Progress of Water Environment
Governance in Nepal
Madhav Dev Acharya
Water and Energy Commission Secretariat (WECS)Singhadurbar, Kathmandu
The 14th WEPA Annual Meeting
22 February 2019
Tokyo1

Nepal: Country Background Landlocked between China in
the North and India in the East,
West and South.
 Area: 1,47,181 km2, Himalayas
and Mountains 43%, Hills 30%
and ,Terai Plain( Flat Land) 27%
 Varied Topography within ashort span (about193km)of
width ranging from 64m to8848m in altitude
 Population: 28.82 Million (Projected), GDP : Total= US$26.46 billion
Per capita= US$ 10042

Nepal: Country Background
After promulgation of Constitution of Nepal 2015
 Nepal has been restructured and renamed into Federal Democratic
Republic of Nepal “स ीय लोकता क गणत नेपाल” Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal
Seven Provinces(Province No. 1, Province No. 2, Province No. 3, Gandaki
Province (4), Province No. 5, Karnali Province (6) and
Sudurpashchim Province (7))
Districts (77 District Coordination Committees )Local Units(6 Metropolitan cities, 11 Submetropolitan cities, 276
Municipalities, 460 Rural municipalites and 6743 Wards)
3

Status of water quality in Nepal:
 Most of the water bodies laying in the major towns, cities, nearto industrial zone and waste disposing sitesare polluted.
 Water quality of some of the major river systems of Nepal
Koshi, Gandaki, Karnali and Mahakali followed by Bagmati, Tinau
and Rapti are highlighted.

Koshi (71)

Gandaki (91)

Bagmati (115)

Quality level to due organic pollution:
I= None to slightly, I‐II= Slightly, II= Moderately, II‐III= Critically, III= Heavily, III‐IV= Veryheavily, IV= Extremely

4Status of water quality in Nepal:
 Some of the physico‐chemical parameters along with the National
Dringking Water Quality Standards (NDWQS) of some of the waterbodies.
pHDOBODCOD

Desired Value*NDWQS

6.5‐8.5*>5<30<250 <1000* <1500* <1.5*

Unit

mg/l

Bagmati (Sundarijal –6.6 ‐7.4Khokana)
Bishnumati(Budhanilkantha –7 ‐7.5
Teku Dovan)
8 ‐8.1EC

NO3‐N NO2‐NTOC

THFeTCE‐coli<50*‐‐<500* <100* <0.3*0*0*MPN/100m
40 ‐50110 –170Mg

S/cm

mg/l

mg/l

mg/l

mg/lmg/l

mg/l

mg/l

14.8‐ 9.6 – 24.8 ‐ 380 ‐1.2 90.5 192 810

460 ‐
970

10 ‐
70

0.1 –
0.3

0.1 –
0.1

21.1‐
10.6

0.5 –
3.9

12.5‐ 15.4 36.7 ‐ 120 ‐0.9 – 167 178 920

187 ‐
1360

90 ‐
90

0.5 –
0.5

0.2 –
0.1

24.5‐
43.7

0.5 –
5.7

900 ‐
1600

2.1‐
7.1

120 ‐
920

650 ‐
300

90 ‐
30

0.5 –
0.2

0.13 –
<0.1

12.3‐
24.7

4.2 –
2.8

1600 ‐ 110 –
900
701530 ‐
1290

1800 ‐
1600

160 ‐
180

2.4 –
2.7

0.2 –
0.1

9.8‐
10.26.4 –
6.51600 ‐ 120 –1600 90

620 –
980

870 –
1450

60 –
60

2.3 –
2.00.2 –0.2

6.8 ‐ 140 ‐
3090
22.6
160 ‐
–
130
34.6
12.1 100 ‐– 3.6 120
45.6
80 ‐
–
120
26.7
4.5 – 60 –12.8 80

MPN/100m
500 ‐
900

7.8 –
11.8

4.9 –
6.1

1600
– 500

mg/l mg/l

mg/l

40.5 78 –– 5.4 15.9
33.0
Hanumante
1.8‐
120 –
–
8.5 ‐7.3(Sallaghari‐Thimi)
15.1
90.7
48.9
Manahara (Pepsikola
7.0 – 14.5 23.7
7.4 – 7.6‐ Balkumari)
3.9 –23.8 –40.5Nakhu ‐ Saibu

