Safe Water, Stronger Futures: Bringing Clean Drinking Water to Flood and Landslide Survivors in Nuwakot and Rasuwa
Safe drinking water is not a luxury in a disaster—it is a basic necessity.
Following the devastating floods and landslides that affected communities across Nuwakot and Rasuwa, hundreds of families have been displaced from their homes and are currently taking shelter in temporary holding centers. Many of these families are living in schools and other community facilities that have been transformed into safe spaces for survivors.
While immediate shelter, food, and medical care are critical during a disaster, access to safe and clean drinking water is equally essential. Contaminated water can quickly become a major public health risk, particularly for children, older people, and individuals already vulnerable due to displacement and difficult living conditions.
Recognizing this urgent need, PHOMIR (Protecting Health of Migrants, Immigrants and Refugees) launched an initiative to provide safe drinking water to families displaced by the floods and landslides.
Bringing Safe Drinking Water to Displaced Families
With support from doctors in the United States, and in collaboration with Bidur Municipality, NRNA, and PHOMIR, high-quality water purification systems were provided to six holding centers in Nuwakot where flood and landslide survivors are currently taking shelter.
Most of these holding centers are schools that have temporarily opened their doors to displaced families.
The six locations in Nuwakot are:
Indrayani School
Prithvi Narayan School
Chandika School
Sundari Middle School
Sulakxyana School
Urban Health Center
The installation of water purification systems at these locations is intended to provide displaced families with a more reliable source of safe drinking water during their stay.
For families who have already lost homes, belongings, livelihoods, and a sense of normalcy, access to something as fundamental as clean drinking water can provide both immediate protection and a measure of dignity.
Reaching Communities Despite Damaged Infrastructure
Delivering humanitarian assistance to disaster-affected communities is often challenging.
The floods and landslides damaged roads, bridges, and other transportation infrastructure, making it difficult to reach several of the holding centers. What might normally be a straightforward delivery became a significant logistical challenge.
In some locations, the team had to find alternative ways to transport the water purification systems.
To reach holding centers located on the opposite side of the Trishuli River, the purifiers were transported across the river using a manually operated ropeway.
This difficult journey reflects the determination of everyone involved to ensure that essential support reaches communities—not simply the places that are easiest to access.
In humanitarian response, the last mile can often be the hardest. But it is also where assistance can make the greatest difference.
A Partnership Built Around Community Needs
This initiative was made possible through collaboration between multiple organizations and individuals who came together around a shared objective: protecting the health and well-being of disaster-affected families.
The initiative brought together support from doctors in the United States, Bidur Municipality, NRNA, and PHOMIR, demonstrating the importance of partnerships in responding effectively to humanitarian emergencies.
Such collaboration allows resources, expertise, and local knowledge to come together and reach people more efficiently.
PHOMIR believes that humanitarian response is strongest when communities, local authorities, healthcare professionals, volunteers, and organizations work together toward a common purpose.
More Than Emergency Relief: An Investment in the Future
What makes this initiative particularly meaningful is its long-term impact.
The water purification systems are not intended to serve displaced families only during the current emergency. Most of the systems have been installed in schools, meaning that their usefulness will continue long after the immediate disaster response comes to an end.
As displaced families use these systems today, the purifiers are helping provide safer drinking water during a difficult period.
When schools reopen and students return to their classrooms, the same systems will continue serving the school communities.
This creates a bridge between emergency response and long-term community benefit.
Instead of being temporary relief items that become unnecessary once the crisis passes, the purification systems will remain valuable resources for students, teachers, staff, and future generations.
“Highly Beneficial to the Survivors Now and to Our Students”
The long-term value of the initiative was also highlighted by Rita Bartaula, Principal of Indrayani School, where one of the water purification systems was installed.
She said:
“These water purifiers will be highly beneficial to the survivors now and to our students when the school resumes.”
Her words capture the purpose of the initiative perfectly.
Today, the school serves as a temporary place of shelter for families displaced by disaster. Tomorrow, it will once again become a place of learning for hundreds of students.
The same water purification system will serve both purposes.
Why Safe Water Matters After a Disaster
Following floods and landslides, drinking-water sources can become contaminated by mud, debris, sewage, and other pollutants. Displacement can further complicate access to reliable water sources.
For families living in temporary shelters, maintaining access to safe drinking water is an important part of protecting public health.
Clean water supports:
Safe drinking and hydration
Prevention of waterborne diseases
Better hygiene and sanitation
Protection of children and vulnerable groups
Healthier temporary living conditions
A safer environment for students when schools reopen
Providing water purification systems therefore goes beyond simply distributing equipment. It is an investment in the health and resilience of affected communities.
Supporting Recovery With Dignity
Humanitarian assistance is not only about responding to immediate emergencies. It is also about helping people regain stability and dignity.
For families displaced by floods and landslides, daily life has changed dramatically. Many are living away from their homes and depending on temporary arrangements while communities begin the long process of recovery.
Small but essential interventions—such as access to safe drinking water—can make these temporary living conditions safer and more dignified.
By installing purification systems directly at holding centers, the initiative helps communities access an essential resource where they are currently living rather than requiring displaced families to travel elsewhere to obtain safe water.
From Emergency Shelters to Classrooms
The story of these water purification systems does not end when displaced families return home.
When the schools reopen, the systems will continue serving students and school communities.
This makes the initiative a meaningful example of sustainable humanitarian response: an intervention designed to address an urgent emergency while creating lasting value for the community.
A purifier installed today for a displaced family can become a source of safe drinking water for a child returning to school tomorrow.
That continuity is at the heart of this initiative.
A Shared Commitment to Health and Resilience
PHOMIR extends its sincere appreciation to the doctors in the United States whose support made this initiative possible, as well as Bidur Municipality, NRNA, volunteers, school authorities, and everyone involved in transporting and installing the purification systems.
Their collective efforts demonstrate what can be achieved when people and institutions come together in response to a humanitarian crisis.
The challenges faced by flood- and landslide-affected communities in Nepal are significant, and recovery will take time. Continued support, coordination, and community-focused interventions will remain essential.
PHOMIR remains committed to supporting vulnerable and displaced communities by promoting access to essential health and humanitarian services.
Safe Water Today. Safe Water for Students Tomorrow.
The installation of water purification systems in Nuwakot is more than an emergency intervention.
It is a commitment to health today and resilience tomorrow.
For displaced families, it means safer drinking water while they navigate life in temporary shelters.
For schools, it means a lasting resource that will continue serving students when classrooms reopen.
And for the wider community, it is a reminder that humanitarian response can address immediate needs while also building a stronger future.
Safe water today.Safe water for students tomorrow.
PHOMIR stands with the families affected by floods and landslides in Nuwakot and Rasuwa—and remains committed to bringing essential support where it is needed most.
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The information provided in this article is intended for general informational and humanitarian awareness purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or a substitute for consultation with a qualified healthcare professional.
Medical conditions and emergency situations should always be assessed by appropriately qualified healthcare professionals. CPR and other lifesaving information shared through this article are provided for educational purposes and should not replace certified first-aid or CPR training.
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