National Workshop on Rainwater Harvesting Technology in Pokhara

NGO Forum for Urban Water and Sanitation
Pokhara, Nepal, 21 Mar 07

http://www.ngoforum.net

A national workshop on rainwater harvesting was organized for engineers in Pokhara today on the occasion of 14th World Water Day. Inaugurating the workshop member of National Planning Commission Mr. Ramakanta Gaur stressed on the need of including rainwater harvesting in the national policy and assured of his efforts towards it. Speaking on the same occasion Member of Parliament Ganesh Lama expressed the need of rainwater harvesting campaigns in Pokhara as it can be an alternative source of water there. The participants of the workshop also made a strong demand for rainwater harvesting promotion campaigns in Pokhara city which faces serious water scarcity despite being the city with highest precipitation in the country.

Chief technical Advisor of UN Habitat Water for Asian Cities Programme Dr. Roshan Raj Shrestha shed light on the importance of harvesting and use of rain water in the cities having problems of water shortage citing examples of rainwater harvesting cities of the world. Executive Director of NGO Forum for Urban Water and Sanitation Prakash Amatya presented the activities of rainwater harvesting at the government and non government level in the Kathmandu Valley and around. He stressed on the need to reflect the rainwater harvesting technology as an alternative water supply in the water sanitation policy and told about the success stories as well. Engineer at NGO Forum Naresh Pradhan explained about the technical aspects of rainwater harvesting system to the participants. Other speakers addressing the workshop include Kishore Shakya, Medini Sharma and Hari Ram Koirala.

The national workshop was jointly organized by Department of Water Supply and Sewerage (DWSS) and Society of Public Health Engineers Nepal (SOPHEN) with the assistance of World Health Organization (WHO), UN Habitat WAC Programme, NGO Forum for Urban Water and Sanitation and Nepal Engineers' Association Pokhara Branch.

NGO Forum for Urban Water and Sanitation has been conducting regular training programmes for civil society, plumbers and engineers on rainwater harvesting technology in the Kathmandu Valley with the assistance of UN Habitat WAC Programme. Many rainwater harvesting systems have also been installed in various government and non government organizations in the Valley. It aims to expand the technology at public level with assistance of other municipalities across the country in the future. For this purpose the National Rainwater Harvesting Steering Committee was formed in early 2006 chaired by Krishna Prasad Acharya, the Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works.

Contact: Prakash Amatya