Kathmandu, January 21:

An official of the Nepal Water Supply Corporation (NWSC) said today that water tariff will shoot up by 500 per cent once the government hands over the government authority to a foreign private company.

“The tariff will be increased by up to 500 per cent if the corporation is managed by the foreign company,” Hari Prasad Dhakal, the NWSC manager, said at an interaction on privatisation of the drinking water supply system.

He said the company will make consumers pay for all luxury they are going to enjoy here and for services they provide to the public.

He accused the government of choosing “a failed company to manage the valley’s water distribution system.” Employees of the NWSC are protesting against the decision to hand over the management of the valley’s drinking water supply system to a foreign party. Four water consumers groups organised today’s programme.