India, New Delhi: water tanker privatisation aims to curb corruption

The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) [Delhi water board] has decided to privatise tanker management system to check water wastage and corruption in its own ranks. Four companies have shown interest and submitted technical proposals for the tenders issued by DJB. The contract would ensure a total revamp of the system and introduction of new technologies.

Officials say that this would help DJB monitor the movement of tankers to and from various delivery points. The project also proposes to put a check on water wastage due to leakages in tankers.

“There have also been complaints of our tankers supplying water to hotels and malls for extra money. With corruption prevailing within the department and in the absence of a monitoring system, it is difficult to say if the tankers even reach the destination,” a senior DJB official said.

The DJB’s decision to enter into a public-private partnership to revamp tanker management involves introduction of technological changes to tankers. These changes would include biometric identification for drivers, a GPS system to monitor the tanker movement, a flow meter to account for the amount of water taken and supplied, a chlorimeter to ensure the water quality and an auto lock system to put a check on leaking tankers.

The DJB is mandated to supply water tankers at 18,349 fixed delivery points in the city. Besides that, water tankers are also supplied to regular colonies in case of common emergencies like pipeline burst or shortage of raw water supply. The department owns 250 tankers and hires at least 600 private tankers on a daily basis to ensure supply to at least 1,600 unauthorised-regularised colonies.

Source: IBNS / newKerala.com, 07 Jun 2010

Nepal, Kathmandu: water bills, no water

Kathmandu: The customers on the payment defaulters list of the Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL) company have refused to pay up because they claim that they have not been receiving any water. They say that the company responsible for water supply services has tried to deceive the general public by making defaulters list public.

“Why to pay tariff when the tap has been dry for the past 25 years?” asked Gopal Kachyapati, proprietor of Kantipur Hotel, Durbar Marg which is on the defaulters list of KUKL. “We do not care if the company cuts off the connection that does not supply water anyway.” He accused the company of making public the due amount without proper calculation.

Not only Kachyapati, other consumers in Durbar Marg have similar complaints. “I have been using tanker supplied water and underground water for the past 25 years after the taps ran dry,” said Hari Manandhar, adding, “Many consumers have forgotten about having water supply connections in the area.” He told that he has not seen a single drop of water gushing out of his tap connection in the past two years. “I have been repeatedly requesting the company for the past many years to cut of my water supply connection,” said Kachyapati, adding, “It is an objectionable work of a responsible agency not to disconnect the line as requested but publicize the tariff dues.”

Kachyapati told that the company has neglected the repeated written applications from the entrepreneurs of Durbar Marg to supply water or cut off the supply lines. “It is not appropriate to show tariff dues of Rs. 0.25 million for 18 months of that tap which has remained dry for the past 25 years,” said Kachyapati, adding, “Not only drinking water but street lights and sewerage management is in disorder in Durbar Marg.” Works of sewerage management is being done by the ‘Durbar Marg Development Board’, which was formed after the KUKL failed to manage sewerage in Durbar Marg. All the customers on the defaulters list have claimed that their taps have been dry for the past 5 to 15 years. However, KUKL has denied the accusation that no water is being supplied.

KUK: spokesperson Rameshwor Shrestha said that KUKL has not forced the consumers to pay water bills without having water supply. He said the company would pay a rebate to those consumers who visit the company with the proof of no water supply.

“They are exaggerating some cases for to avoid paying the due and some are trying to get political backing for this,” said Shrestha. “If someone comes up with complaints of no water supply, we will fix the problem immediately,” he added.

Source: By: Arjun Subedi, Nagarik / NGO Forum, 30 Sep 2009

Nepal, Kathmandu: water utility KUKL under scrutiny amid continuing water shortages

New accusations of irregularites are adding to the frustation of consumers in the Kathmandu Valley, where water company, KUKL, is not able to supply enough drinking water either through pipelines or by tankers.

First, Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL) was not able to spend its allocated annual budget of Rs. 48 million meant for improving water supply infrastructure, and is now asking the government to reallocate the remaining budget in other areas such as voluntary retirement schemes. Earlier, Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC), which holds 30 per cent shares in KUKL, had raised questions about the utility’s extravagance on monthly “meeting allowances” and failure in delivery.

