383 पटक हेरिएको 
Lalitpur : With technical and financial support from WaterAid Nepal and The Coca-Cola Foundation, the Centre for Integrated Urban Development (CIUD) has launched a new WASH project in Godawari Municipality to improve access to safe and reliable drinking water.
The project, titled “Advancing Resilient WASH Access for Vulnerable Communities in Bangladesh and Nepal (AR-WASH-VCBN)”, aims to provide safe and affordable drinking water to 714 households in Ward No. 9 through a one house, one tap water supply approach.
The project was officially initiated during an inception workshop held on January 16, 2026, where a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed among CIUD, Godawari Municipality, and the Chhampi Water and Sanitation Users Committee (WSUC). The MoU formalizes the roles and responsibilities of the three parties under this joint technical and financial collaboration.
During the workshop, Sudarshan Rajbhandari, Program Director and Project Team Leader of CIUD, presented an overview of the project, highlighting its overall goal, expected impacts, key outputs, and planned activities.
The event was attended by several distinguished guests, including Gajendra Maharjan, Mayor of Godawari Municipality, and Man Bahadur Khadka, Chief Administrative Officer, representing the municipality; Atmaram Thapa Chhetri, Chairperson of Ward No. 9; Sudarshan Neupane, Country Director, and Sarbagya Shrestha, Head of Program, from WaterAid Nepal; and Rija Joshi, Executive Director of CIUD.
In his welcome remarks, Ward Chair Atmaram Thapa Chhetri emphasized the importance of collective effort, cooperation, and coordination to achieve the project’s objectives. He reiterated the ward’s continued support for WASH initiatives and expressed confidence that the project would benefit all community members.
Similarly, Sarbagya Shrestha, Head of Program at WaterAid Nepal, highlighted the importance of strong Water and Sanitation Users Committees (WSUCs), WASH legislation, and regulatory frameworks, particularly in the post earthquake context. He shared WaterAid’s experience in preparing water risk mitigation plans in 14 districts and emphasized the role of groundwater recharge and rainwater harvesting.
Rija Joshi, Executive Director of CIUD, shared her long-standing collaboration experience with Godawari Municipality and expressed her commitment to supporting safe drinking water initiatives. She highlighted key learnings from Dukuchhap and said these would be applied in Chhampi, thanking all stakeholders for their continued cooperation.
Likewise, Sudarshan Neupane, Country Director of WaterAid Nepal, stressed the importance of sustainability, learning from past projects, tariff collection, and institutional strengthening. Referring to WaterAid’s experience in Nepal since 1987, he reiterated the organization’s commitment to problem-solving, learning, and partnership-based implementation.
The program was formally closed by Gajendra Maharjan, Mayor of Godawari Municipality. In his closing remarks, he appreciated the collective efforts in the water sector and emphasized that safe drinking water remains a top municipal priority. He highlighted the importance of source protection, digital billing systems, strengthening WSUCs, and promoting good practices through media engagement.
Planned for a duration of two years, the project will introduce a range of strategic tools and approaches, including the development of Water Safety Plans, Asset Management Plans, and Business Development Plans, as well as action plans to reduce non revenue water, scientific tariff setting, introduction of an online billing system, and the promotion of climate-resilient WASH systems.
