@unicefnepal

class="content__text" 💦Bringing #safewater closer to communities! Malta Valley in the Bagmati Rural Municipality in Lalitpur District became the very first in the Kathmandu Valley to officially earn the title of a “water-safe community” recently. This means that the three communities in Malta – Thulobhir, Chhahare and Goganghari with a combined total of 157 households – now have easier access to safe water, thanks to a project implemented by the local government, with support from UNICEF and partner organization UEMS. The project has worked primarily to strengthen the safe water supply through repair and maintenance of water supply systems and establishing a drip chlorination system. A Water Safety Plan has also been implemented, and support provided to develop the municipality’s water-quality monitoring mechanism, including by setting up a mini-lab at the municipality office to enable regular testing in communities. Additionally, the local Water and Sanitation User Committee has also received training in repair and maintenance, and water testing. And families have also been supported in making use of household-level water treatment options to further ensure the safety of their supply. Malta resident Sharmila Lamichhane, 36, says that having clean and safe drinkable water so close to her home has been a blessing. “You feel safer knowing this water won’t cause diseases to you or your children,” she says. “And since the supply is constant, I’m able to water our vegetable garden, wash our cattle and do all these extra things without worrying that there won’t be enough.”

February 12, 2023