ABSTRACT
This chapter attempts to provide a picture of such water transfers in Kathmandu, focusing on the services provided by the private water tanker operators in terms of quantity and quality. It focuses on a study carried out by the authors during the period of August to December, 2009, to analyze the water market relating to private water tanker operation in Kathmandu. The study focused on identifying the actors involved in this water market, the volume of business, the performance of tanker service providers, and regulatory mechanisms associated with private water tanker operation. The study involved semi-structured interviews with different actors involved in the water tanker operation—owner of water sources, selling water to tanker operators; tanker owners fetching water from different locations and supplying water to the residents in different parts of the city; and tanker operators. According to the agreement, water entrepreneurs have to pay a tax and there is a prohibition in deep boring water extraction.
