World Water Day, which is celebrated all over the world on March 22 every year, is being celebrated in Nepal today with various public awareness programs.
World Water Day was declared by the United Nations General Assembly on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992. The day was observed around the world from 1993 to March 22, 1993, following the outline of Water Day, which was included in Agenda 21 in 1992.
Water, one of the five elements, is considered essential for all living things and plants. Life is possible where there is water. Life is not possible without water. That is why water is said to be life. Birth alone is not enough for animals and plants. Clean water is needed for survival. It is said that if the drinking water is clean and safe, 80 percent of the diseases will not be spread.
Two-thirds of the earth is covered by water. But not all water is drinkable. The sea and ocean water is salty. Which occupies 97.5 percent of the earth's surface. Only 2.5 percent of the water is fresh, clean, and drinkable. Most of this, 1.72 percent, is in the form of snow at the North and South Poles of the Earth. 0.74 percent is underground as an underground resource. Only 0.04 percent of the surface water is safe for human consumption.
Even though Nepal is the second-largest country in the world in terms of water resources, many cities, markets, and villages have problems with drinking water. The government claims that 88 percent of the water has reached through the pipe system. There are complaints that the right to clean drinking water has not been implemented even though it was written as a fundamental right of the constitution. Water Day is being celebrated by raising public awareness on such issues.
This year's slogan for the day is " GROUNDWATER - MAKING THE INVISIBLE VISIBLE." With this slogan, a special program is being organized in Sundarijal this morning by the concerned bodies including the Ministry of Drinking Water. Minister for Water Supply Umakanta Chaudhary and other officials will participate in the program.