TDS

NH3‐NParameters

mg/l

5140 –
40

Status of water quality in Nepal:
 Some of the physico‐chemical parameters along with the National
Dringking Water Quality Standards (NDWQS) of some of the water
bodies.
Cont.
pHDO

BOD

COD

Desired Value*NDWQS

6.5‐8.5*>5<30<250 <1000* <1500* <1.5*

Unit

mg/l

Phewa
lake(Halanchowk –7.5 – 7.6
Dam site)
Seti Pokhara (Mardi –7.4 ‐7.6
Dobila)Narayani (Bridge –7.3 ‐7.1
Devghat mixed)
Sirsiya (Parwanipur –Ghadiharwa
6.5 ‐6.6Pokhara)
Tinau (Jhumsa bridge
7.2 ‐7.5– Radhakrishna Tole)

mg/l mg/l

EC

NO3‐N NO2‐NTOCTHFeTC

E‐coli<50*‐‐<500* <100* <0.3*

0*

0*Mg

S/cm

mg/l

mg/l

mg/l

mg/l

mg/l

mg/l

mg/l

MPN/ MPN/
100m 100m

50 – 50 50 – 60

1.6 –
1.6

0.11 – 0.07 –
0.16
0.07

5–4

120 –
120

6.7 –
11.1

0.1 –
0.1

900 –
900

70 –
70

110 ‐
150
170 ‐
160

130 ‐
170
200 ‐
180

1.5 –
2.8
2.0 –
1.1

0.13 –
0.1
3.5 –
3.9

0.05 –
0.01
0.1 –0.1

9.8‐
6.9
25.6‐
22.9

0.3 –
3.8
0.2 –
0.3

500 ‐
500
900 ‐
900

50 –
40
60 –
70

123.1 390 ‐– 78 750

410 ‐
710

80.0 – 8.9 –90.0 3.6

0.1 –
0.2

24.6‐
25.9

3.9 –
3.7

1600 ‐ 170 –
900
110

2.6 –
3.9

220 ‐
220

0.9 –
1.0

0.02 –
0.01

2.0 – 120 ‐2.0 170
2.0 – 340 ‐5.0 180
23.0
300 ‐
–
240
33.0
4.0 – 200 ‐4.0 200

14.5‐
9.8

0.1 –
0.1

900 ‐
500

mg/l

7.9 – 2.5 – 5.7 –8.0 2.1
5.7
8.1‐ 1.2 –8.7 1.3
11.2‐ 0.88
9.7 – 1.5
87.3
1.1‐
–
1.1
88.6
10.4‐ 1.6 –9.5 1.5

TDS

NH3‐NParameters

2.4 –
2.6
2.5 –
3.5

mg/l

200 ‐
220

0.5 –
0.5

670 –
30

Status of water quality in Nepal:
 Physical Status of Groundwater of Kathmandu Valley.
Temperature (0 C)

pHConductivity(S/cm)

Turbidity (NTU)

Shallow Well

18.6

7.1

874.5

45.9

Tube Well

17.9

7.0

576.8

54.8

Deep Tube Well

20.3

7.0704.2

33.2

WHO Guidelines

NA6.5 – 8.5500

5Ground Water Source Chemical Status of Groundwater of Kathmandu Valley.
Hardness(mg/l)

Chloride(mg/l)

Alkalinity(mg/l)

Iron (mg/l)

Arsenic(mg/l)

Fluoride(mg/l)

Shallow Well

230.7

81.8

366.0

1.47

0.004

0.43

Tube Well

218.8

61.1

258.0

1.90

0.003

0.27

Deep Tube Well

251.2

59.0

302.7

1.80

0.009

0.74

WHO Guidelines

500

250

NA

0.3

0.01

Ground Water Source

71.5

Status of water quality in Nepal:
 Chemical Status of Groundwater of Kathmandu Valley.

8Domestic and Industrial Wastewater Management in Nepal
Water Resources and Uses in Nepal:
S.No.

SourcesAvailable amount1

Annual Renewable Surface Water (billion m3)

225

2

Annual Renewable Ground Water (billion m3)

123

Per Capita Renewable Surface and Ground Water(000 m3 / year)

94Total Annual Withdrawal (billion m3 / year)

24

5

Per Capita Annual Withdrawal (000 m3 / year)

1

Sectorial withdrawal as % Total withdrawal
6

Domestic

3.43

Industrial

0.41

Agricultural

96.16

9

Domestic and Industrial Wastewater Management in Nepal
Urban Population Growth in Nepal:

10

Domestic and Industrial Wastewater Management in Nepal
Waste Water Production in major urban areas of Nepal As of 2011:S.No.

