India, Nepal to sign MoU to strengthen cooperation on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene

Nepal's Minister for Water Supply, Pradeep Yadav, reached Delhi on Saturday to participate in the signing ceremony.

Joint Secretary of Nepal's Water Supply Ministry, Meena Shrestha, confirmed this development to ANI and said the aim of the agreement is to develop the water resources, access to clean water, promotion of water sanitation, waste management

"The aim of the agreement is to develop the water resources, access to clean water, promotion of water sanitation, waste management and strengthen the efforts of the Government of Nepal. The agreement also covers groundwater management, technology and information exchange, rain water collection and measurement, technology and training cooperation in between two governments. The agreement set to be signed aims to strengthen mutual cooperation between India and Nepal in the water and sanitation sector," Shrestha told ANI over phone.

The MoU signing ceremony is scheduled for Monday, March 3, where Yadav will sign the agreement on behalf of the Government of Nepal, while India's Minister for Water Supply, CR Patil, will represent India.

The initiative aims to strengthen mutual collaboration between Nepal and India in addressing water and sanitation challenges, ensuring better infrastructure, and adopting modern technologies to improve water supply management.

During the official visit to India, Yadav is also scheduled to hold discussions with Niti Aayog of India and make visits to water-related projects in India.

A cabinet meeting held earlier on Monday approved the visit of the Minister for Water Supply.

Nepal has made significant progress in expanding access to water and sanitation over the last few decades, as per the report by UNICEF. Despite tremendous challenges such as poverty, difficult terrains and conflicts, 95 per cent of Nepali households now have access to improved water sources. Earlier, in the year 1990, it stood at 46 per cent, as per the UNICEF report released in 2018. Meanwhile, 62 per cent of households are using an improved sanitation facility, up from 6 per cent in 1990, the UN body in Nepal states. (ANI)