Water Situation in Nepal

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• Water Situation in Nepal
• Anuj Sitoula
• Water and Energy Users' Federation -Nepal(WAFED
  NEPAL)
• 60 Newplaza Marga, Putalisadak, Kathmandu, Nepal
• websitewww.wafed-nepal.org

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Economy

• The population in Nepal is estimated as 26
  million. 83 rural and 17 urban
• The total area of the country is 147,181 km2.
• Nepals overall poverty rate is estimated at 29
  
• GDP composition is 40 from agriculture, 20 from
  industry and 40 from services,

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Nepal Water Resources

• Annual rainfall varies from 500 mm/yr in western
  areas to more than 4,000 mm/yr on the southern
  slopes of the Himalayan range, with 70-80
  occurring in summer (monsoon)
• Nepal has more than 6,000 rivers
• All the river systems drains from North to South
  towards the Ganges.
• The total average annual run-off from all these
  river systems is estimated at about 230 billion
  cubic meters (BCM).

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Estimates of Nepals potential water use in 2027
Surface and Groundwater, Source GON 2002,
Table 3.129
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Groundwater Resources

• It is estimated that rechargeable groundwater in
  the Terai is between 5.8 BCM and to 11.5 BCM.
• About 756 MCM of groundwater resources are being
  used for irrigation purposes and 297 MCM for
  domestic uses.

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Existing Water Use

• Out of 230 BCM of water available annually, only
  a small part of it (about 15 BCM) has so far been
  utilized for economic and social purposes.
• Medium and small rivers are used for different
  uses such as drinking water, irrigation and
  hydropower.
• Few run-of-the river schemes on the tributaries
  of Himalayan rivers, are also developed for
  hydropower generation.

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Contd..

• 77 of the countrys population has access to
  basic water supply.
• Most of the completed urban water supply
  systems are not delivering water satisfactorily.
• In the rural areas, the government has been
  handing over management of the systems to the
  communities concerned.

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Contd..

• Nepal has 2.64 million hectares of cultivable
  land, of this land only 66 i.e. 1.76 million
  hectares, is irrigable.
• Around 60 of the irrigable land has some kind
  of irrigation facility, and less than one-third
  has round-the-year-irrigation.
• Total installed electricity generation capacity
  of about 619, MW, of which the hydropower
  capacity is 562MW.
• Water quality issues have not received
  sufficient attention, as the focus so far has
  been in water development and supply.

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Management of Water Supply

• Department of Water Supply and Sewerage (DWSS).
• Nepal Water Supply Corporation (NWSC).
• Users Committee.
• Kathmandu Valley Drinking Water Ltd (KUKL).

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Cost of Drinking Water

• Minimum Rs 50 for first 10,000 ltr.
• Beyond this Rs 15 for every 1,000 ltr.
• Yearly increment of water tariff by 15 percent.
• Price remains steady for last three years.

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Water demand in Kathmandu

• Demand of 270 million Liters per day.
• Output of 180 million Liters per day.
• During dry season output of 95 million liters per
  day.
• Leakage of 40-70 percent.

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Melamchi Water Supply Project

• Inter basin water transfer project.
• Aims to divert 170 million ltrs per day from
  Melamchi river to Kathmandu valley, through 26.5
  km tunnel.
• Time period of the project is 5 years.
• Cost of the project- 317.3 million US, which is
  32 less from original cost of 464 million US .
• Financer of the projects are ADB-137 million,
  JBIC-47.5, JICA-18, OFID 13.7, NDF -10.5, Nepal
  Government -90.6 million.

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Pre-Condition

• Privatisation of Nepal Water Supply Corporation
  (NWSC).
• Management of public water system should be
  replaced by a private operator.
• Full cost recovery principle.
• Rising of water tariff by at least three fold.

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Privatisation of drinking water

• Formation of Kathmandu Valley Water Management
  Board (KVMMB), Kathmandu Valley drinking water
  Ltd (KUKL), Water Tariff Fixation commission.
• KUKL, had taken charge of managing the supply of
  drinking water for the valley since 3 February
  2008.
• The transfer of responsibility from Nepal Water
  Supply Corporation to the company as
  pre-condition set by Asian Development Bank for
  grant and loan.

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Progress of KUKL

• Water supply system have not improved since last
  six month.
• Employee started protesting as their demand while
  forming KUKL are not fulfilled.
• Kathmandu Metropolis which hold 30 share claims
  that KUKL is unsuccessful and if this trend
  continues it will withdraw its share from the
  company.

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• Thank You