Premium water, free germs

Regular monitoring of water suppliers and stringent punishment of contaminators is a must.

Every monsoon, the tummies of the residents of Kathmandu Valley ache and gurgle with the faecal coliform they consume while drinking jarred and bottled water. Recently, health workers of the Godawari Municipality of Lalitpur district found 60 percent samples of jar water taken from various locations in the municipality tainted with the harmful bacteria found in faeces. Just last month, health officials urged water supplier companies to offer only safe and clean drinking water after bacteria was discovered in jarred water. In 2024 alone, thousands of Kathmanduities suffered from diarrhoea, and dozens contracted cholera. Following this, the Ministry of Health and Population conducted a study, which revealed that almost 70 percent of drinking water samples in the Valley were unsafe to drink.