SUSWA welcomes the strengthening of water sector governance in Nepal

Kathmandu, Nepal – March 25, 2025 – In a significant move to enhance water service management across the nation, the Department of Water Supply and Sewerage Management (DWSSM) has announced a new organizational structure featuring the appointment of three Deputy Directors. Under the new structure, the department will now operate through three specialized divisions: the Water Supply Division, the Sewerage and Sanitation Management Division, and the newly established Service Regulation and Coordination Division. According to Engineer Ram Kumar Shrestha, the Director General of the DWSSM, the new Service Regulation and Coordination Division will play a crucial role in enhancing regulation and coordination for water services at all levels. One of the most significant changes stemming from the restructuring is the reduction in the number of permanent offices across the country from 20 to just 15. These offices will replace the previous Federal Water Supply and Sewerage Management Project Offices and will now be known as “Water Supply and Sewerage Management Offices.”

This restructuring of the Department of Water Supply and Sewerage Management, including the establishment of new permanent offices, is a significant institutional step toward better support for the thousands of rural users’ committees providing water services to millions.

As a DWSSM-led project, SUSWA is particularly eager to collaborate with the newly formed Water Supply and Sewerage Management Office in Surkhet. We look forward to contributing to its success in improving service delivery across the most remote communities of Karnali.