Kathmandu, August 17:

Secretary of the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works (MPPW) Narayan Prasad Silwal today said it would be difficult to realise the goals set by the newly-developed National Drinking Water Quality Standard 2062. The NDWQS is yet to be implemented.

Addressing a national workshop on Drinking Water Safety and Standards, Silwal said, “Taking into account the ground reality, Nepal will find it really difficult to adopt the NDWQS.” “Setting a standard is one thing, implementing the same is another. Instead of aiming big, we should think of setting a workable target,” he said.

According to him, Nepal could attain the international standard of providing uncontaminated water to all the people in 20 to 22 years. According to a recent estimate, 72 per cent of the population has access to “drinking water”, but 80 per cent of it is compelled to drink contaminated water. Joint secretary at the National Planning Commission Shyam Sundar Sharma said it is the duty of the state to provide water and maintain its quality.

“We can hope that, now on, we may be able to draft plans on water on the basis of present guidelines and directives,” he said.

Ishwar Man Tamrakar, director-general of the Department of Water Supply and Sanitation, said, “The department will try its best to maintain the newly-introduced water quality standard.”