| Govt to rein in water extractors |
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| Posted by Administrator | |
| Sunday, 27 December 2009 | |
 The government has initiated a study of the groundwater situation in the Kathmandu Valley to rein in private water extractors by issuing licenses. The Supreme Court had, on December 17, had issued a verdict, directing the government to manage the groundwater situation by regulating and restricting the operation of private water tanker operators.The verdict had urged the government to make necessary arrangements prohibiting the extraction of valley’s groundwater beyond a certain limit. The verdict includes directions to recycle wastewater for use in hotels, schools, housing colonies, nursing homes, hospitals and industries. There are, according to estimates, at least 600 boring wells in operation in the valley either for business purpose or for residential use. Most of them have been operating without government permission. However, neither the Kathmandu Valley Water Management Board (KVWMB) nor the Ministry for Physical Planning and Works have exact data on the valley’s wells. About 30 private companies extract groundwater through different boring stations and sell them through tankers. There are at least 90 water tanker operators that run 400 tankers, earning revenues of at least Rs. 4 million per month. “The government should regulate the private operators and check whether they are following the minimal criteria,” said Rameshwor Lal Shrestha, spokesman for the Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL), the valley’s water utility. “We pay taxes to the government for operating deep water tube wells, private operators must be taxed too.” The KUKL operates 64 deep tube wells for generating water, and at least 25 percent of water it distributes is groundwater. According to a study, the valley can support only 15 million litres of groundwater extraction per day, but at least 70 million litres of groundwater is being extracted currently. This has led to serious depletion of water table. “We are looking thoroughly whether or not private groundwater extractors are following the minimal criteria,” said Dip Basnet, secretary at the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works. “They will only be allowed to operate after they meet our criteria,” Basnet added. “We cannot do much in the lack of a proper water usage policy,” said Hari Prasad Dhakal, KVWMB’s executive director. “However, we are trying to issue licenses to newcomers, who ask for permissions to bore water for their apartments.” Dhakal said the board had, on December 16, asked the Kathmandu-based Full Bright Consultants to submit a draft of the groundwater policy within the next six months. Source: The Kathmandu Post, December 26, 2009 |
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