Nepal Village Harvests Fog to Ease Drinking Water Shortage

OKHALDHUNGA – Clean drinking water collected from fog is being distributed in Mele Gumba Tol of Khijidemba Rural Municipality-5 in Okhaldhunga, using a modern version of technology deployed in Ilam and other eastern areas about 30 years ago.

Mele Gumba Tol, located about 2,330 metres above sea level, was identified through satellite studies as an area where fog occurs continuously.

The experimental research project was completed by The Small Earth (SEN) Nepal in coordination with Khijidemba Rural Municipality and with financial support from GIZ-IKI Grant, under a German organisation. The grant is provided by the German government for work related to climate change, biodiversity and environmental protection.

Small Earth Nepal said the project was built at a cost of about Rs 10 million.

Dr Nirina Khadgi, a member of the research team, said the project was launched to study and research the feasibility of collecting water from fog to address drinking water shortages faced by local residents. According to her, the project took about two years to complete.

“This project was implemented particularly with the winter season in mind. As the technology also appeared suitable for harvesting rainwater, we have made arrangements to collect both fog and rainwater,” she said.

“Currently, because of the monsoon, the tanks are filling up and water is overflowing. But we will have to wait until winter to assess its effectiveness.”

According to researcher Dr Khadgi, 10 “fog harvesting units” have been installed under the project.

“Special mesh is required for the installation. The UV-treated mesh, designed through a special process to withstand or resist the effects of ultraviolet rays and avoid rapid deterioration from sunlight and adverse weather, was imported from China. The other materials were purchased in Nepal,” she said.

Khadgi said fog particles trapped on the mesh form droplets and fall, after which the water is collected and channelled into 200-litre tanks.

A natural biological treatment method known as a “bio-sand filter” is used to make the collected water suitable for drinking.

The filtration system uses layers of sand and gravel to purify the water, Khadgi said. The purified water is then stored in a main tank with a capacity of 2,000 litres before being distributed to consumers.

The project also incorporates renewable and environmentally friendly methods. Three natural recharge ponds have been built to collect excess water using cotton and sal leaves, without using cement or plastic, Khadgi said.

According to her, water collected through the technology is providing clean drinking water to Samten Chhyoling Gumba, Gelje Lama Memorial Buddhist Study Centre and nine nearby households, which had faced water shortages after their water sources dried up following the 2015 earthquake.

Dawa Chhiring Sherpa, chairman of the project’s water users’ committee, said a lack of water had forced worship at the monastery to stop.

Since the project began operating, worship has now been held twice at the monastery, he said. Preparations are also underway to reopen a monastery that had been closed because of the water shortage.

Khijidemba Rural Municipality Chairman Gambu Sherpa said completion of the project and the collection of water from fog had brought relief to local residents.

He said residents have begun using the collected water not only for drinking but also for irrigation.

Local people, who had struggled with drinking water shortages for years, are pleased to have begun receiving water harvested from fog.