KATHMANDU, June 27: Minister for Water Supply Mahindra Raya Yadav said that plans and programs were put in place to provide clean drinking water facilities to at least 90 per cent of the population by the end of 2030.

Minister Yadav said so on Monday while responding to the queries raised by the parliamentarians on the Ministry's upcoming fiscal year's budget under the Appropriation Bill-2080 BS.

At present, around 95 percent of the population has a basic level of drinking water while only 25 per cent have access to clean drinking water, it was shared.

"The government has prioritized sanitation and cleanliness in its annual policy and programs as well as annual budget and declared to launch the 'Clean Nepal, Healthy Nepali' drive accordingly," said Yadav, adding that the government was managing resources internally for the same.

"The Ministry of Water Supply has also planned to coordinate efforts with various NGO and INGOs to take forward the sanitation and cleanliness campaign," he replied to the parliamentarians.

The Minister said that there was a challenge of properly treating and disposing waste water generated from human excreta, households in urban areas and industrial areas.

He informed that the Ministry had introduced an annual budget of over Rs 37 billion for the current fiscal year while over Rs 28 billion has been allocated for the upcoming fiscal year 2023/24. It is 25 percent less than the ongoing fiscal year.

Furthermore, programs on clean drinking water, sanitation and cleanliness would be implemented in 21 local levels in the Karnali Province in the upcoming fiscal year, he informed the parliamentarians, adding that similar programs would be executed in the Sudurpaschim Province.

He said that the budget could not be allocated for the new projects due to budget constraints. Considering the sources of water drying up quickly due to climate change, the government has also put in place programs for conservation of sources of water and watershed areas, according to the Minister.

He shared that a total of 280 million liters of water- 170 million liters from the Melamchi Drinking Water Supply Project and 110 million liters from local sources- was being distributed in the Kathmandu Valley at present.

According to him, works were being undertaken to ensure smooth supply of water from the Project even in this monsoon. The Ministry also aims to supply Melamchi Project's water to the Kathmandu Valley's consumers through a new distribution system from the new fiscal year, he said.

He clarified that the examination of the quality of the water in jars was not under the jurisdiction of his Ministry. The Minister also said that his Ministry did not have jurisdiction over the matter of exporting fresh mountain water through bottles.

To test the drinking water's quality, a lab would be set up in all drinking water offices from upcoming fiscal year, said the Minister.

Moreover, an integrated and comprehensive program would be implemented to control the arsenic pollution in the underground water of 22 districts in Terai belt as well as in other districts including Kathmandu.

 
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