The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation has asked local governing bodies in the Valley to take initiatives for supplying clean and hygienic drinking water.

In a meeting with Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Bidya Sundar Shakya and Lalitpur Metropolitan City Deputy Mayor Gita Satyal on Monday, Minister Mahendra Yadav said the ministry would work with the local government for sustainable development plans for drinking water. He also encouraged the people’s representatives to take a lead in the matter.

“It’s inevitable for the government to work with local governments,” Yadav said after the meeting held at the ministry. KMC Mayor Shakya had raised the issue of people’s struggle for clean drinking water in the Capital. “If we could bring about a positive change in the field of drinking water and sanitation, Valley residents can feel the presence of newly elected representatives,” said Shakya.

According to officials, 40 percent of the water supplied in Kathmandu Valley goes waste as the distribution system is over 100 years old with pipes in most places getting rusty and broken. Water scarcity in the Valley has become acute as water spouts and wells mostly go dry in winter. The demand for drinking water in the Valley is over 350 million litres per day, according to the Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited. However, the KUKL supplies only 90 million litres a day in the dry season and 150mld during monsoon.