Kathmandu – Nepal and India have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation in water, sanitation, and waste management. On Monday, Nepal’s Minister for Water Supply, Pradeep Yadav, and India’s Minister for Jal Shakti, C.R. Patil, signed the agreement during Yadav’s visit to India. The agreement aims to expand access to clean drinking water, promote sanitation, and improve waste management in Nepal.

According to Ram Kumar Shrestha, Director General of the Department of Water Supply and Sewerage Management in Nepal, this cooperation will further strengthen the Nepalese government’s efforts. Nepal and India have signed various agreements in the past on transboundary water management, environmental conservation, and sustainable development. However, this new agreement specifically aims to improve the quality of drinking water in Nepal’s urban and rural areas, introduce modern sanitation technologies, and systematize waste management.

India’s Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil’s Response

India’s Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil posted on X.com,
"India-Nepal water and sanitation cooperation reaches new heights…
Today, India and Nepal signed an MoU to further strengthen cooperation in water, sanitation, and waste management.
Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this MoU will promote technological collaboration, exchange of experiences, and joint efforts between the two countries in water conservation, sanitation, and waste management.
By sharing experiences from India’s ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’ and ‘Swachh Bharat Mission,’ community-based solutions will be developed to tackle water and sanitation challenges.
Present at this important occasion were Nepal’s Minister for Water Supply Pradeep Yadav, Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava, Nepal’s Ambassador to India Dr. Shankar Prasad Sharma, Secretary of India’s Ministry of Jal Shakti Debashree Mukherjee, Ashok Kumar Meena, and senior officials from both countries.
Considering the historical and cultural ties between India and Nepal, this partnership is a significant step toward making the lives of citizens of both nations more convenient, healthy, and prosperous."

The Agreement’s Potential and the Stark Reality

While the Nepalese government claims to prioritize water and sanitation, a critical question arises—should Nepal seek external assistance for such fundamental matters? How justified is Nepal’s reliance on foreign aid for basic necessities like drinking water, sanitation, and waste management?

The agreement is expected to improve access to clean water in Nepal. However, the irony is that Nepal is one of the most water-rich countries in the world. Despite being naturally endowed with vast water resources, Nepal still looks to India for technology, expertise, and aid to manage its drinking water supply. Is this not an embarrassment?

It is particularly amusing that India’s ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’ is being presented as a model for Nepal. A country with abundant water resources signing an agreement with India for water and sanitation is like adding water to ashes. Nepal should be seeking cooperation in large-scale hydropower projects, watershed conservation, or irrigation technologies—not in waste management, clean drinking water distribution, and sanitation. If Nepal has to depend on India even for these, what does that say about the country’s governance and self-sufficiency?

The Nepalese government must now ask itself—will it soon need to sign agreements with India to clean sewers, sweep roads, and install water taps? If Nepal continues to rely on foreign countries for tasks it should handle independently, will it ever achieve self-sufficiency? While international cooperation is beneficial, seeking aid for non-essential areas reinforces Nepal’s image as a dependent nation.

Nepal should have been capable of developing such basic infrastructure on its own. However, when a government fails to provide its citizens with clean drinking water and sanitation, such agreements become less about cooperation and more about chronic dependency.

Nepal’s Prime Minister’s visit to India has not been scheduled yet. According to sources, India is unwilling to hold discussions with Nepal’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister. In this context, while Nepal’s Prime Minister struggles to secure a meeting with India, the Water Minister has ensured substantial Indian assistance for a basic necessity, portraying himself as a diplomatic miracle worker.

India In Nepal