Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL), responsible for supplying water to the Kathmandy Valley area, says that the ageing supply system is suffering 50% leakage. According to Richard Austin, General Manager of KUKL, many of the pipelines are up to 70 years old and some are even 100 years old.

The system cannot cope with demand in the Valley, which is about 230 million litres of water a day. KUKL is able to supply only 100 million litres daily. It says it cannot improve the system without completely renovating it.

Austin said that KUKL is unable to supply drinking water regularly due to electricity load shedding. He called for more community taps to be set up in the area, adding that 20% of community taps in the valley were illegal.

Related news:

• Nepal: survey finds 47% of water in Kathmandu Valley 'unsafe', Source South Asia, 19 Sep 2008;
• Nepal, Kathmandu Valley: Melamchi Water Supply Project to be completed within five years, Source South Asia, 02 Sep 2008

Source: Annapurna Post / NGO Forum, 19 Jan 2009

Tags: south asia, water distribution