KATHMANDU, Dec 25: The discussion over Drinking water and Sanitation Bill has started at Development and Technology Committee of House of Representatives today.
The parliament members stressed the need to prioritizing equal access of drinking water for all in the preamble of the law. The members have also discussed deeply in subjects of construction of public taps and proper drainage system in Kathmandu valley.
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According to secretary of Ministry of Drinking Water Madav Belbase government should bring the bill with the aim of providing quality drinking water than secure drinking water. However, Minister for Drinking water Bina Magar has expressed said that it is not compulsory to include the subject matter of equal access of drinking water for all in preamble of the law.
Similarly, MP Jeeven Ram Shrestha said that the organization providing drinking water must guarantee the distribution of clean and quality drinking water. "Government should be responsible if those organizations cannot provide people with quality drinking water and this system should be included in bill," he added.
Likewise, members of parliaments have viewed that the definition for the proper drainage management itself as vague. MP Shrestha proposed to amend the provision of the managing human waste from underground collection tanks. But, Minister Magar said that it will be appropriate to follow the same provision and practice to manage drainage with human waste while government has announced Nepal as open sewage free zone.
In the bill purposed to manage drinking water and sanitation by Ministry for Drinking Water to parliament the subject such as authority and resource of drinking water and sanitation, responsibilities and duties, permission to mobilize of resources of drinking water, service charge etc has been included.
In the same bill provision of mapping quality and criteria of drinking water and legal punishments have also been included.
