Drinking water quality assessment in Kathmandu valley has always been crucial with reference to public health importance. A study was conducted to evaluate the quality of drinking water of the valley. A total of 132 drinking water samples were randomly collected from 49 tube wells, 57 wells, 17 taps and 9 stone spouts in different places of Kathmandu valley. The samples were analyzed for microbiological parameters. Total plate and coliform count revealed that 82.6% and 92.4% of drinking water samples found to cross the WHO guideline value for drinking water. During the study, 238 isolates of enteric bacteria were identified, of which 26.4% were Escherichia coli, 25.6% were Enterobacter spp, 23% were Citrobacter spp, 6.3% were Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 5.4% were Klebsiella spp, 4.0% were Shigella spp, 3.0% were Salmonella typhi, 3.0% were Proteus vulgaris, 3.0% were Serratia spp and 1.0% were Vibrio cholerae . Key words: Drinking water; Public health; Coliform; Bacteria. DOI: 10.3126/sw.v5i5.2667 Scientific World, Vol. 5, No. 5, July 2007 112-114

Currency notes and coins serve as an agency of transmission of microorganisms since they are passed freely from hand to hand as a medium of exchange. A research, with an objective to explore the microbial load on Nepalese paper/ polymer currency notes and coins, was carried out at the Environment Laboratory of Nepal Academy of Science and Technology, Khumaltar from November 2006 to May 2007. All together 63 samples of paper/polymer notes and coins from different professionals of different places at Kathmandu were collected and analyzed for the presence of microorganisms. Among the total tested paper/ polymer and coin samples, 98.4% were found to have heterotrophic aerobic bacteria, 87.3% were contaminated with coliform bacteria and 79.4% showed presence of Staphylococci. Contamination level was found in increasing order of coins> polymer notes>paper notes. The presence of high microbial load on currency notes and coins indicate the potentials of such currencies for possible disease spread in the human communities.

This research was conducted to analyze drinking water quality of Kathmandu valley. Total 969 water samples (392 from dug wells, 287 from deep boring, 218 from treated water, 46 from tap and 26 from other water sources) received from different places of Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur districts during March 2012 to March 2013. These samples were analyzed for the determination of physical (pH, temperature, conductivity, turbidity), chemical (hardness, chloride, iron, arsenic, ammonia, nitrate) and microbiological (total Coliform) parameters. It was found that the temperature and nitrate were within the WHO standards while pH, conductivity, turbidity, chloride, iron, arsenic, ammonia, and Coliform bacteria exceeded the WHO standard guideline. In ground water ( well and Boring), pH, conductivity, hardness, turbidity, iron, arsenic, chloride, ammonia and total Coliform count crossed WHO standards as 5%, 2%, 0.8%, 36%, 51%, 0.1%, 2%, 11% and 86 % respectively. Hardness was within the standard in both  reated and tap water samples. Compared to treated water, pH, arsenic and chloride were within the standard in tap water. The common problematic parameters of different sources of drinking were turbidity, iron, ammonia and conductivity. Coliform bacteria were found in 36% samples of treated water whereas 80% tap water samples were contaminated from Coliform bacteria.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/njst.v15i1.12027Nepal Journal of Science and TechnologyVol. 15, No.1 (2014) 115-120

The study was undertaken to assess the existing status of drinking water quality of Madhyapur-Thimi. A total of 105 water samples comprising 50 (47.61%) wells, 45 (42.82%) tap water and 10 (9.52%) stone spouts were randomly collected. The physicochemical and microbiological parameters were analyzed following standard technique. The pH (1.9%), conductivity (34.28%) and turbidity (16.19%) of water samples had crossed the permissible guideline values as prescribed by WHO and national standard. All samples contained nitrate values within the WHO permissible value as well as national standard but hardness (2%), chloride (2.85%), iron (26.66%), ammonia (11.42%), and arsenic content (1.90%) crossed the WHO guideline value but none of the water samples crossed the national standard for arsenic. Arsenic having 0.025mg/l (25ppb) was detected from two well water samples, Makanani well and Ajimanani well. Total coliform count showed 64.76% of samples crossed the WHO guideline values. Eleven different kinds of enteric bacteria were isolated from different sources, Enterobacter spp. being the predominant. Isolates were subjected for antibiotic susceptibility pattern using ten antibiotics. Among total isolates, resistance was directed to 79.5% Erythromycin, 62.67% Penicillin G, 61.9% Amoxycillin, 34.5% Ampicillin, 21.1% Tetracycline, 15.4% Ceftriaxone, 14.7% Amikacin, 14.7% Cephotaxine, 5.6% Chlorophenical and 5.6% Ofloxacin respectively.

The data of Nepal Government shows that nine major pesticides groups with seven subgroups of Insecticides were imported from the year 1997 to 2003. The pesticide use amounts to 142 g/ha which is low compared to other counties. The highest pesticides quantity imported & quantity consumed from the 2056/57 (1999) to 2060/061(2003) were fungicides, bactericides, acaricides & seed treatment. group. For the year 2056/57 (1999) & 2057/58(2000), no import & consumption of biopesticides were done but from the year 2058/59(2001) to 2060/061(2003) no import & consumption of plant regulators was done. The various types of pesticides with 306 trade names and 71 technical names are registered / enlisted and used in Nepal which includes Insecticides, Fungicides, Herbicides, Rodenticides, Acaricides and Others. Moreover, twelve types of pesticides are band in Nepal for its import and use. Similarly, the demand of fertilizers were increased from 1997/98 to 2001/02 and then decreased dramatically with high amount from 2001/02 to 2002/03 and since then again it again increased up to 204/05. This trend is same for Urea and Diammonium Phoshphate whereas Murate of Potash is increasing from 1997/98 to 2004/04. Seven types of fertilizers are being used in Nepal viz. Urea, Diammonium Phosphate (DAP), Murate of Potash (MOP), Ammonium Sulphate (AS), Single Super Phosphate (SSP), Ammonium Phosphate Sulphate (APS) and NPK. These are imported by Public institution like Agricultural Input Corporation (AIC) , Private Institutions and also donated/granted by the Government of Japan called as 2KR (Two Kenny Round). The import of fertilizers shows irregular trend. The import of fertilizers was highest in 1998/99 which amounted to 219038 metric ton and since then it decreased although there showed fluctuations. The distribution of fertilizers was increase from 1997/98 and reached highest in the year 2002/03 and since then it started decreasing. Similarly, the fertilizer consumption was highest in the year 1994/95 which was 30.4kg/ha which declined since then and showed fluctuation. The fertilizer consumption is regularly decreasing in the recent years from the year 2002/03. Key words: Agriculture; Fertilizer; Insecticide; Pest and pesticide.   DOI: 10.3126/sw.v6i6.2638 Scientific World, Vol. 6, No. 6, July 2008 76-80