Water to get dearer for thirsty Kathmanduites

KATHMANDU, JUNE 13: 

The Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited, which has failed to fix the perennial problem of water shortage in the Valley, is, however, all set to fix new tariff rates — that too without having a concrete plan to address Kathmanduites’ water woes.

KUKL supplies about 150 million litres of drinking water daily in the Valley in the wet season and 80-90 million litres during summer. The daily demand is, however, 350 million litres. KUKL claims that it is planning to hike the water tariff by 127 per cent to make up for the losses and tackle inflation.

Arjun Babu Dhakal, Managing Director, KUKL, said the water utility has been incurring a loss of Rs 10 million every year for the past five years. “Consumers pay Rs 55 for every 10,000 litres in the Kathmandu Valley,” said Dhakal. “Rs 5 was increased per 10,000 litres five years ago while staff salaries and allowances have gone up by 129 per cent.” KUKL employs 1,200 people.

But KUKL has been mired in inefficiency and mismanagement — a simple example could be its failure to make consumers pay the bills. Nor has KUKL been able to fix the erratic water supply in the Valley; some consumers enjoy 24 hours of water supply, some get once in a fortnight. The quality of water supplied by KUKL, experts have said time and again, is poor.

In such a situation, if KUKL is planning to hike the tariff, it has just one oar in the water. But Dhakal said without increasing the tariff, KUKL would neither be able to survive nor would be able to improve its service. On KUKL plans, Dhakal said it will install 40 tube wells in the coming fiscal year that will supply 40 million litres of water daily.

KUKL, which had earlier proposed a 174 per cent hike, sent its proposal to increase the tariff by 127 per cent to Tariff Fixation Committee 45 days ago. TFC has 60 days to take a decision on the proposal. TFC Chairman Hari Prasad Sharma said it is not an irrational proposal. “The proposed tariff is cheaper than that in Thailand and neighbouring countries,” said Sharma, stopping short of telling about the service and quality the consumers get in the countries he was referring to.

Source: THT