Schoolchildren return home with water for the family

Parbat, April 18, 2016: Fourth grader Bed Bahadur Chhetri looks pretty smart in his light blue shirt and dark blue pants. Ties and shoes are not compulsory at his school. However, what he cannot forget to take along at any cost while going to school is a metal water container. Since the last two years, it has been routine for Bed Bahadur to carry the container while leaving for school.

“This water container is the most important item I carry when going to school. It’s the only way to fetch water. If I do not bring back the water, we do not get to drink any water at home,” said the boy from Subhadrakharka village in Parbat District. “There is no water source nearby,” he added.

ed Bahadur is not the only child in the locality who has responsibility for fetching water for the household. Tulasi Chhetri, a student at Gorlangdham Lower Secondary School has the same chore. The seventh grader never forgets to take her water container along while leaving for school. “It is more convenient for us than for other families as the water source lies on the way to school. We fetch the water home while returning from school,” Tulasi said. She added that the big water container she carries home lasts for at least two days.

 
There is no dearth of school children in Subadrakharka whose aim in going to school is not just schooling. They consider fetching water home an even more vital consideration. “We are not as worried about our studies as about fetching the water,” said Bed Bahadur, who is nine years old. “We feel that even our homework is to bring the water,” he added.

 
With no source of water near their village, the children would otherwise have to walk for at least an hour to fetch household water. According to them, bringing the water while returning from school saves them time and effort.
“We have to carry this container on our backs every day on our way to school. Otherwise, we would have to make the trip twice,” said Tulasi. She added that some children in her school are lucky enough to live near a water source. “We envy them as they don’t have to fetch water every day like us. They have more time for fun back home. They are free to chat and play,” she said.

 
Water woes have taken quite a toll on children’s daily routine. Those in the higher classes lament that they have little time left for study due to the water factor. “We feel the tension  even while in class. Sometimes, it’s not that easy to manage the chore. It’s also very time-consuming. We feel the pressure especially during exams,” Tulasi said. According to her, the locals of Subhadrakharka have been facing water scarcity since over a decade.

 
“Natural water resources have been drying up over time. There was already a water problem here to start with. One can clearly see that children’s education has been affected by this,” remarked Ishwar Prasad Bhusal, a local . The former principal of Gorlangdham Lower Secondary School added that the entire village has faced  water woes since long back.

 
Meanwhile, chief of the Drinking Water and Sanitation Office, Prem Prasad Dotel, stated that a solution to the problem is elusive.