KATHMANDU: The long-awaited Melamchi water supply will reach the Kathmandu Valley only in the final week of Ashwin this year, according to officials.
Heavy rainfall has kept the water flow in Melamchi River high, preventing distribution before Dashain, said Jagnnath Das, Executive Director of the Melamchi Water Supply Development Committee.
“The flow has not decreased yet. Once it subsides, we will prepare to resume supply,” Das explained.
The devastating floods and landslides of Ashar 1, 2078 had destroyed the project’s headworks. Since then, Melamchi water has been supplied to the Valley only during winter. Due to continuous rainfall in recent days, sending water through the system has not been possible.
Although the project usually diverts 170–180 million liters of water daily to Kathmandu, the closure of Melamchi’s headworks has forced authorities to rely on Ribarma Khola, supplying only 60–70 million liters per day, Das said.
Currently, Kathmandu Valley Water Supply Limited (KUKL) estimates the Valley’s daily demand at 430 million liters. However, with Melamchi halted, only 130–140 million liters can be supplied daily from alternative sources, said Ashok Kumar Paudel, Executive Director of KUKL.
Comment