Most of the drinking water projects in Kalikot are limited only to paper, despite claims from the responsible agencies of having completed them.
Out of 400 drinking water projects launched in the district, only 18 percent have been completed so far. On paper, however, 250 projects are said to be completed.
The provincial and federal governments had allocated Rs 140 million and Rs 20 million respectively for drinking water projects in three municipalities and six rural municipalities of the district.
“Though many projects have been completed as per the claim of the concerned agencies, the truth is that the beneficiary households are not getting water in their taps,” Dewananda Dhital said, of Drinking Water and Sanitation Division Office in Surkhet. The government records show that 78 percent households in Kalikot have drinking water access in their homes. However, a recent survey carried out by SNV Nepal found that the official data was misleading.