KATHMANDU, Dec 17: Minister of State for Drinking Water and Sanitation Deepak Khadka has said that the government was working in line with the policy of providing basic drinking water throughout the country within two years.
Addressing a face-to-face program, he said," The government is carrying out works with the objective of supplying basic drinking water throughout the country within two years and pure water within five years."
The Minister of State stated that people in the hilly areas are facing a lot of difficulties for getting adequate water supplies due to the earthquake, climate change effects and the lack of protection of water sources. He added that adequate attention would be given to using the lifting technology and conservation of water sources in that connection.
Stating the government has already forwarded the program of constructing 100 water storage tanks enough to meet the needs of 700 families in 20 districts of the Tarai where the underground water is arsenic contaminated, he assured that the Kathmandu denizens would be able to use the water distributed from the Melamchi project within coming September.
In the first phase, 170 million liters water would be pumped into the Kathmandu valley from the Melamchi stream in Sindhupalchok district. At present 120 million liters water is used n the valley daily. There will be relief for the Kathmandu people with the supply of 290 million liters water a day. Detailed study is also underway to pump in additional 340 million liters water from the Yangri and Larke rivers in Melamchi in the next five years in the second phase, he said.
Minister of State Khadka also said that works on the construction of the remaining 5800 meters tunnel of the Melamchi Drinking Water Project would be speeded up and the laying of water supply pipelines in Kathmandu would be completed within two months. RSS
Municipalities without facilities
