Parliamentarians have expressed concern over the uncontrolled exploitation of groundwater in the Kathmandu valley.

At a meeting of the parliamentary Committee on Agriculture and Water Resource on Thursday, parliamentarians taking part in the deliberation on the Bill to Preserve and Regulate Underground Water-2072 BS stressed the need to take stringent measures to prevent excessive exploitation of groundwater. Mere exploitation of the water resource without having measures to recharge the aquifer would create a big problem in future, they said, calling for timely intervention.

The parliamentarians suggested preventing industries and entrepreneurs from extracting groundwater rampantly and introducing strict laws to conserve the sources of water.

The government has come up with a new bill, incorporating provisions for forming a high-level authority to manage underground water.