Kathmandu, December 20
The water diversion process of the Melamchi river has begun in response to the demands of the consumers.
It began after the people of Kathmandu demonstrated demanding Melamchi’s water supply, on December 18 with empty buckets.
Suresh Acharya, secretary of the Ministry of Water Supply, who also chaired the board meeting of the Melamchi Water Supply Development Board on December 19 said, “Construction professionals have been deployed on December 20 with an action plan to divert Melamchi river water and supply it to Kathmandu soon.”
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed with construction company Sinohydro to mobilise the human resources for the same.
“Unless there is an emergency, the necessary work for water diversion will be completed by mobilising human resources in two shifts according to the 28-day work schedule,” said the spokesperson of the Board, Rajendra Prasad Pant.
The Melamchi drinking water supply was disrupted after the 2021 flood caused damages to both the water source and access tunnel. The tunnel was closed before the monsoon, leading to a prolonged halt in water supply to Kathmandu, which continues despite the end of the monsoon season.
The Board announced that, following the diversion, water from the project will be supplied at a rate of 170 million litres per day. Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL) will treat the water at the Sundarijal Water Treatment Plant and distribute it to households in the Kathmandu Valley.
