Kathmandu, April 28:

The Nepal Drinking Water Guidelines-2006 is in for a review in the very first year of its enforcement following realisation that the targets were too optimistic and timeline to meet the same too short.

“We are committed to ensuring quality water, of course. But targets set can’t be achieved within the given timeline,” said Ram Prasad Kharel, section officer, Department of Water Supply and Sanitation (DOWSS) under the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works.

He said this while commenting on the progress recorded during the third quarter of the first year of the implementation of the guidelines enforced on July 20 last year following sustained pressure from the World Health Organisation.

“We were not expecting progress any way. On the contrary, we realised that the targets were too optimistic. We will sit down for review sooner than later. Rescheduling of the timeline is on the cards,” Kharel told The Himalayan Times.

Going by the guidelines and specification, water supply providers are under obligation to ensure stipulated quality in water supplied to towns with the population of 1,00,00 and more within the next five years.

Suppliers are under obligation to ensure the given quality in piped water to district headquarters within the first three years of the second phase, which begins in the fith year of enforcement and lasts until the 10 year. Rural water system will see any improvement only after the fifth year of the second phase.

First ten months have witnessed survey of water quality wherever possible, with NGOs, INGOs and community groups taking initiatives while the fact that the drinking water should have definite quality evolves as catch phrase among the interested section.

“Suppliers will have to live up to commitment. Philosophy behind water quality standard is we must now lay emphasis on quality rather than quantity. Gone are the years when we chased quantity,” Kharel said. Percentage of population with access to “improved” water stood at 81.1 per cent at the end of 2003-2004. The same was at 45.9 per cent at the end of 1990-1991.