By Kantipur correspondent The drinking water management of the Kathmandu valley will be managed by the three foreign experts after Nepal Water Supply Corporation (NWSC) was disconnected from the Kathmandu valley. The experts will start their job by the end of this month.

According to the source of the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works, a German technical advisor Joseph has already arrived through the pre-permission of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). He is a technical advisor. According to the pre-conditionalites, to operate the Kathmandu valley's drinking water management system through Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL), a public limited company, the General Manager has to be a foreigner. Now, to assist the general manager, one financial and one technical advisor is to be appointed.

The technical advisor Joseph was appointed by the KUKL. These foreign experts through KUKL will manage the Kathmandu valley's drinking water for 18 months. Their remuneration, accommodation and fooding would be provided under the ADB's technical assistant. Assistant General Manager of the KUKL Mr. Gyaneshnand Bajracharya said to the Kantipur daily that these (foreigners) shall make the operational strategies of the KUKL and Nepali will implement these strategies, there will be Nepali counterparts as well.

Following the ADB's three institutional structure conditionalites, the Kathmandu Valley Drinking Water Board has agreed to provide the water management system to the KUKL on lease for 30 years. As per the conditionalites, the Tariff Fixation Commission and the KUKL have been already constituted, however the Board has not been formed yet. For the lease, the KUKL will pay NRs. 1.5 million (approximately US$ 2,38,095) to the Board per annum. It will also have to pay five percent of the annual gross income to the Tariff Fixation Commission. The KUKL has undertaken the responsibility of Kathmandu valley drinking water management system since 1 Phagun 2064 (February 13, 2008).

According to the ADB's conditionalites, the team of foreign experts will be working until the management is properly handed over to the private sector. The government has to appoint the private sector within 18 months through the process of global tender. Before the Maoist joined the government, the then government had decided to handover the management contract to the Severn Trent Water International, a British notorious multinational company, accepting the conditionalites of the ADB.

This is unofficial translation of WAFED. Please visit our website www.wafed-nepal.org for more details about Kathmandu Valley Water Privatization.

Source: Kantipur daily, 2064 Chaitra 14 (17 March 2008)

URL: http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnepalnews.php?&nid=142073