Water Supply Project in Beni Stalled Due to Budget Constraints
The alternative water supply project in Beni, the headquarters of Myagdi District, has been halted due to budget shortages. Despite needing to pay Rs. 1.38 Crores to the construction company from the previous fiscal year, only Rs. 1 lakh has been allocated in the current fiscal year, significantly impacting the project's progress. The Federal Water Supply and Sewerage Management Project Myagdi had signed a contract with AM Paradise of Kathmandu in Ashwin 2078 for Rs. 2.46 Crores to expand the Beni water supply project's capacity. However, work has been suspended since Falgun due to outstanding payments and uncertainty over additional budget allocation, as confirmed by engineer Ajay Timilsina.
The project aims to address water shortages in Beni caused by dry spells, source depletion, pipe bursts, and landslides by drawing and purifying water from the Myagdi River. Ramesh Giri, chairman of the Beni Water Consumer Committee, reported that a 340,000-liter capacity reservoir tank has been constructed at Barahpakho, along with two water purification filter plants with a combined capacity of 5.94 cubic liters. However, new sedimentation and sand filter tanks cannot be utilized due to budget constraints, leading to increased costs for maintaining the old purification tanks.
Water is being pumped from the Kaligandaki River through a 900-meter, four-inch GI pipe using lift technology, supplying water to the reservoir tank at Barahpakho. Currently, two pumps provide 10 liters per second, and with all three pumps operational, 15 liters per second can be supplied. Despite the lift technology's operation, the water purification structures remain unused. Efforts to secure additional funding from the Ministry of Water Supply have been unsuccessful, causing further delays. The project has built a 200,000-liter capacity tank to expand Beni's water supply capacity, which now includes one 100,000-liter and two 200,000-liter tanks. The purification structures are designed to supply 33 liters per second to 1,100 households in Beni-7, 8, and 2, but landslides and the ongoing construction of the Beni-Jomsom road have disrupted the water supply.
