KATHMANDU: Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balendra Shah (Balen) has raised questions about Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s ‘re-inauguration’ of the Melamchi Drinking Water project on Monday.

The distribution of Melamchi water to households in the Kathmandu Valley has begun today, with Prime Minister Dahal’s inaugurating the redistribution by turning on the tap at the Singha Durbar office premises.

Post-inauguration, Kathmandu Mayor Balen Shah criticized the re-inauguration, emphasizing the lack of consideration for risks and potential disruptions that could adversely affect water supply to the valley.

This project, initially inaugurated in 2021 by then Prime Minister KP Oli and subsequently by then President Bidya Devi Bhandari, has now been officially inaugurated five times, with Prime Minister Dahal being the fifth to do so.

Mayor Shah has denounced the ‘drama’ of multiple inaugurations of the same project, pointing out the negligence towards technical risks.

Balen highlighted that Melamchi water, which faced disruptions a few months after its initial inauguration in 2021, is exposed to various risks, including landslides and sand blockages at the source and other project sites.

“The technical risks have been ignored. There is a risk of a landslide on the east side of the dam. The dam can burst at any time. By diverting water from the sandy area, the risk is simply shifted,” he added.

The Kathmandu Mayor expressed his willingness to cooperate in all aspects, including technical ones, provided the government creates a conducive environment for collaboration.