Min Bahadur Shahi of Bairanka village, Tatopani-1, Jumla, has been raising his voice in front of candidates in every election since 2064 BS, saying that a drinking water project should be built. During that time, every candidate has been promising that a drinking water project is their priority.

However, when they win the election and enter the parliament, they forget their promises to Bairan's village. Now the voters of Bairan's village have stopped trusting the candidates.

He said, 'We have been asking for water for years. They kept making promises. But they did not deliver water. The demand for drinking water here for five decades has not been addressed yet.' Now there is a stream in the village. Even in that stream, water flows only after hours of collecting water in a tank. Local Shanti Shahi, who had to stand in line carrying a jug in the morning, expressed her grief.

He said, 'We are forced to take turns to fill water. But the promise to bring water in every election remains intact.' The villagers are now carrying drinking water to the nearby Tila River. In 2056 BS, CPN-UML's Devilal Thapa won the election. Even then, the demand for drinking water here was high. It remains so to this day.

‘In 2064 BS, the villagers went on a strike. They went to the District Administration Office and staged a sit-in. They displayed empty jugs and jugs. Neither the state listened nor did the people’s representatives pay attention,’ said local Til Bahadur Shahi, ‘Why is the state so lenient towards the village of Bairanka. The settlement is in crisis due to the drinking water problem here.’

The locals went on a hunger strike and even locked the then District Development Committee. There are no water sources near the village. They took many initiatives to find sources in neighboring villages. But no water source was found. Recently, the locals have demanded that the water of the Tila River be purified and supplied to every household with tap water. So far, four candidates have reached the village.

They have repeated their promise of providing drinking water. But the voters are not believing them. There were attempts to lift the river water to the village, but the locals could not afford it as it was very expensive.

‘In every election, we asked for water, the candidates kept asking for votes. But there was not enough water. The candidates won and reached the parliament. They neither spoke about the drinking water problem nor showed any readiness to fulfill the demands of the people of Bairanka. We have to drink the polluted water of the Tila River,’ added Til Bahadur. The river water does not look very dirty in winter, but during the rainy season, murky water keeps coming, so we have to drink it with concern. The people of Bairanka are now demanding either to provide drinking water or to relocate. Earlier, there was a small spring in the village. Since it was a small settlement at that time, that water was enough. Now the population has increased. The settlement has expanded. The water crisis is increasing every year. Now, not only drinking water, but also sanitation and cattle have to be taken to the river.

Currently, candidates for the election of members of the House of Representatives keep coming to the village to seek votes. Voters keep raising the issue of the drinking water crisis as a common problem for them. Drinking water is not a new problem. It has been raised repeatedly in local, provincial and federal elections. Candidates from all parties have reached the polls, but the dream of drinking clean drinking water for the residents of Bairankabasi could not be fulfilled.

There are currently 170 houses in the village. Of these, 85 belong to the Dalit community. There is no water source as there is a dry hill above the village. ‘Everyone comes during elections. They keep sharing their dreams of water. But the habit of not returning to the village after winning has become a habit of the Jumli people’s representatives,’ said Kali Bahadur Shahi. ‘Even now, it seems that if we do not think about the drinking water in the village, it will create more problems.’