Kathmandu Valley Water Management Board (KVWMB) and Kathmandu Valley Drinking Water Company Limited (KVDWCL) have taken the charge of drinking water management for Kathmandu valley from Sunday.

The KVWMB will look after the policy matter while the KVDWCL will manage the supply of water and repair infrastructure.

Speaking a special function organised in the capital Sunday to hand over the responsibility to the new agencies, Minister for Physical Planning and Works Hishila Yami described the shift in water supply management as a historical development and expressed hope that it would ease water crunch in the capital city.

Transfer of responsibility to these new agencies was the pre-condition put forward by the Asian Development Bank for grants and loan for the construction of Melamchi Drinking Water Project expected to be completed by end of 2011.

With the transfer of responsibilities to news agencies, the Nepal Water
Supply Corporation will end its role in Kathmandu valley. However, it will continue working on water supply management outside Kathmandu.

The assets and liabilities owned by the corporation in Kathmandu valley will be transferred to the Board, which consists of 11 members from three municipalities in the valley – Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur – Federation of Nepali Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FNCCI), Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC), representatives from three District Development Committees (DDC), Consumers’ Forum and INGOs working in the field of water management. nepalnews.com ia Feb 03 08