Birendranagar, the capital of Karnali Province, grapples with a severe drinking water shortage as the situation worsens. Residents of Birendranagar Municipality in Surkhet district are facing tremendous difficulties due to the scarcity of drinking water. Dil Kumari BK from Laligurans in Birendranagar-1 spends nearly five hours just to fill a pot from the local tap. With no water in the wells and the inability to afford digging a boring pit, she expressed concerns about sustaining her livelihood. The tap only releases a trickle of water every two weeks, leaving the community without any other water sources.

The water shortage has had a significant impact on the education of children as well. Manisha Thapa, a fifth-grade student at Saraswati Secondary School, struggles to manage her time between school and collecting drinking water. She wakes up at 5 am and spends hours fetching water, often arriving home late and unable to attend school. The scarcity of water has made it increasingly challenging for her to balance her responsibilities.

Various settlements in Birendranagar, including Pragatisheeltole, Aanpkholitole, Laliguranstole, Ekatatole, Tripureshwor tole, and Dharapanitole, are particularly affected by the water shortage. Local residents report that the tap releases water only once every ten days. The water supply is pumped from the local Jhupra river after undergoing processing. The shortage of drinking water in the provincial capital city is attributed to water sources drying up, unmanaged development, and natural disasters, according to local sources.

Dor Prasad Upadhyay, an information officer for the Water Supply, Irrigation, and Energy Development Directorate, acknowledged that resolving the water problem in Birendranagar is dependent on pumping water from the Bheri river and distributing it to the locals. He mentioned that other local levels are also facing water shortages, and efforts are being made to address the issue in coordination with local authorities.

Despite budget allocations for the project of pumping water from the Bheri river, no progress has been made, and the funds remain frozen. The federal government, as well as the provincial government, have allocated substantial sums for the project, but no construction work has commenced. This has exacerbated the acute shortage of drinking water in the municipality.

Residents of Birendranagar now face a critical shortage of drinking water, forcing some to purchase water from tankers while others suffer. The tap only releases water for one hour every 15 or 16 days, and even then, it may stop without filling a single pot, according to local residents like Binod Gurung. The Surkhet Valley Water Supply Users' Organisation (SVWSUO), responsible for distributing water to the villagers, is struggling due to drying water sources.

To address the water crisis in the long run, the municipality plans to announce a bidding process for a project to pump water from the Bheri river. The World Bank, the Government of Nepal, and the Municipality have reached a tripartite agreement for the project. An environmental impact assessment has been completed, and the project, budgeted at over Rs 4.6 billion, will be carried out in two phases over six years. The initiative is expected to provide a lasting solution to the water crisis in the city, benefiting around 500,000 people.

As a short-term measure, the municipality has started repairing old wells and small water sources. The ward chairperson, Krishi Giri, mentioned that the previously dug deep borings are not in use, and efforts are being made to operate a new one. However, the increasing population in Birendranagar, attributed to its status as the provincial capital,