The Siddhikhola Bahundangi drinking water project has reached a major milestone in Mechinagar Municipality in Jhapa district, with all five of its distribution systems now in operation. Infrastructure Development Minister Sunil Lamsal shared the update on October 28, 2026, saying the integrated scheme is now supplying clean and quality drinking water to residents of wards 1 to 4. The update marks a shift from construction and commissioning to regular service for households in the four wards, and it places the focus on keeping the supply steady as more homes are connected.
How the Siddhikhola Bahundangi drinking water project works
The scheme includes a water treatment plant with a capacity of 30 litres per second, and it is supplying 1.5 million litres of quality drinking water every day. That daily volume is the central measure of the service now in operation, because it shows the system is not only built but also delivering treated water at scale. Treatment is important because raw water alone does not guarantee safety, and a plant of this capacity allows the municipality to supply water that has passed through a controlled process before it reaches homes.
Who benefits in Mechinagar
The project aims to serve 3,338 households and 13,365 people across the four wards. So far 2,700 households have received the service, and work is under way to extend it to the remaining 300 households within one month. In practical terms, that means most of the intended households are already connected, while a smaller group is still waiting for the final stage of connection work. For the households already connected, the change is immediate: water arrives through the distribution systems rather than through separate arrangements that may be less reliable.
The scale also matters for planning. A target of 13,365 people across four wards means the network must serve a large and spread out population, not a single settlement. The five distribution systems are therefore central to the design, because they divide the service area into parts that can be supplied and managed more effectively. As connections increase, the same systems will carry the additional load, provided the treatment and distribution capacity is maintained.
Background and cost
The project was contracted in Asar 2080, with an estimated cost of Rs 31 crore 48 lakh. As an integrated scheme it brings source, treatment and distribution together so treated water reaches households through the five distribution systems rather than through separate ad hoc arrangements. That integration is a key point in the update. It means the work is not limited to a single pipeline or a single source, but covers the chain from water intake to household supply. For residents, the practical result is a single coordinated system, rather than a patchwork of local solutions.
Why it matters
A reliable treated supply reduces dependence on unsafe or irregular sources, supports public health, and saves households the daily time and effort of arranging water. When water is uncertain, families may need to collect, store, transport or purchase it, and those tasks can take time away from work, study and care. A regular supply can also help schools, health facilities and local businesses plan their daily routines with greater confidence, because water is a basic need for cleaning, cooking, sanitation and patient care. For a municipality in the eastern Tarai, a completed distribution network of this scale is a basic infrastructure gain that affects everyday life, schools, health facilities and local businesses.
The same questions about planning, capacity and household connections arise in drinking water distribution elsewhere in Nepal. The Siddhikhola Bahundangi drinking water project shows how a completed treatment and distribution chain can turn a contracted scheme into a daily service for thousands of households.
What happens next
The remaining task described in the update is connecting the final 300 households within one month. Once those connections are complete, the Siddhikhola Bahundangi drinking water project will have reached its stated household target. The next month will therefore be a test of delivery as much as construction, because the final connections must be completed while the existing service continues for the 2,700 households already connected. For residents still waiting, the timetable gives a clear expectation, and for the municipality it sets a short term goal against which progress can be checked.
Source: Minister Sunil Lamsal’s Facebook post, October 28, 2026.