KATHMANDU: In response to the ongoing drinking water crisis in the Tarai-Madhesh region, the Department of Water Supply and Sewerage Management under the Ministry of Water Supply has formed two separate committees to conduct field assessments and recommend solutions.
According to Director General Ram Kumar Shrestha, the department mobilized both committees on Wednesday with a mandate to submit detailed reports within 10 days. The initiative is aimed at identifying the root causes of the water scarcity and proposing practical, district-specific interventions.
One committee is led by Narayan Prasad Acharya, Project Director of the Co-financed Water Supply and Sanitation Project. Its members include Senior Division Engineer Mihir Chandra Acharya from the same project, Engineer Kiran Bista from the Janakpur Water Supply and Sewerage Office, and Engineer Sudhir Kumar Sah from the Central Water Supply Project, who will serve as member secretary.
The second committee is headed by Deputy Director General Balmukunda Shrestha. It includes Bipul Kumar Lal Das, chief of the Birgunj Water Supply and Sewerage Office, and Engineer Pradeep Kumar Sah as members, with Senior Division Engineer Chandra Kumar Shrestha from the department serving as member secretary.
Both teams have been tasked with conducting field visits, monitoring conditions, and analyzing the underlying factors contributing to the water shortages in their respective areas. The committees will then submit their findings along with actionable recommendations to the department.
Officials say the effort reflects an urgent push by the government to address long-standing issues in water access across the southern plains, where many communities continue to face chronic shortages, especially during the dry season.
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