The Pumpkin Tank Construction Training Started in Begnas, Nepal
Malkanthi a women mason from Lanka Rain Water Harvesting Forum joins as a facilitator and trainer for the Training Program on Construction of Rainwater Harvesting Tank organized by Kanchan Nepal. There she will share her technical knowledge and skills related to the construction of the Sri Lankan Pumpkin shaped Rainwater Harvesting Tank with the local masons. Malkanthi arrived in Begnas on the 6th December eager and excited to work with the local community of Begnas, Pokhara.
Begnas village is situated 30 Km away from Pokhara city (the tourist capital of Nepal) in Kaski District in the Gandaki Zone of northern-central Nepal. The district represents a tropical to subtropical climate with an annual rainfall of 1128 mm (DADOb 2007). The annual mean maximum and minimum temperature of the district is 30.4 oC and 18.1 oC respectively. Begnas village famous for its Lake, which is the third-largest lake of Nepal and second-largest, after Phewa Lake, among the eight lakes in Pokhara Valley. The lake is sounded by a spectacular Himalayan range including the Annapurnas. Begnas community is named as Dandathar of Begnas.
The training program to construct the Sri Lankan Pumpkin RWHS is held at Mr Bamdev Adhikari residence. In his house, there are women aged from 60 to 107 years.
They usually obtain drinking water from a communal tap stand and the new water supply known as “Upallo Jyamire” which was introduced to this village. But this supply is unreliable due to a technical problem. There are also some seasonal springs available in the area which dry’s out during the dry season. After completion of this rainwater tank and training of local masons, a similar 9 Sri Lankan pumpkin RWHS will be constructed for this community providing drinking water supply to around 50 persons. This project is funded by Kanchan Nepal and International Rainwater Harvesting Alliance and supported by Lanka Rain Water Harvesting Forum
