Sunday 1 March 2009

Money going down the drain

Water and electricity are currently at a premium in Nepal. The two are quite inter-related as the country depends upon hydroelectric power. And this electricity is in turn required by those of us who live in Kathmandu valley to pump to the surface the ground water needed for domestic use. The problem is that Nepal is now experiencing its worst drought in 20 years; last monsoon season was not as damp as usual and this winter's rains have failed totally. Normally the rivers and reservoirs get topped up in the Spring with melting snows in the Himalayas but the drought has meant that there's not much snow on the mountains. The 16 hours of power cuts per day means that whatever groundwater is available in Kathmandu valley remains largely untappable.

One solution to the water difficulty is the water tankers that shuttle between the springs in the hills around Kathmandu valley and the town centre (which is where our house is located). A tanker can fill our domestic water tank and that gives us a supply of reasonably clean water for about a week. It seems though that the springs are drying up, queues of tankers are forming at the springs and households all over Kathmandu are struggling to find a friendly water tanker that is prepared to deliver water. We've now been without mains water and had an empty tank for the last four days. I am having to flush the loo using mineral water which costs fifty pence a flush.

Essentially a full blown electricity and water crisis is about to break upon us as there is no prospect of significant rainfall until the monsoon begins in three months' time. And one of the main reservoirs that has been providing electricity to Nepal will only be operational for another week. Tourists who stay at decent hotels will be largely oblivious to this as the hotels have good generators and sound contracts with the tankers. The rest of us are in for a very difficult time indeed. I learned the other evening that the charity "Concern" is about to leave the country and no doubt others will follow.

Yesterday the Prime Minister attended a function where he took the oath as patron of the Nepal Scouts Association. He looked dapper in his uniform.