Thusday, 25 February 2010
Kathmandu: Every day, 30 million litres of water meant for millions of Kathmandu Valley denizens virtually vanishes along a 4.5-km trunk line. The Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL), the utility tasked with the supply of drinking water in the valley, says only 60 million litres out of 90 million litres of water fed from the water processing plant in Sundarijal reaches its Mahankal reservoir.
The rest goes to select households along the Sundarijal-Mahankal stretch, which have pipelines connected directly with the trunk line. Ironically, the households, which have no water meters attached to pipes, get so much water without having to pay a penny, while the consumers with meters installed face an acute shortage. In its attempt to control this misuse albeit temporarily, the water utility plans to distribute 15,000 water meters in a couple of weeks.
“Consumers along the Sundarijal-Mahankal stretch get water once the Sundarijal plant feeds water into the trunk line,” says Rameshwar Lal Shrestha, the KUKL spokesperson. When the pipelines were laid four decades ago, the area had a handful of houses, according to Shrestha. With the insurgency, many people migrated to the area and started tapping water like others, says the KUKL official. “Due to a surging local population, consumers living in other parts of the valley are feeling the pinch. We have begun supplying water on alternate days to curb misuse.”
Shrestha believes people facing an acute shortage of water will heave a sigh of relief with the installation of water meters to each household in the area. “People themselves will economize on the use of water if they are charged as per meter reading.” But this is a stopgap measure, argues Shrestha. Putting in place a new water distribution system is the long-term solution, Shrestha concludes.
(Source: The Kathmandu Post, February 21, 2010)
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Finally, relief?
Wednesday, 24 February 2010
The cabinet has okayed the bill that permits the private sector to be involved in garbage management through the setting up of garbage plants and also to penalize those obstructing garbage disposal. The capital city in particular and other big urban hubs suffer perennially from the garbage management problems as a result of which the landscape of the cities look ugly with odious stench emanating from garbage left uncollected.
Because of the disruption in the collection of garbage the health of the public is at risk. Should the bill come to the enforcement level and be adhered to then we could actually see a solution to the garbage problem. Furthermore, since often politics is played over garbage the implementation aspect of the bill is important.
Meanwhile, as the public sector alone is hard put to manage the garbage on its own, the involvement of the private sector to set up garbage fuelled plants and also its management would prove effective. Besides, what is noteworthy is that the private sector has for long shown its interest to be involved in garbage management, and, therefore, the arrangements envisaged should help in this endeavor.
(Source: The Himalayan Times, February 19, 2010)
The cabinet has okayed the bill that permits the private sector to be involved in garbage management through the setting up of garbage plants and also to penalize those obstructing garbage disposal. The capital city in particular and other big urban hubs suffer perennially from the garbage management problems as a result of which the landscape of the cities look ugly with odious stench emanating from garbage left uncollected.
Because of the disruption in the collection of garbage the health of the public is at risk. Should the bill come to the enforcement level and be adhered to then we could actually see a solution to the garbage problem. Furthermore, since often politics is played over garbage the implementation aspect of the bill is important.
Meanwhile, as the public sector alone is hard put to manage the garbage on its own, the involvement of the private sector to set up garbage fuelled plants and also its management would prove effective. Besides, what is noteworthy is that the private sector has for long shown its interest to be involved in garbage management, and, therefore, the arrangements envisaged should help in this endeavor.
(Source: The Himalayan Times, February 19, 2010)
10 facts on sanitation
(19 March 2008) WHO/PAHO/Carlos Gaggero
Lack of sanitation is a serious health risk and an affront to human dignity. It affects billions of people around the world, particularly the poor and disadvantaged.
In the wake of disasters and in every day life, public health interventions that secure adequate sanitation in communities prevent the spread of disease and save lives. They raise the quality of life for many, particularly women and girls who are often in charge of domestic tasks, and can face personal risks when they relieve themselves in the open.
Sanitation is a basic need and a way to ensure better health. The United Nations declared 2008 as the International Year of Sanitation to make it a priority for governments, organizations, civil society and private partners worldwide. Since its inception, WHO has defined sanitation as vital to global health. Today, the Organization continues to help Member States improve sanitation status, respond to sanitation needs during emergencies and increase policies and actions that expand access to this basic service.
Read more about sanitation and health
Related links
WHO programme on water, sanitation and health
Lack of sanitation is a serious health risk and an affront to human dignity. It affects billions of people around the world, particularly the poor and disadvantaged.
