Shit overflowing capital
The link is full page coverage today in Nepal Samacharpatra Daily. The feature explains how shit overflowing in Kathmandu valley together with country’s capital.
February 12, 2013
January 24, 2013
Photo of the week – 24 January
One hundred eighteen households at Hartalihat Tole Ward Number 19 in Biratnagar Sub-Metropolitan, Morang District squatter area have no access to toilet. Lumanti Support Group for Shelter is working to provide in accessing basic sanitation at the area which will benefit around 800 marginalised people living in the squatter.
January 17, 2013
Photo of the week – 17 January
Community members removing HDP pipe from "Ferro Cement Tank". The reservoir tank (20 thousand liters capacity) is under construction. It will serve 50 households at Nala, Ugrachandi VDC in Kavre district. This is one out of three rehabilitation works of water supply schemes on-going. The schemes will serve around 120 households in accessing safe drinking. Earlier the drinking water project supported by WaterAid twenty years ago in the village is still functioning however required rehabilitation to address increased population. The rehabilitation work funded by HSBC Water Programme is ongoing in coordination with a NGO working for integrated urban development - CIUD. The rehabilitation of three water scheme is expected to complete within FY 12/13.
November 28, 2012
Link of the week – 27 November
Universal access to sanitation and drinking water for all: municipal areas of Nepal by 2017
The fact sheet prepared together with Muncipal Association Nepal (MuAN) includes basic water supply and sanitation coverage of 58 municipalities in Nepal. The municipalities in Nepal are ranked by access to sanitation. The sheet further include government commitments on municipal access to WASH services together.
April 27, 2011
Apartments to grounds
Groundwater, a reliable resource for drinking and production, is under severe stress in Kathmandu Valley because of the excessive groundwater. The process of urbanisation in Nepal has altered the natural setting of the environment; land surface is completely disturbed reducing groundwater recharging area and direct infiltration of excess rainfall. Ultimately this increases the surface runoff that quickly removes the rainwater, influencing the total amount of infiltration, reducing the subsurface flow and recharge.
A suitable and applicable method of recharging groundwater is through rainwater harvesting. Simple calculations have suggested that substantial amounts of water could be made available if shallow groundwater can be recharged with the help of rainwater. With a catchment area of 656 Km2, Kathmandu Valley receives an annual rainfall of 1,500 mm on an average. Data collected (as of 2065 BS – 2008/09) from the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction (DUDBC) shows that there are altogether 103 numbers of housing and high rise apartments, including both constructed and under-construction.
The study found that the total theoretical volume of water available for natural recharge (due to rain fall) in the areas covered by 12 apartments and housings (before construction) is 1,251,563 m3. Considering practicality in rainfall recharging, it has been stated that only 15 – 20 percent of the total rainfall in a particular area gets recharged. According to this, the possible recharge that could take place naturally in these areas is 250,313 m3 (20 percent of 1,251,563 m3, i.e. theoretical natural recharge within these areas). Based on Nepal’s experience, the cost of rainwater harvesting installation is 68.8 USD per sq m of the roof catchment but this does not include the cost of preliminary treatment units.
The total potential volume of water that can be harvested from these 12 apartments and housings is 3.33 times the total volume of water consumption (155,104 m3) in a year. When we generalise from this study conducted in 12 apartments and housings with 681 units, it can be said that 77 percent of the total volume of water can be harvested from built up areas and 41 percent of theoretically available volume of rainwater in any apartment and housings for natural recharge can be tapped for recharging groundwater.
The post is written by Mr Kabir Das Rajbhandari, Programme Manager – Urban, WaterAid in Nepal.
April 21, 2011
Link of the week – 21 to 27 April 2011
Apartments to the grounds
Water management is a very critical aspect of growth and development of any economy, more so in a developing country like Nepal which is endowed with many water resources that need to be conserved, better managed, recharged and channelized for meeting the ever increasing requirements of present trend of urban growth of Nepal which is one of the highest in the South Asian region. Groundwater is a reliable resource for drinking and production, both in terms of quantity and quality. More – Click here for our link of the week – 21 to 27 April 2011
The article is written by Mr Kabir Das Rajbhandari, Programme Manager – Urban at WaterAid in Nepal and published on Republica on Sunday 17 April 2011.
