Kathmandu, June 12:

Ramesh Koirala, the chairman of International Committee of Management Association of Nepal (MAN), said today that Nepali managers have expertise to manage water distribution utility body on their own.

“We are be proud to say that we, Nepalis, are efficient enough to manage the water distribution without any foreign support. We only need exposure and chance to handle big projects,” he said while addressing an interaction on management of Melamchi project today.

He also said that Nepali managers have come up with exemplary management projects both in financial and administrative management. “We may not handle huge construction right now. But, we can well manage finance and administration, for which foreign managers are being hired by the government,” he said.

He added that since Melamchi project is such a big-scale project, “we must be prepared to take care of it, if Severn Trent or any other company to be substitute to it leaves Nepal.”

In the programme, water expert Ratna Sansar Shrestha and urban development expert PS Joshi shed light on possible problems Nepal might face if the Severn Trent Water International is brought as management contractor. Prof Surya Lal Amatya said that any interational conract should be done only after a thorough study; otherwise, the country is going to suffer.