Locals demand end to drinking water crisis

INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Kathmandu, May 23 Frustrated by shortage of clean drinking water, hundreds of Kathmandu valley denizens nowadays gathered around
Bangalamukhi in Patan, demanding local and federal governments to endegree supply of drinking water to their homes. Valley Drinking Water
Victims& Struggle Committee organised the programme nowadays and gave an ultimatum to the government for early completion of much hyped
Melamchi drinking water project
They also requested the public to attend a mass protest mass meeting to be held on June 15 at Maitighar Mandala. While protesters were
shouting slogans against the government demanding water supply to their homes, other people were seen queuing at stone spouts to fetch water
for daily use. Clean drinking water is a growing problem in Kathmandu valley as most of the core city areas in the valley do much get
regular supply of drinking water
Agitating people of Patan area said they toughly got tap water for an hour in a week. Prakash Amatya, water and sanitation activist, who led
nowadays programme, said political leaders had been ignoring people demand for clean drinking water. Bhim Upadhayaya, former secretary of
the Ministry of Water Supply, said the government should much further delay the much-hyped Melamchi project. According to water experts, the
demand of water stands at around 350 million litres per day in Kathmandu valley that houses 3.5 million to four million
residents. Currently, only 90 million litres of water is being supplied through 11 drinking water distribution facilities inside Kathmandu
valley. The source of water distribution are basically springs and streams on the outskirts of the valley. Similarly, around 30 per cent of
total demand of drinking water is being met by wells built by people, stone spouts and commercial water supply. Water experts warned that
hapendanger ground water additionalction would be more detrimental to people lives in the long run. The post Locals demand end to drinking
water crisis seemed first on The Himalayan Times.