Poor infrastructure hindering regular water supply

KATHMANDU, NOV 22 -

While 20 percent of the country’s population still has no access to piped water, the fortunate ones connected to the mains are not getting water regularly due to poor infrastructure.

According to a recent study of the Department of the Water Supply and Sewerage (DWSS), only 17.9 percent of the piped water system is in a well-functioning state while 38.9 percent is in need of minor repair. Projects that are running and need repairs within the capacity of users (with no external input required) are put in the category of needing minor repair.

“Although well-functioning and those needing minor repair can generally be categorised into the same bracket, there has not been enough efforts to make all well-functioning system,” said Him Prasad Gautam, senior division engineer at the DWSS, at an interaction organised by the Centre for Economic Development and Administration (CEDA) on Monday.

Gautam, who presented a paper on water supply and sanitation service facilities in Nepal in association with researcher Jiba Nath Prasain, said that the water supply system of the Kathmandu Valley falls under the category of that needing minor repair.

According to the study report, 5,816 out of the 37,539 projects in the country were providing water year round and were in a well-functioning state. However, 3,170 projects were in need of minor repair.

According to the report, as much as 11.8 percent of the piped water system is in need of major repair needing external input. The piped water supply system needing rehabilitation is 21 percent, 9.1 percent in need of reconstruction and 1.6 percent are non-functional.

Major repair means systems that are functioning but require external inputs including for construction components and technical support.

The projects that are functioning at the project design level but are incapable of meeting present demands in quality and quality due to increased population and other reasons have been categorised under rehabilitation.

Prasain said that that projects like Melamchi have been categorised under projects needing rehabilitation. Projects that are defunct and need major investment are projects needing reconstruction.

Experts said that despite coverage of piped water in the country remaining at 80 percent, people are not getting water supply properly.

In connection with pipe connections, Nepal has already achieved the millennium development goal (MDG) in this regard as the MDG requires 73 percent coverage.

“In Nepal’s case, even piped water connections that are failing to provide water have been included under the coverage figure,” said Prasain, co-presenter of a paper at the programme. “It does not represent the real situation on the ground.”

Source: Kantipur