Lalitpur: In a public hearing programme organized by United Youth for Peace to discuss about the existing drinking water problem in the Kathmandu Valley and its solutions, experts have told that Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL) was compelled to hike water tariff due to foreign assistance in drinking water projects.

Water resource expert Ratna Sansar Shrestha told that the foreign management team brought in the KUKL has not been able to bring any improvement in drinking water supply in the Kathmandu Valley. He suggested KUKL to collect due water tariff from defaulter customers and decrease unaccounted for water to increase its income and be self-dependent rather than hiking water tariff in the current situation.

Director of Lumanti and a member of Kathmandu Valley Water Supply Management Board Lajana Manandhar told that the government should be accountable to the people while making agreement with the donor agencies in the development sector including drinking water.
Plant Manager at the KUKL Mukunda Bhandari told that water tariff was hiked to continue drinking water service and save KUKL from loss. Admitting that KUKL has not been able to meet water demand due to lack of water sources in the Kathmandu valley, he told that KUKL will be able to manage drinking water supply after completion of the Melamchi Water Supply Project.
Vice-President of the NGO Forum for Urban Water & Sanitation Padma Sunder Joshi stressed that the government should give proper concern in managing drinking water as it is a basic necessity of people.
Stating that there is no transparency in the decision of water tariff hike, Ram Chandra Simkhada, secretary of Consumer Welfare Conservation Forum, demanded to improve the service level of KUKL instead of opting for tariff hike.
President of Federation of Drinking Water and Sanitation Users' Nepal Rajendra Aryal told that the government should not deprive the citizens from very essential service like drinking water.

Source: Gorkhapatra, January 26, 2009