Nepal has one of the lowest figures for access to safe drinking water among developing countries. More than 32 percent of Nepal\'s 23 million people drink unsafe water, and one of the main causes of death among children is diarrhoeal dehydration caused by contaminated water. Bottled water is now an industry with a turnover of more than Rs 200 million a year. Six years ago, it was almost zero, and the market is still growing by about 50 percent a year. With new export markets being tapped it could one day have the same stature as the carpet industry once had, according to industry sources.
