Chharka Bhot, Dolpa
DRINKING WATER SUPPLY

Laying of drinking water pipes and construction of wells

Place

Chharka Bhot,
Ward-1,
Tangshong Rural Municipality,
District Dolpa

Who

Implementation: Chay Ya Nepal & local partner Dolpo Tomorrow,
Voluntary work contribution by the local community

Partners

Chay Ya Switzerland,
Globetrotter Switzerland

When

2020 - 2022

For

120 students of the boarding school, plus the villagers

Status

Completed

Project

Chharka Bhot is an isolated village in the northeastern part of the Dolpo region in Nepal, on the border with Tibet. It is located at 4,300 m, surrounded by a barren landscape. The population lives as semi-nomads and cultivates the fields around the village.

Thanks in part to the support of Chay Ya Switzerland, Shree Chharka Bhot Basic School, a government school administered by the local community, has been upgraded to a boarding school. During the site visits and discussions with representatives of the village, further possibilities for support were discussed.

A big problem is the severe lack of water, because the springs are far away from the village. A river flows through the village, but it is heavily polluted. The nearest larger river is currently too far away for regular drinking water. Based on various situation analyses and visits by local engineers, it became clear that it is technically possible to build water pipes from the source of the river, 2km away, to the village and the school. Chay Ya has therefore decided to finance the project and also to organize the necessary support and know-how.

In spring 2020, thanks to the support of Chay Ya, a person from Chharka Bhot will complete the training as a tinsmith to guarantee the maintenance of the infrastructure.
In summer 2020, the laying of water pipes and the construction of several wells will begin, enabling the population and the students to have access to clean running water. This measure should improve hygienic conditions, facilitate the irrigation of the fields and the supply of drinking water to the houses.

Updates

Update December 2020
In November 2020, the material for the water supply project arrived in Sangtha village, Mustang. It will be transported to Chharka Bhot next spring. On the way from Kathmandu, it got stuck between Pokhara and Mustang for the entire summer. This delay was caused by the destruction of the road due to the monsoon rains as well as ongoing travel restrictions related to the national corona lockdown.

Some of the material has already been transported further to Chharka Bhot by horses and yaks. However, the most important parts of the material, including the large coils of pipe and metal rods, will be safely stored in Sangtha at the community hall and will not be taken to Chharka until spring next year. The laying of the water pipes will then begin from May, when it is warm enough for construction again.

Update June 2021
Since early May, a flu-like illness with symptoms very similar to Covid-19 has begun to spread in the villages of Dolpo, including Chharka Bhot. Since no formal tests have been conducted, no official Covid-19 cases have been registered, but unfortunately villagers have been affected en masse. At the same time, Covid cases began to rapidly increase in and around Dunai, the district headquarters of Dolpa. As a result, the district administration imposed a lockdown on the entire area, which is still in effect.

The material for the water supply project, which was purchased last year and stored over the winter in the village of Sangtha in Mustang, is now being transported on to Chharka Bhot. So far, 35 rolls of pipes have already arrived in Chharka Bhot and the rest of the material is being transported by a team of mules, horses and men. Completion of the project by the end of October 2021 should be possible.

Update September 2022
Since October 2021, Chharka Bhot finally had clean drinking water, but due to Covid-19 and unusually bad weather conditions, the project could not be fully completed that year after all (even in summer, the 5,500 m high pass was still snow-covered, the heavy rain caused flooding and washed away paths, during a thunderstorm, the telephone pole was struck by lightning, preventing reasonable communication…). Thus, work continued in the summer of 2022, after the last materials could be transported to Chharka. The water filtration system with tank was touched up and fenced, the last meters of the pipeline were buried / built and the river crossing posts were insulated.

In total there are now 9 public tap stands in Chharka Bhot, which supply the whole village with drinking water. This September they could be inaugurated together with the school.