“KUKL is a total mess and is serving as a playground for donor agencies,” said Prakash Amatya, executive director of NGO Forum for Urban Water and Sanitation, which has been advocating transparency, accountability and integrity in KUKL. “It is no wonder if most of the budget is spent on consultants’ salaries.”

Second, local residents in Kaldhara found out that KUKL staff had organised an unscheduled water delivery one day at midnight while only informing their relatives about it. Kaldhara residents get water only once every 5 days.

Third, former project staff and other government officials, including Former Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, have been accused of unauthorised use of eleven expensive vehicles belonging to the Melamchi Water Supply Project. In some cases government registration plates have been replaced by private ones. Meanwhile the project is spending Rs. 0.3 million a month on hired vehicles for its consultants.

The Kathmandu Valley needs about 280 million litres of water daily but KUKL can only supply 150 million litres in the rainy season and 100 million litres in the dry season. About 200 tankers are needed to supply additional drinking water in the Valley but there are only 160 tankers available. Many private tanker operators, some of whom are suspected of supplying untreated surface water, are filling the gap.

Groundwater sources are also being depleted in the Kathmandu Valley, where groundwater levels are decreasing and handpump wells are drying up. KUKL has reported about a 15% decrease in water production from groundwater sources as well.

KUKL is preparing a two-year pre-Melamchi Drinking Water Project before the completion of the main Asian Development Bank-supported Melamchi Water Supply Project. KUKL has asked the government to allocate the Rs. 520 million in the coming fiscal year for the project.

KUKL is a private-partnership company set up in February 2008 to replace the Nepal Water Supply Corporation as a pre-condition to get funding from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the major donor for the Melamchi Water Supply Project.

Source: The Kathmandu Post / NGO Forum, 05 Jun 2009 ; Annapurna Post / NGO Forum, 04 Jun 2009 ; Bikash Thapa, Kantipur / NGO Forum, June 26, 2009 ; Dhana Khatiwada, Gorkhapatra / NGO Forum, 27 Jun 2009 ; Mahesh Chaurasiya, Kantipur / NGO Forum, 23 Jun 2009 ; Dinesh Karki, Nagarik / NGO Forum, 25 Jun 2009

India, Hyderabad: Water board to sell canned water

The Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board has started commercial sale of canned water [under the brand name “Metro Water”]. The Board will initially confine the sale to government offices and institutions.

The volume of each can is 20 litres and the water in it can be used for a month and a half. One can of Metro Water is retailed at Rs 40 [US$ 0.81]; private concerns sell it for Rs 50 [US$ 1]. “We are tapping only 10,000 litres of drinking water per day for Metro Water,” said Mr Kumar. “The canned water project will not in anyway affect the regular daily supply via pipelines to citizens. This is only an additional way to raise the Board’s revenues.”

[...]

The Water Board got its first order from Hyderabad District Election authorities for supply of 1,000 cans to the election material distribution centres. Though the Board had planned to foray into commercial market with sachets and one litre bottles in association with Vijaya Dairy, the project was delayed due to various reasons.

Source: Deccan Chronicle, 15 Apr 2009

Nepal: protests against water shortages in Kathmandu and Bhaktapur

Denizens of Kathmandu Valley and civil society members on March 17 hit the streets demanding regular water and electricity supply. Protesters threatened to launch stringent protests if their demands went unheard. Protesters said that extended power outage and irregular supply of drinking water have taken toll on their lives.

Expressing dissatisfaction with the government and concerned department, protesters issued a 15-day ultimatum to the government to address their concern. Addressing a mass at Kathmandu Durbar Square, Constituent Assembly member Nabindra Raj Joshi held government apathy responsible for water and electricity shortage and asked the people to hit the streets to pressurize the government.

Women of Bhaktapur staged a sit-in [with empty water vessels at] Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited [KUKL} branch on March 8, 2009 demanding adequate water supply with ease. The sit-in [was] called by Nepal Revolutionary Women Association Bhaktapur District Committee affiliated to Nepal Workers’ and Peasants’ Party.

