Metro»
Pvt tankers to go under the scanner
KATHMANDU, AUG 19 -
Though the water shortage in the Valley seems perennial, privately-owned water tankers have been providing some respite to the Valley's thirsty population.
However, in the absence of proper regulations and monitoring systems, consumers have long complained about the quality of water these private tankers provide. Albeit a bit late, the government seems to have woken up to the problem that is genuine. A new policy to regulate water delivering firms is likely to come into effect within the next two months.
So far, the government has no record of the number of water tankers or the source of the water, said Hari Dhakal, Executive Director of the Kathmandu Valley Water Management Board. “We had never thought about the prospects of commercially viable water business,” he added. Until now, authorities were reluctant to monitor the water quality in the absence of a law governing the private water tankers. The water tanker firms' association claims that the tankers meet up to 25 percent of the Valley's drinking water demand.
The introduction of the policy is likely to benefit consumers who rely on private tankers to meet their daily water needs.
"The water quality is certainly going to improve once we start bringing these tanker operators within the legal fold," Dhakal said. According to him, the board has completed the first phase of discussions with all stakeholders, while it will be implementing the policy within the next two months.
The Valley Drinking Water Tanker Entrepreneurs, the association of private tanker operators, says it has nearly 600 tankers under it. It further claims that it delivers "hygienic" water. At present, the Water Management Board is only responsible for water quality delivered by the Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL), a water utility company.
Once the policy comes into effect, all existing water tanker operators have to apply for a licence to run their business. They will also have to comply with a government standard on water quality.
Posted on: 2010-08-20 08:31
Headlines
Advertisements
