Harvesting the rain

Pratima collects clean water from the handpump.

Credit: WaterAid / Marco Betti

In Kathmandu, like in many areas of the world, water tables are dropping. Traditional water sources that have served the city for years are drying up and only 40% of the 700,000 living here in Nepal's capital have a reliable water supply.

Meanwhile, the demand for water has increased as more people have moved to the city to escape the conflict that has affected the country in recent years.

In Hakha, an area close to the historic city centre of Patan, the community faced this growing problem. The water in their well was drying out. Families turned to street vendors, but the water was expensive and couldn't provide for all their needs.

"Before, I used to go to another well or a pipeline to collect water," explains Pratima Shakaya, who lives in the area with her husband Rajendra. "But for the last two years it has dried up and so I couldn't collect it from there. We didn't have any water."

A community member introduced them to 'the well guy' from UEMS, a local NGO, which works in the area rehabilitating traditional wells.

UEMS saw the potential in recharging the groundwater supplying a handpump in a small, enclosed courtyard surrounded by Kathmandu's, traditional houses decorated with ornate wooden carvings.

UEMS constructed a collection tank in the courtyard and fitted guttering and pipework to the houses above. When it rains water now flows from the guttering in to the tank, where it is filtered through sand and aggregate, ready for the 30 families living here to pump it to the surface.

"The water we used to collect from here was very dirty", Pratima continues, "The water was yellowish so we could only use it for washing dark clothes!"

"The community contributed 25% of the cost. We collect contributions from the community to pay for maintenance and have opened a bank account for it. We also have a caretaker", says Pratima.

As yet the community haven't had to carry out any repairs - but their monthly contributions and trained caretaker will ensure they are ready if and when the need arises. In the meantime the community can enjoy the fresh, clean water on their doorstep as Pratima explains: "Now we can drink from it and even wash our white clothes here!" 

Rainwater is collected in the guttering flows into a storage tank where it is filtered before use by the community.