"Pani, pani," water, water—these words appear far too often in conversations. It's particularly extreme in the lowlands, the Terai. It's an area with poisoned water. Naturally occurring arsenic deposits from the mountains are washed down into the fertile lowlands. Hand pumps are everywhere, drawing water from depths of 6 meters. Water samples here consistently show high arsenic levels. Arsenic causes organ damage and all kinds of skin diseases.
The deep well system in Simari supplies drinking water to three schools and the CWWC House, where it is used to treat children with disabilities. The system has been in operation for 10 years. Maintenance and repairs are the responsibility of CWWC. The system was financed by the German sponsor "Water for the World." While the water was of good arsenic-free quality, its color was affected by iron. The installation of a filtration system was necessary. (Construction of a filtration system.)
The Terai region needs drinking water systems. The government is aware of the problems and is building drinking water supply systems in the cities. However, the rural population is being neglected. CWWC has the expertise to build cost-effective drinking water systems.
