Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, May 15:

The government is preparing to set up three semi-government autonomous bodies for management, planning and investment and regulation of water distribution system exclusively in the Kathmandu Valley.

These bodies are expected to help improve the existing service of drinking water distribution system.

A Kathmandu Valley Water Supply Management Board (KVWSMB), a Water Utility Operator (WUO) and a Water Supply Tariff Fixation Commission (WSTFC) will be formed soon and these bodies will work for effective management, planning and investment and regulation of the water distribution system for the valley.

In addition to this, the WUO will be responsible to execute management contracts with the foreign companies. The existing Nepal Water Supply Corporation will work for better supply of drinking water in the remaining part of the country.

The new move comes as per the demand of the bilateral and multilateral donors including Japan, Norway, Sweden and the Asian Development Bank who are extending support for improving the water distribution system in the valley, which later would be integrated with the Melamchi Drinking Water Supply Project.

The donors had demanded institutional reform of the NWSC before launching of the much-hyped Melamchi project. Government officials said the board members of the new bodies will be elected by the end of May and they will begin office from mid-July.

“The changes are made as the government policy which has defined drinking water supply system not as a free service but as a resource generating system,” said Janak Raj Joshi, secretary of Ministry for Physical Planning and Works, adding, it encourages the concept of public private partnership.

Under secretary at the ministry Purana Das Shrestha said that the new provision intends to incorporate local bodies in the planning, implementation, operation and expansion of drinking water projects, adding, “It will also fix water tariff according to the principle of cost-recovery.”

He added that the WUO would work as a private company that will have shares of the government, municipalities, chamber of commerce and staffers’ trust.

“The staffers from the present institutions will either be accommodated into new ones or offered voluntary retirement,” he added.