Stakeholders meet in Kathmandu to synchronise energy, water resources and irrigation policy

KATHMANDU: Stakeholders from federal, provincial and local governments met in Kathmandu on Tuesday to discuss policy synchronisation for the energy, water resources and irrigation sectors.

The meeting, convened by a thematic committee under the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, was chaired by Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha and aimed to secure cooperation among the three tiers of government.

Discussions focused on improving coordination across levels of government to achieve policy harmony in line with the spirit of federalism for the development of energy, water resources, irrigation and drinking water services.

Attendees included Dilliraj Bhusal, Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation of Lumbini Province; Krishna Kumar Tamang, Minister for Drinking Water, Energy and Irrigation of Bagmati Province; Tilchan Pathak, Minister for Drinking Water, Irrigation and Energy of Koshi Province; and Gopal Hamal, Mayor of Dhangadhi Sub‑Metropolitan City.

The meeting resolved to discourage the misuse of water resources and to treat water as a resource of multidimensional importance rather than merely a commodity. It also agreed that the Water and Energy Commission would be developed as a knowledge centre to preserve institutional memory, and that policy and legal reforms would be strengthened to regulate water resources.

By RSS