National 6 (Spotlight Weekly)

City Blight

Because of rampant urbanization, big cities like Kathmandu, Bharatpur, Birgunj and Pokhara are facing a different kind of challenge — water pollution

By SANJAYA DHAKAL

Unchecked discharge of untreated waste-water and solid wastes into rivers and other bodies of water is a common practice in Kathmandu and other cities of the kingdom. These domestic and industrial wastes in liquid or solid form lead to the accumulation of chemical, organic, bacterial and nutrient components. Apart from the running rivers, ground water sources are also increasingly becoming polluted.

Home to nearly two million people and the bulk of industries, urban water pollution in Kathmandu valley, naturally, is worsening. Bagmati, the main river system of the valley, is subjected to discharges of domestic and industrial effluents, turning it into dark, thick rolling filth at places. Narayani River near the Narayanghat section, Sirsiya River near the Birgunj section and Phewa Lake in Pokhara suffer from similar problems.

Bagmati river : Carrying the burden

Despite the existence of a number of legal instruments, people continue to discharge refuse into nearby rivers in an easy and convenient way. There are two acts that are directly concerned with water pollution — the Water Resources Act 2049 and the Environment Protection Act 2053. A number of programs were initiated and some have already completed during this period. Institutions that are directly concerned with such issues as research, evaluation and monitoring of water pollution have also come up.

On the other hand, the density of urban population is rising persistently, leading to the rise in the demand for drinking water. The flows of storm water and drainage in the cities have increased by many folds. New industries are coming up, triggering further pollution.

With the objective of getting the feel about the situation of urban water pollution and disseminating it, the Information Dissemination Initiatives recently held a panel discussion among experts.

"The Nepal Water Supply Corporation (NWSC) is responsible for the drinking water distribution in 23 urban areas outside the valley and in five municipalities within the valley, it is responsible for drinking water distribution as well as drainage system. But as municipalities and village development committees are found to be constructing drainage systems on their own and directly discharging it to nearby river system, the problem is getting worse," said Kaushal Nath Bhattarai, general manager of the NWSC.

Bhattarai blamed three factors for the growth in urban water pollution: uncontrolled habitation on river banks, uncoordinated construction of drainage system, and old and shabby drinking water distribution network. He said the distribution network is 120 years old and needs urgent replacement because it suffers from frequent leaks and bursts. He predicted that a major epidemic could be unleashed if this faulty distribution network is not replaced soon.

Dr. Roshan Raj Shrestha, executive chairman of Environment and Public Health Organization, stressed the importance of fixing standards for effluent discharge. He complained that waste water management still received least priority. He said that there were around 40,000 septic tanks in the Kathmandu valley, the bulk of whose refuse was discharged into rivers untreated. He said there was an urgent need to set up a separate treatment plant.

Dinesh Chandra Pyakurel, secretary at the Ministry for Works and Physical Planning, conceded that the problem of drinking water contamination has emerged as a big threat in urban areas. Likewise, there have been certain indications that even the ground water may not be safe, he said. The recently adopted water resource policy and the Environment Protection Act 2053 seek to curb the pollution of water, he said. "But since there is no clear identification as to which institution is responsible for this matter, confusion persists," he said, adding there was a need for a comprehensive national policy on water supply and sanitation.

Pyakurel also stressed the need to identify proper ways of relocating polluting industries from the valley, saying it presently took months to do so. He said that though the government pursues the "polluters pay" principle, there was lack of coordination among various agencies. He mentioned that the concept of a Kathmandu Valley Water Authority was also being forwarded with the objective of promoting local bodies in dealing with the water issues.

As waste-water management will continue to pose a big challenge as urbanization progresses, experts have suggested that a holistic approach be adopted in order to deal with it in a sustainable way.