With great pride, we all Nepalese say that Nepal is the second richest country in water resource following Brazil. However, we Nepalese know the real plight of not getting pure water to drink and living in the load shedding of 14hours per day even after having such huge water potentiality. Urban areas like Kathmandu valley, Pokhara, Biratnagar etc where large proportion of population is continuously pouring is mostly suffered from water shortage.

Like other urban part of Nepal, Hariyokharka (Nearby areas of Institute of Forestry, IOF), belonging to Pokhara city is also suffering from water scarcity. Big buildings of 3-4 stories can be seen in nearby areas and those buildings are fitted with well managed plumb systems but the sad thing is that only air comes from those taps not the water.

In the early morning when I go outside our institute to drink hot tea each day, I see a big gathering of people just outside of my institute as if something big conflict is happening. People gather there to fetch water as there are some taps provided by our IOF and the people are quite conscious about their terns to collect water. I stand at side by of that gathering and conclude that ?Yeah! It is a conflict people are struggling for their lives i.e. water?. I step forward and warm my whole body by drinking hot tea with some light breakfast. Now after finishing breakfast I go to wash my hand again and I listen an echo sounding not to use more water.

?Okay, Okay, I?m not using more water, I?m not troubling you?, I reply and move to my own hostel (of IOF) where I can enjoy the water to full extent. Our IOF has full service of water all the time which was developed on the financial assistance of USAID.

Although, these people are rich when their bank balance is counted but may be the poorest when accessibility to water is considered. They even can?t go to some natural river to fetch water because the nearby Seti river is completely white due to mixing of water with calcium carbonate. These people don?t show interest to buy tank water.

Another thing is that Pokhara is the maximum raining zone of Nepal. But the rainwater is not properly utilized because of lack of proper technique to harvest rain water.

Pipes are exposed at so many places and if these are leaked due to many causes, there may remain a chance of mixing dirty ground water on drinking water and its consequence is beyond the imagination. It has been seen several times.

Sometimes, People use the water collected before about 10 days stored in some simple open tank for different purpose including cooking. Perhaps very few belief this, but it is the reality of Hariyokharka.

This may sound as a dreadful story to some of you. However, it is the reality of the world where we live.