KATHMANDU: The main pipeline of the Melamchi Drinking Water Project burst while the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) was digging to lay underground electricity cables.
The NEA was using a machine to dig the road in front of the Special Court in Babarmahal, Kathmandu, for the installation of underground cables.
During the work, one of the five Melamchi water pipes laid under the road was damaged.
When the machine made contact with the main pipe, it caused a loud explosion.
Mahananda Joshi, spokesperson for the Road Division Office in Kathmandu, informed Khabarhub that the NEA had been working on laying underground cables in the area for the past few days.
“The main Melamchi pipe was damaged while the Authority was carrying out the underground cabling work,” he said.
“There are five Melamchi pipes in that area, and the drilling machine struck the main pipe, causing water to burst out.”
Since the pipes are laid in close proximity, it took some time for the Melamchi Drinking Water Project team to identify which pipe had burst.
The delay in identifying the damaged pipe led to widespread flooding in the area, including the Special Court in Babarmahal.
The burst also caused significant damage to the road between Bijuli Bazaar and Maitighar in Babarmahal, with surrounding government offices, including the Special Court, being flooded.
Following the incident, movement in the area was disrupted, and the Melamchi Drinking Water Project has halted water supply to the affected zone.
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