Urban Centers

Waste Water Production (MLD)
Domestic

Industrial

Total

Collected for Treatment(million liter/day)

1

Kathmanu

64.4974.515

69.01234.5062

Patan

15.6471.095

16.742

8.371

3

Bhaktapur

5.971

.418

6.389

3.195

4

Kirtipur3.92.274

4.194

2.097

5Madhyapur Thimi

3.069

.215

1.642

4

Pokhara

NANA

3.284
13.42

5

Biratnagar

NANA

12.15

NA

6Birgunj

NANA

8.68

NA

7

Bharatpur

NANA

6.84

NA

8Janakpur

NANA

5.41NA

9DhangadhiNANA

5.37

NA

10Butwal

NANA

6.01

NATotal93.1046.517

157.501NA

49.811

11

Domestic and Industrial Wastewater Management in Nepal
Generalized Waste Water Management in Nepal As of 2016:

Some of the tested parameters among different sources of waste water:
Parameters

Source Type
DomesticIndustrial

Hospital

pH

7.04

6.67

7.1

TSS (mg/L)

356

429

195

DO (mg/L)

1‐

4

BOD (mg/L)

420

411

166

COD(mg/L)

640

766

329

Ammonia (mg/L)

118

1748

Nitrate (mg/L)

6‐4TP (mg/L)

162‐O&G (mg/L)

18

37

2

12

Domestic and Industrial Wastewater Management in Nepal
Existing Wastewater Treatment Plants in Kathmandu Valley and Other Urban Areas of Nepal

13

Policy and Legal Framework for Water Environmental Governance

The Constitution of Nepal:
 Constitution of Nepal(2015)
Part 3: Fundamental Rights and Duties
Article 30: Right to clean environment

Sub‐article (1): Every citizen shall have the rightto live in a clean and healthy
environment.
Sub‐article (2): The victim shall have the right toobtain compensation, inaccordance with law, for any
injury caused fromenvironmental pollution ordegradation.
14

Policy and Legal Framework for Water Environmental Governance
Policy and Legislative Frameworks:
NameCategoryYear

PurposeWater Tax ActAct

1966

It provides modus operandi of recovering the amount of thewater tax leviable pursuant to the prevailing law.

Water Resources ActAct

1992

The umbrella Act governing water resource management anddeclares the order of priority of water use .

Water Resources Rules

Rule

1993

The umbrella Rules governing water resource management,
Sets out the procedure to register a Water User Associationand to obtain a license.

Drinking Water ServiceCharge Rules

Rule

1994

Details the procedures for Tap connection and hole change
and ownership of Taps and its transfer.

National Solid Waste
Management Policy

Policy1996

Waste management by Local Bodies; mobilize wastes as
resources and reduce wastes at sources.

Environment Protection
Act

Act

Environment Protection
Rules

Rule

1997

The umbrella Act governing over all environmental protectionof the country.

1997

The umbrella Rule governing over all environmental
protection of the country and further elaborates the Act.

Drinking Water Rules

Rules

1988

Regulates the use of drinking water; provides for theformation of Drinking Water User Associations and sets outthe procedure for registration.

Local Self Governance Act

Act

1999

Sets out the powers, functions and duties of VDC,
15
Municipality and DDC in relation to water and sanitation.

Policy and Legal Framework for Water Environmental Governance
Policy and Legislative Frameworks:
Name

CategoryYear

Purpose

Local Self Governance Act

Act

1999

Sets out the powers, functions and duties of VDC,
Municipality and DDC in relation to water and sanitation.

2002

Sets out sectoral and cross cutting short, medium and longterm strategies to optimize the sustainable benefits from theresource.

Water Resources Strategy

Strategy

National Water PlanPlan

2005

Plots short, medium and long term action plans for Water
Resource Sector; More focused on Environmental Concerns;
Introduces Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM).

Drinking Water Quality
Standards

Standards

2005

Sets standards for water quality; Service Providers
responsible for monitoring; Local level offices.

Water Supply
Management Board

Act

2006

The act puts emphasis on the participation of local bodies
and WaSH institutions in water and sanitation services in theurban areas.

Sanitation and Hygiene
Master PlanPlan

2011

Recognizes the leadership and Coordination of local bodies;ODF status as entry point of Total Sanitation.

