The condition of the spring which was damaged by flood 3 and a half years ago is still the same
The Melamchi Water Project is the main source of drinking water in the Kathmandu Valley. But the water supply of the Melamchi project is interrupted from time to time when the spring is unsafe due to floods in the dry season. Recently, the flood of June 2078 damaged the Melamchi estuary area, due to which regular water distribution has not been possible in Kathmandu Valley.
Every monsoon, the 'intake' (headworks area) built for diverting water to Melamchi estuary is prone to flooding. But as the rainy season is approaching, the construction of sustainable structures to protect the spring has not yet started. The condition of the spring was the same when it was damaged by the flood, it is still the same now. At present, the water is brought to Kathmandu by overflowing the river. When the valley is flooded due to rain, the water supply is stopped.
According to a study done by consultants with the help of Asian Development Bank (ADB), Melamchi's main lender, the headworks of the estuary is not suitable for the current location. According to ADB's recommendations, there is no option to temporarily distribute water in this way until the source is moved to Sarktali and the intake is made. Until a sustainable structure is built, the valley will not receive water for more than 7/8 months in a year. Sarkthali is 800 meters above the current source. No progress has been made on shifting the source to a safer place.
Ratna Lamichhane, executive director of the Melamchi Water Supply Development Committee, said that the process of selecting a consultant has been started to move the estuary to a safer place. "We have invited tenders for the selection of consultants," he said. He said that the selection of consultants will be finalized within 3 months at the most. After the consultant is selected he will design it. "Once the design work is completed, we will invite the contract for the construction," Lamichhane said. However, it has not been completed yet. Water is brought to Sundarijal from Melamchi spring through a 26 km tunnel. The plan was to bring 170 million liters of water to the valley from Melamchi in the first phase. In the second and third phase, it is planned to bring additional 17/17 million liters of water from Yangri and Larke rivers. Although it is said that 51 million liters of water will be brought to Kathmandu in three phases, the plan has not yet been completed. The process of bringing water from Yangri and Larke rivers has not started.
"The design of Yangri and Larke river is done by the selected consultant," said Lamichhane, "Then the construction process will be started." After bringing water to the valley, Melamchi sub-project-2 will make necessary structures and distribute it. The subsequent distribution is done by Kathmandu Valley Water Supply Limited (KUKL).
More than 61 billion rupees have been spent on the Melamchi project so far. Now 22 million liters of water is coming from Melamchi every day. 170 million liters of water is being distributed through regular process and the rest of the water is being released in Bagmati River for new pipe testing and festivals.
KUKL spokesperson Prakash Kumar Rai said that 260 million liters of water is being distributed daily in the valley. "17 million liters of water is coming from Melamchi and 90 million liters from the old source of KUKL," he said, "we have been managing and distributing it." He said that water could not be supplied as per the demand.
Reserve tanks have been built to collect water in 9 different places with the loan support of ADB. According to Chandrakumar Shrestha, Deputy Director and Information Officer of Melamchi Sub-Project-2, 1000 km new pipeline has been extended in Kathmandu valley for Melamchi drinking water supply. "There was a lot of water leakage problem in the old system," he said. "In the area where the pipe has been extended to 796 km," he said.
