Kathmandu, December 2
Workers involved in the construction of Melamchi Drinking Water Project’s headworks have found unidentified yellow substance. Project authorities have stopped construction work for security reasons, suspecting that they may have hit upon something valuable.
Ghanashyam Bhattarai, project chief, told Onlinekhabar they have stopped construction works on hills close to the Melamchi River after finding the yellow substance.
Bhattarai said they saw glittering particles while engaging in construction works on the hills. He said: We cannot conclusively say whether this substance is Copper or Gold. It may be some precious mineral, so we need to provide security to this deposit. We have stopped construction work and informed the Department of Mines.
He said they will not resume construction work unless the department’s technical team finds what this substance actually is.
It’s a sensitive matter. We have barred construction workers from the site, Bhattarai said.
Before the find, 40 workers were working on the site. The project informed that police are providing security on the site.
We have information that some locals also tried to visit the site, but we did not allow them, Bhattarai said, adding: Finding whether this substance is Gold, Copper or some other element is our priority for now.
