NWSC employees threaten to cut water supply of palace, PM’s residence

The protesting employees of Nepal Water Supply Corporation (NWSC) have warned that they will stop the supply of water to the Royal Palace, Singh Durbar, Prime Minister’s residence in Baluwatar, minister’s quarters and Birendra International Convention Center from Sunday afternoon protesting the government’s move of amending NWSC Act.

The employees have said that they will divert the water being supplied to these places to taps of general people.

Gopi Khadka, chairman of NWSC Employees’ Association, said, “It is shameful that the all-party government has come up with the most undemocratic decision by passing the controversial bill, which was held back even by the royal regime.”

The employees informed that unlike common consumers, who receive water supply from half-inch pipes at low pressure, the palace, Singh Durbar and the Prime Minister’s residence receive water from five-inch pipes at full pressure.

The water supply to most parts of the country was hit Friday due to the strike called by the employees of the NWSC against the government’s move to privatise water supply.

The employees of NWSC has been protesting the parliament’s decision to pass the NWSC (Third Amendment) Bill, that will entitle the government to handover the government-owned water distribution mechanism to a foreign company.

They have also decided to halt the office work on Sunday and organize protest programme across the country.

They have been protesting stating that pivatisation of water a basic human need, will make it costlier and splitting of NWSC will damage the water supply system.

Khadka further informed that water supply was halted during the office hours.

Members of the Joint Struggle Committee of the NWSC Employees’ Associations shouted slogans against the government’s privatisation drive, burnt the copies of the Bill to Amend the NWSC Act and locked the NWSC office on Friday.

The amendment is a part of reform package under the Melamchi Water Supply Project. With the amendment the NWSC will cede control of Kathmandu valley’s water supply system to the recently registered Kathmandu Valley Water Limited in turn will contact out the management of the system to UK firm.

On Saturday, a struggle committee is presenting an appeal to the Speaker of the House of Representaitves, asking for repeal of the amendment, Khadka added.