[The] drinking water problem is due to [a] decrease in water production with the onset of dry season. Kathmandu valley needs about 270 million litres of water daily but KUKL is supplying about 100 million litres of water daily. It has not rained in the Kathmandu Valley for the past six months.

Spokesperson of the KUKL Rameshwor Shrestha told that drinking water problem has turned severe in the Kathmandu valley due to excessive decrease in water production with the onset of dry season and the KUKL has not been able to add water sources. He told that the Kathmanduites had to face more water woes compared to the last year.

[...] The KUKL is preparing to produce drinking water by installing tube wells at six different places as drinking water problem is getting complex every year.

Source: Kathmandu Post / NGO Forum, 18 Mar 2009 ; Annapurna Post / NGO Forum, 09 Mar 2009 ; Krishna Kisi, Annapurna Post / NGO Forum, 12 Mar 2009

Bangladesh: 75pc complaints of water consumers see no results

Seventy-five percent clients of the Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) in four divisional cities say that they did not get results after lodging complaints with the authorities concerned. This was revealed in a Consumer Association of Bangladesh (CAB) survey on 400 Wasa clients in Rajshahi, Khulna, Barisal, and Chittagong divisional cities.

Eighty percent of them complained that they do not get water round the clock and in many cases water is unavailable 12 to 15 hours a day. [...] 37 percent said they do not get supply water before leaving home for work in morning [and] 47 percent [...] do not get their bills from Wasa on time and many of them complained that Wasa gives three or four months’ bill at one go which often puts them in difficulty. Around 60 percent said they now use more water while 30 percent said their use of water has not increased.

Meanwhile, some residents of Dhaka [...] have been getting dirty and smelly water for the last two weeks. Officials at Dhaka Wasa [blame] pollution in the river Balu and Shitalkhya [saying] they have to use more chemicals in the Syedabad water treatment plant. Dhaka Wasa [...] has a supply-demand deficit of around 400 million litres a day.

Source: The Daily Star, 10 Feb 2009

Nepal, Kathmandu Valley: fifty percent leakage in drinking water system, 20% community taps illegal

Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL) {reported on 18 January [2009] that there is 50 percent leakage in Valley’s drinking water distribution system. Richard Austin, General Manager of KUKL said that {the age of the] pipelines is the major cause {as most of them] are 27 to 70 years old and some are even 100 years old.

KUKL stated that it cannot control leakages without improving {the] distribution system. Kathmandu valley needs about 230 million litres of water daily and KUKL is able to supply only 100 million litres daily.

[KUKL] stated [...] that community taps should be developed to [improve] the valley’s drinking water system. Austin told that KUKL is unable to supply drinking water regularly due to electricity load shedding. He added that KUKL is facing the problem of illegal taps [which constitute] 20 percent of all community taps in the valley.

Source: Annapurna Post / NGO Forum, 19 Jan 2009

Nepal, Kathamandu Valley: water tariff hiked

The Water Supply Tariff Fixation Commission (WSTFC) has decided to hike the water tariff in the Kathmandu Valley {as of 14 January 2009]. With this decision, the government can now [award] the tunnel construction contract of Melamchi Water Supply Project to the contractor company.

Now, those consuming up to 10,000 litres of water per month will have to pay Rs. 55. Earlier, the rate was Rs. 50 per month. For hotels, industries and other sectors where water is consumed heavily, the tariff has been increased by 30.76 percent. [...] The commission has decided to charge Rs 27.50 to each consumer, who consumes up to 5,000 litres a month and collect Rs. 1188 per month from the community taps. Earlier, the rate was 990 per month for the community taps. Similarly, the commission has decided to charge Rs. 1100 for 5,000 litres of tanker water and Rs. 1800 for 10,000 litres of tanker water. The commission has decided to charge a flat rate of Rs. 432 to those, who do not have a metered connection. Earlier, the rate was 360 per month.

The commission has directed the Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL) to install meters on those taps that do not have meters within a month. According to KUKL records, there are more than 30,000 consumers without meter connection in the Kathmandu Valley. KUKL has 160,000 consumers.