In the wake of disasters and in every day life, public health interventions that secure adequate sanitation in communities prevent the spread of disease and save lives. They raise the quality of life for many, particularly women and girls who are often in charge of domestic tasks, and can face personal risks when they relieve themselves in the open.
Sanitation is a basic need and a way to ensure better health. The United Nations declared 2008 as the International Year of Sanitation to make it a priority for governments, organizations, civil society and private partners worldwide. Since its inception, WHO has defined sanitation as vital to global health. Today, the Organization continues to help Member States improve sanitation status, respond to sanitation needs during emergencies and increase policies and actions that expand access to this basic service.
Read more about sanitation and health
Related links
WHO programme on water, sanitation and health
Sunday, February 21, 2010
One billion people on the planet don't have clean water to drink
One billion people on the planet don't have clean water to drink. See what we're doing about it.
(http://www.borninseptember.org)
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Meeting on waste management
| Sunday,21 February 2010 | |
Kathmandu: Separating degradable and non-degradable wastes would go a long way in Kathmandu Valley’s ever-increasing garbage problem, according to experts. “The valley’s solid waste management is getting tough by the day due to increasing population and the separation of the garbage from the households only could contribute a lot,” said Dipendra Oli, legal officer at Solid Waste Management and Resource Mobilisation Centre (SWMRMC) at a workshop on successful practices of municipal solid waste management. The three-day sharing workshop on solid waste management organised by UN HABITAT began in the Capital from Monday. The Ministry of Local Development (MoLD) is also planning a public-private partnership approach. In view of potential problem in cities like Birtamod, Phidim, Bardiwas, Lekhnath, Atariya and others, MoLD is conducting research and survey so that these cities would not face the difficulty in managing solid waste. (Source: The Kathmandu Post, February 16, 2010) |
No water tap on toiletless houses
20, Saturday February 2010
Nepalgunj: With the aim to implement the slogan “one house, one toilet” in the remote parts of Banke, Khajura Drinking Water and Sanitation Consumer’s Committee has taken a crucial decision: it will not install water taps at the houses that have no toilet.
The committee later informed that the new concept has encouraged the entire locals to construct toilets at their houses in a swift way. Speaking at the 11th general meeting of Khajura Drinking Water and Sanitation Consumer’s Committee, Rishi Raj Gautam; president of the committee said that the new concept has been aimed at encouraging the locals for using toilets and spread awareness regarding the advantage of toilets.
Gautam informed that Drinking Water Department released Rs. 900,000 for the construction of taps in the district. Ratna Dutta Panta, a local leader said that the initiative taken by the committee was praiseworthy and it has created awareness among the locals regarding the positive aspects of toilets. Panta added that now all the houses were equipped with toilets.
Padam Thapa, member of Adarsha Higher Secondary Management Committee, informed that efforts made by various institutions and organizations for persuading the locals for using the toilet went in vain in the past.
According to him, the locals paid no heed to their words and the campaign launched by these organizations became worthless. “But, the news concept put forwarded by the consumer’s committee finally put pressure on the locals as they started constructing toilets at their house premises,” Thapa added.
(Source: The Rising Nepal, February 17, 2010)
Nepalgunj: With the aim to implement the slogan “one house, one toilet” in the remote parts of Banke, Khajura Drinking Water and Sanitation Consumer’s Committee has taken a crucial decision: it will not install water taps at the houses that have no toilet.
The committee later informed that the new concept has encouraged the entire locals to construct toilets at their houses in a swift way. Speaking at the 11th general meeting of Khajura Drinking Water and Sanitation Consumer’s Committee, Rishi Raj Gautam; president of the committee said that the new concept has been aimed at encouraging the locals for using toilets and spread awareness regarding the advantage of toilets.
Gautam informed that Drinking Water Department released Rs. 900,000 for the construction of taps in the district. Ratna Dutta Panta, a local leader said that the initiative taken by the committee was praiseworthy and it has created awareness among the locals regarding the positive aspects of toilets. Panta added that now all the houses were equipped with toilets.
Padam Thapa, member of Adarsha Higher Secondary Management Committee, informed that efforts made by various institutions and organizations for persuading the locals for using the toilet went in vain in the past.
According to him, the locals paid no heed to their words and the campaign launched by these organizations became worthless. “But, the news concept put forwarded by the consumer’s committee finally put pressure on the locals as they started constructing toilets at their house premises,” Thapa added.
(Source: The Rising Nepal, February 17, 2010)
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