Clean water, now

In what has come as a shocking revelation, Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) has reported that the drinking water supplied by the government and the ground water of Kathmandu Valley are highly contaminated. NAST has said 61.4 percent of 114 samples of drinking water supplied by the Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL) were contaminated with coliform bacteria. Similarly, 84 percent of the total 926 samples of ground water, too, were found to be contaminated. The samples were collected from Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Kavre and Jhapa. But 47 percent of the samples were from the Valley. Scientifically speaking, prevalence of coliform bacteria in water is an indicator of fecal contamination. Consumption of coliform contaminated water leads to health problems like morbidity, stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhea. In addition, NAST has also said that it found 34 percent of samples exceeding the standard value for turbidity or muddiness accepted in Nepal. While 46 percent of the samples were detected with high iron content, 38 percent samples contained ammonia and one percent had nitrate beyond the permissible level. High nitrate content can cause methemoglobinemia, a blood-related disease, among children. This is a serious matter. If the government continues to be apathetic, the threat consumption of such contaminated water poses to public health would be immense.

The causes of water contamination are numerous, and range from agricultural runoff to improper use of household chemicals, the scale of use of which is, unfortunately, larger than one can imagine. However, our old and out-dated water treatment plants are not well-equipped to remove dangerous synthetic chemicals from drinking water. Our water treatment methods at home, typically still consist of filtration and disinfection. The government must install modern water plants and upgrade the treatment system at once if it wants to avoid serious health hazards to its citizens and should give this an utmost priority.



It is a known fact that clean water is becoming increasingly scarce in Nepal and other developing countries. The reasons being: Greater demands for freshwater resources; the diminishing quality of existing water resources and the spiraling industrial growth. The consequences of water contamination are massive. One UN report suggests that 80 percent of all diseases and more than one-third of deaths in the developing countries are caused by contaminated water. Because water pollution is an insidious problem, cleaning it up should be a matter of greatest urgency for all. Water issues must be tackled in an integrated manner and government agencies along with NGOs and INGOs must work in coordination to tackle the problem. A long-term perspective on water management will take us a long way. Similarly, education, trainings and strengthening of local bodies can help overcome obstacles.

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