Per capita water supply in Kathmandu Valley at just 34 liters a day

Published On: January 11, 2017 09:10 AM NPT By: Republica  | @RepublicaNepal


KATHMANDU, Jan 11: Though a person needs 135 liter of water in a day, daily per capita water supply in Kathmandu Valley is only around 34 liters.

Difference studies have showed that supplies by Kahmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Ltd (KUKL) meets only 25 percent of the requirement. Similarly, 35 percent of KUKL's total supplies go to waste through leakages.

Average daily demand for drinking water in Kathmandu Valley, according to KUKL data, is 375 million liters per day. But KUKL has been supplying only around 119 million liters.

But only around 71 million liters reaches to consumers as around 35 percent of water is lost in the way due to leakages, according to KUKL Annual Report 2014/15.

Water supply in the Kathmandu Valley has remained stagnant over the past seven years.

However, demand is growing with every passing year. KUKL's data shows that the demand for drinking water in the Kathmandu Valley is growing at the rate of one percent annually. 

KUKL officials say there are no remaining sources in and around the Kathmandu Valley to explore. 

Kishor Thapa, former secretary of the Ministry of Urban Development, said that KUKL is serving only one-third of around 3.5 million people in the Kathmandu Valley. Remaining people have managed water supply on their own or are dependent on private tankers or processed bottled water, he added. Thapa estimates that private tankers supply at least 20 million liters in the Kathmandu Valley every day, while 4 million liters of bottled water is distributed in the Valley on a daily basis.

KUKL mobilized Rs 656 million in revenue in 2014/15. It has planned to increase supply by about 15 million liter per day by next year. “We are replacing the existing 4.5-kilometer Pharping-Balkhu pipeline which is expected to increase supplies by at least 4 million liters per day. Similarly, we are upgrading Nakkhu Treatment Plant in Lalitpur which will produce an additional 4 million liters per day,” Mahesh Bhattarai, KUKL's general manager, said.

 Similarly, few other tube wells are being dug by Project Implementation Directorate of Melamchi Water Supply Project. Likewise, KUKL is digging 20 such wells. Together, they will produce an additional 7 million liters per day.

 According to KUKL, Melamchi water will be distributed to consumers inside Ring Road, while water from other sources will be diverted to areas outside the Ring Road.


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