94pc population to get drinking water

Kathmandu, October 27

The government has set the goal of ensuring supply of drinking water to 94 per cent of the total population of the country in the next three years.

The government, which has the target of extending this service to 92 per cent of the population within the current fiscal itself, is planning to provide drinking water to its citizens by utilising all kinds of resources available in the country.

One of the national pride projects Melamchi Water Supply Project, which will be completed in near future, will provide drinking water to the people of Kathmandu Valley. The government is also planning to start the second phase of this project too.

According to the Minister of Water Supply and Sanitation Bina Magar, this project will be completed in the next three months. The medium-term expenditure regime prepared by the National Planning Commission has accorded top priority to supply of drinking water. As per the government plan, 27 per cent population will get drinking water facility by the end of  current fiscal and additional 35 per cent will  get the drinking water supply in the next fiscal.

Different drinking water projects are under construction in the Tarai to meet the target of the government. The government has projected that 88 per cent of the total population will have sanitation facilities within the next three years.

Drinking water and sanitation facilities will be provided in the urban and semi-urban areas through the Third Small Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Project. As per the programme, some 238,273 of 39,017 households will be benefited after completion of 28 projects in the next three years.

Similarly, the government has planned to construct inter-province reservoir-based drinking water projects and enhance capacity in relation to the minimisation of climate change under the Climate Adaptation Greater Drinking Water Project. As per the programme schedule, six projects will get completed by the next three years and they will directly benefit 250,000 people.

Minister Magar said the government has set the above mentioned goals to protect the citizen’s right to pure drinking water guaranteed by the constitution.