Proposal for a water storage tank

Abstract

The village of Thulogaun in Dolakha is a hill settlement of about 120 households. The only source of water is a spring 40 minutes' walk away. In the dry season, the flow falls and women and children spend three to four hours a day collecting water. This proposal seeks support for constructing a 40,000-litre ferro-cement water storage tank fitted with a piped distribution system and six public taps. The tank will collect spring water overnight and supply it during the day. The work will be done by the villagers with the help of a technician in four months, at an estimated cost of Rs. 18,50,000, of which the community will contribute 20 percent in labour. The project will save time, improve health and support education.

Statement of the problem

• The nearest source is far, and the supply is low in the dry season.
• Households collect water from unsafe ponds, causing diarrhoea and typhoid, especially among children.
• Collecting water takes the time of women and children, so school attendance and income suffer.
• Spring water flows unused at night, because there is no storage.
• The village is remote, and the local government has not been able to provide a scheme yet.

Objectives

General objective: to ensure a regular supply of clean water for the people of Thulogaun.

Specific objectives:

1. To build a 40,000-litre storage tank and six public taps.
2. To reduce water collection time to less than 15 minutes per household.
3. To form a user committee for the operation and maintenance of the system.
4. To train the community in water treatment and hygiene.

Beneficiaries and work plan in brief

About 650 people in 120 households, including 180 school children, will benefit directly. The work will be completed in four months: survey and design (2 weeks), collection of local material (3 weeks), construction of intake, tank and pipeline (10 weeks), and testing and training (1 week). The user committee will collect a monthly fee of Rs. 50 per household for repair.