs are Dalits. 1 school is also supported with a tap from this scheme.

Source protection, water level pipe at reservoir and water level inside the tank.

The source improvement reservoirs are fitted with water level indicator plastic pipes so that the almost illiterate VMW/UC members can see the water level inside the tank and manage water utilization accordingly.

The next step is to paint on the external wall at water level marks in “available water” inside the tank in local language in “gagri (vessel)”. This marking will “indicate” that each household can take “…” nos of gagris with water. In this way, during high water time, more water can be taken by users and in lean period less amount of water is used. This will support users in “optimizing” available water.