Saturday, July 20, 2019

National conference on rainwater harvesting next week

A Kathmandu-based non-profit organisation ‘Smart WASH Solutions’ and Department of Water Supply and Sewerage Management(DWSSM) under the Ministry of Water Supply are set to jointly organise a National Conference on Rainwater Harvesting for Livelihood, Community and Ecosystem Resilience on July 27 and 28 in collaboration with different organisations.
Organising a press conference in the capital today, the conference organising committee informed that preparations for the conference have reached the final stage.
The conference is aimed at making concerned stakeholders aware of how to reduce the impact of floods and rain-triggered-landslides by collecting and utilising rainwater to meet domestic water needs through effective management, they said, adding that the conference will be attended by experts working in the related field from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, South Korea and Nepal.
Minister of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Barsha Man Pun is scheduled to inaugurate the conference, said the conference organising committee – that is composed of different representatives – led by chair of Smart WASH Solutions Ramdeep Sah. Likewise, a six-member technical committee entrusted with the responsibility of assessing and selecting conference papers has been formed under the leadership of Gunanidhi Paudel. A management committee has also been formed under the leadership of the chair of the Smart WASH Solutions Sah.
Speaking at the press conference, chair of Smart WASH Solutions said that it was impossible to address the problem of drinking water supply until rainwater was properly managed permanently. “About 1.3 per cent of total global population and 2.4 per cent of rural population in developing countries meet the domestic needs for drinking water by collecting and utilizing rainwater,” Shah claimed calling for revival of Nepali tradition of collecting and utilizing rainwater that people belonging to the present generation are unaware of.

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