Kathmandu, June 25
The Melamchi Water Supply Board has suspended water supply from the Melamchi River in Sindhupalchowk to the Kathmandu Valley starting June 24. The decision was made after flooding caused the river to turn murky, according to Board Executive Director Ratna Lamichhane. The water supply will resume once the rainfall subsides.
The initial plan to halt the supply on June 13 was postponed due to insufficient rainfall. The Board was prepared to shut down the project last Friday, but continued operations as the river’s water flow did not increase as anticipated.
The government regulates the water supply from Melamchi during the monsoon to prevent damage to its headworks and other structures. The Meteorological Forecasting Division reported that the monsoon entered the country on June 10, three days earlier than expected, and is projected to exit on October 2.
Project management consultants and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have advised the Board to halt the supply to protect the project’s infrastructure from monsoon-related hazards. “We decided to close it after the river waters turned muddy,” Lamichhane stated.
