Pathari, Morang, Dec 30 : The Biratnagar Metropolitan City has started preparations to set up a drinking water project worth Rs 10 billion.    
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) which will fund it has launched a study on the project.    
As part of the 'one house one tap' campaign launched by the metropolis, the project aims to permanently resolve shortage of drinking water in the city, said the metropolis mayor Bhim Prasad Parajuli, adding that preparations were underway to complete project constructions worth Rs 5 billion by priority in the first phase.    
The metropolis has also acquired the lands for the construction of overhead tanks for the project. Residents of the city are forced to drink polluted water for want of replacement of more than 50 years old pipelines. Occasional problems in the pipelines like bursting and leakage make the matter worse. Jaundice had taken its toll some six years ago, affecting around 4,000 people due to consumption of polluted water. RSS