Kathmandu, May 11:

Residents of Kathmandu are heaving a sigh of relief, thanks to the “unexpected” showers the Valley has been witnessing even during this otherwise dry season.

Kathmandu folk would, otherwise, have been passing through hell during this time of the year when the water scarcity is at its peak.

“Thanks to the daily showers, the water crisis has eased up a lot this year,” Madan Shakar Sherstha, the deputy general manager of Nepal Water Supply Corporation, said today. He said that the demand for water has halved in the past several weeks.

Water levels at Sundarijal, Shivapuri, Manohara and Sheshnarayan have gone up recently.

The downpours, though not common during this season, have helped locals of the Bhaktapur area, the northern part of Kathmandu and the Patan area a lot.

“The number of complains coming in from these areas has gone down considerably. Otherwise, come this time of the year and our staffers go through hell attending to the problems of the consumers,” Shrestha said.

However, the showers have not been able to solve problems in other areas, mainly in the heart of Kathmandu. “The rains have not helped water sources in Balaju, meaning there is still no immediate relief for people at Swayambhu, Dallu and the heart of Kathmandu city,” he said.

The NWSC always has problems meeting the water demand, especially during the dry season.

The NWSC supplies only around 90 million litres of water a day, while the general demand a day is 190 million litres.