Integrated National
Water Resources Policy(Draft)Integrated National
Water Resources Act(D f )PolicyThe draft policy is aimed to cover all aspects of water
resources development and management based on theIntegrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) principle
and newly restructured three tires of government.

ActThe draft Act will be the new water resources act for16theexecution of new policy which covers all aspects of waterd ld

Policy and Legal Framework for Water Environmental Governance

Sectoral Legislative Framework in changed context:17

Institutional Framework for Water Environmental GovernanceInstitutional Frameworks:
NameLevel

Working Area

Ministry of Energy, Water
Resources and Irrigation

CentralOver all Energy, Hydropower, Irrigation and Water Resources developmentof the country.

Ministry of Water Supply

Central

Water supply, sanitation and hygeine development andmanagement of the country.

Ministry of Urban
Development

CentralOver all urban planning, development and Management for thedevelopment of municipalities in the country.

Ministry of Forest andEnvironment

CentralForest resources and environmental development andmanagement and enforcement environmental mandates.

Central

Policy and planning regarding energy and water resources
development and management covering all sectors. Advisory roleon critical issues related to large water resources projects.

CentralResponsible for the implementation and the compliance ofEnvironmental Protection Act , and Rule (EPR), and pollution
control standard as promulgated by the Government of Nepal.

Ministry of PhysicalInfrastructure
Development

Provincial

Provincial level policy planning formulation and development of
all sorts of physical infrastructures and their environmentalmanagement.

Department of Water
Supply and Sewerage(DWSS)

CentralDWSS is dedicated to planning and implementation of both ruraland urban WaSH projects.
18

Water and Energy
Commission Secretariat
Department ofEnvironment

Institutional Framework for Water Environmental GovernanceInstitutional Frameworks:
 Except these institutions there are other institutions who take care about
environmental issues in the country:

••
•
•
•
•
•
•

Department of Forest (DOF)
Department of Soil Conservation and Watershed Management (DSCWM)
Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM)
Department of National Parks and Wild Life Conservation (DNPWC)
Department of Environment (DOE)
Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST)
Climate Change Council (CCC)
Environment Protection Council (EPC)•Department of Urban Development and Building Construction (DUDBC)

19

Future Plans, Projects and Targets
 Rehabilitation and expansion of sewerage network including
property connections
 Rehabilitation and construction of interceptors along the streams
 Rehabilitation and construction of five wastewater treatment
plants of 90.5 MLD capacity
 Energy generation of approximately 910 KW through sludge
digestion and gasification
Kathmandu
Metropolitan

Lalitpur
Metropolitan

Bhaktapur
Municipality

Kirtipur Municipality• The cleaning of existing
sewers• New sanitary sewer andstorm water drain•New laying replacing
brick sewer•The cleaning ofexisting sewers• Rehabilitation ofexisting combined
sewer• The separation
by laying new
sanitary sewer• The cleaning ofexisting sewers• Rehabilitation ofexisting combined
sewer• New storm waterdrain in Bhaktapur
Industrial area

• Cleaning of existing
sewers• Rehabilitation ofexisting combined
sewer• The separation bylaying new storm
water drain 20

Future Plans, Projects and Targets
Wastewater Treatment Plan in Kathmandu Valley in 2020‐2030

21

Future Plans, Projects and Targets
Ongoing Inceptors and Wastewater Treatment Plants in Kathmandu Valley

22

References:

Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Final Report: Water Quality Measurementand Hoarding Board Installation, 2073. Downloaded from internet.
KUKL, Ministry of Urban Development, Government of Nepal. NEP: Kathmandu Valley
Wastewater Management Project. Downloaded from internet.
Pant, Bhoj Raj. Ground Water Quality in the Kathmandu Valley. Article in Environmental
Monitoring and Assessment, July 2011. Downloaded from internet.
Sector Efficiency Improvement Unit(SEIU), Ministry of Water Supply and Sanitation,
Government of Nepal. Nepal Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Sector Development
Plan (2016‐2030). Downloaded from internet.
Sharma, Subodh et al., Water Quality in the Central Himalaya. Review Articles.
Downloaded from internet.
Shrestha, P. et al., Status of Wastewater generation and management in urban Nepal.
Journal of Environment and Public Health. Downloaded from internet.
Shukla Ashutosh, et al., Wastewater Production, Treatment and Use in Nepal.
Downloaded from internet.
Various other resources.

23Thank You

24