[A 30 per cent] tariff hike [was said to be] a {pre-condition] for the Asian Development Bank, chief investor of the Melamchi Water Supply Project. There was 15 percent tariff hike in 2004.

Source: Kantipur / NGO Forum, 14 Jan 2009

South Asia: ADB, Korea target improved training programs for water, sanitation operators

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will manage a regional technical assistance project to help improve the delivery of water and sanitation services in Asia.

The Partnership for Good Governance and Knowledge on Urban Water Management project aims to boost the capacity of utilities to manage and provide quality services. It is being financed with a US$500,000 grant from the Republic of Korea’s e-Asia and Knowledge Partnership Fund, which is administered by ADB, and a further $100,000 in the form of training, venue and equipment from the Korea Water Resources Corporation (K-water).

[P]ast technical assistance to build up the capacity of utilities to deliver better services has often fallen short of the desired goal [because] training [provided] to individual staff [...] has not fully benefited, or been replicated, throughout the targeted utility.

The new technical assistance seeks to address the problem by developing a training program designed to build up capacity and skills right across an organization. Two water and sanitation operators from separate South Asian cities – where the need for improved services is considered to be greatest – will be chosen for the project. K-water, which has extensive experience in coaching water and sanitation staff, will develop and carry out the program, with the aim of replicating it at other utilities in future.

[...] The Republic of Korea e-Asia and Knowledge Partnership Fund, established in June 2006 with $20 million from the Government of Korea, seeks to support developing countries in Asia by sharing knowledge and information that helps them achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

Source: ADB, 09 Feb 2009

Indonesia: The challenge of piped water and sanitation

Like many villages in Madiun District, East Java Province, Geger [...] for years lacked piped water or adequate sanitation facilities.

While the water problem was partly addressed by installing wells, the issue of adequate sanitation remained a concern. A stream that snakes through the village served as a natural latrine, with the downstream current relied on to wash away the sewage.

“This became a particular problem during the dry season when the river dried up,” Faridah, the village midwife, told IRIN. “There was a high rate of diarrhoea among the villagers.”

[...] In 2006 [...] Geger’s local government [established] public washing areas – or MCK, referring to mandi, cuci, kakus (bath, wash, toilet). Two were established – one beside the local mosque and another near the community health centre – with the help of a $25,000 grant for rural infrastructure from the government.

Faridah said the MCK, especially the one near the health centre where she worked, helped to significantly cut the incidence of diarrhoea, but proper sanitation facilities within homes would be the ideal solution.

Households, however, could not be fitted with their own sanitation facilities as the village only received water for one to two-and-a-half hours per day due to limited supplies from the well.

[...] In 2007, the government tried to provide a solution by setting up a Perusahaan Daerah Air Minum, or PDAM, a local government company tasked with supplying water through piped connections. But few Geger residents signed up to the facility because they found the Rp 1,100/cubic metre (10 US cents) charge too “expensive”, said Bambang Alfi, head of the community development group.

The rate, however, is far lower than the national average water tariff of Rp 1,705/cubic metre (18 US cents). According to Ir. Firdaus Ali, a board member of the Jakarta Water Supply Regulatory Body, it is, in fact, much too low for the PDAMs to run efficiently and at a profit.

“PDAMs can’t even cover their operating expenses,” he said. “The reasonable tariff should be at least 3,000 rupiahs per cubic metre.”

According to Ahmad Lanti, an adviser to the East Asia Pacific Infrastructure Regulatory Forum, 75 percent of the country’s 306 PDAMs were in a precarious financial state in 2007, partly because of these low tariffs.

“The tariff in that village is probably already one of the lowest in the country,” Lanti told IRIN. “But if the people still cannot afford it, it must be subsidised by local government. It’s a public service obligation.”

In a number of other higher income cities and districts, the central government has begun inviting private sector investment to make PDAMs more efficient and sustainable. But this often means higher tariffs.

“That is not possible for that East Java village,” Lanti said. “It’s the government’s responsibility.”

The Ministry of Public Works last week announced a plan to connect 10 million new consumers throughout the country to piped water over the next four years in a $933 million project. The residents of Geger village can only hope they are among that number.

Source: IRIN, 12 Jan 2008