Criminal to make people drink contaminated water

Widespread faecal contamination of drinking water is a sign of state’s failure to meet people’s basic needs.

It is that time of year again when monsoon rains, flooding and landslides contaminate drinking water sources around the country, including in the Kathmandu Valley. In fact, the situation is particularly alarming in the federal capital, where recent government tests have confirmed the presence of hazardous faecal coliform and E. coli in every drinking water sample collected from households and public taps across five locations. This suggests that sewage is contaminating the water people consume every day. What is particularly disturbing is the presence of such harmful microbes in nearly every test. Similar tests in previous years had detected these microbes in tap and even in jarred and bottled water. Over time, little seems to have been done to make water safe for people to consume.