Editor: Alain LAVILLE
Email: alainpact@hotmail.com
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT WATER IN NEPAL
● Here you will find some facts and information about drinking water resources in Nepal. Drinking Water Resources, Important, Use, Problems, Conservation in Nepal
Water is one of the most important basic needs for all living things. About 70% of the human body is made up of water. Humans can live without food for a while, but not without water. Water is most important for living organisms such as plants, animals, and humans. It is also essential for agriculture and industries.
Water is used for various purposes, such as cooking food, washing clothes, bathing, growing crops, carrying out construction work, and generating hydroelectricity. Water plays a vital role in the development of a country. Drinking water is necessary for good health. Citizens are healthy, and the development of a country will be rapid. So, the government should work to provide pure drinking water to its citizens.
We get water from different sources. About 71% of the earth is covered by water, and Nepal boasts rich water resources. However, 20 to 25% of people here still need drinking water. Water sources aren’t used properly. The water supply situation in rural and urban areas is worsening each day. Due to rapid population growth, industrialization, and urbanization, the demand for drinking water is increasing while water sources are drying up due to deforestation and environmental degradation. We often see long lines of women and children waiting for their turn to collect little water in cities. Villagers in rural areas must walk for hours to fetch a jar of water.
Nepal conjures up images of the Himalayas, peace, tranquility, and voluminous water which, if harnessed, would produce hydroelectric power for export, and provide the comfort of an easy income. Water in Nepal remains an essential contribution to global thinking about the complexity of Himalayan waters.
● Drinking water in Nepal
“Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink.” In most remote and rural areas, people drink directly from sources: rivers, springs, ponds, etc. These open water sources are polluted and contaminated.
This polluted water is the main cause of water-borne diseases like dysentery, typhoid, and cholera. Every year, many children and adults fall victim to these diseases. Many of these water sources dry up in winter.
There is an acute problem of rapid population growth in urban areas. The demand for drinking water is very high, but it is difficult to get it. Most water pipes laid during the Ranas era are now of little or no maintenance. Due to people’s carelessness, water is wasted when taps are turned on after use. People must get up early in the morning and wait long for a single bucket of water. Often people have to meet their needs by purchasing water from the private sector.
