Page 33 - 08_Social_Studies and Population Education Book 8_2078 Revised and Updated Edition

There are many places in Nepal

where people have to walk for
miles to get drinking water. The
government should try to supply

water to every home. A lot of time
and hard work is wasted on trying
to get drinking water. If this facility
can be more accessible, then people
will have more time and energy to

use in more beneficial work. The problem is more complex in the cities. There
aren’t enough public taps for the people and even if there are, then there is no
water supply in those taps. People stay for hours on queue to get one bucket of

water. The supply of water always falls short and people go home disappointed.
This situation needs to be changed. In Terai region people have started relying
on underground source of water. But this water contains harmful chemical called
arsenic. We should not drink water containing this chemical as it is hazardous to
our health. The tube-wells and the taps are marked with red signs which indicate

that the water contains arsenic.

The Constitution of Nepal has also made a provision in fundamental rights
as “Each citizen shall have the right to access to clean water and hygiene”.

Ongoing Melamchi Water Supply Project has also been giving finishing touch
to the project in Kathmandu valley. This project aims at providing safe and
quality drinking water to the people of the Kathmandu valley.

Key Terms
Compelled : forced to do something
Contagious : capable of transmitting disease
Deprived : lacking a specified benefit that is considered important
Fetch : go for and then bring back
Scarcity : shortage or short supply
Vital : important

Note to the teacher: Make the students participate in role plays and make them visit places to raise
awareness and get involved in programs regarding the sources and sensible use of water.

SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8 33