Lalitpur, June 4:

Minister for Physical Planning and Works Hisila Yami today said she does not understand why Finance Minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat does not want the proposed contract with the Severn Trent Water International Limited reviewed.

“I wonder why minister Mahat is not happy when I want to have the proposed contract reviewed,” she said, addressing a ceremony organised to lay the foundation stone of a water storage tank at Kumbheshwor today.

Mahat has been insisting that the proposed contract be passed in its present form, while Yami has been demanding that the contract with the controversial party be reviewed. Yami has said she will take the issue to the cabinet for review. She claimed that minister Mahat is speaking the donor’s language. “As the country is all set to establish a federal system, leaders should lobby for launch of projects in other cities,” she said. “This will ultimately ease pressure of population on the over-populated capital.”

“ We cannot address the scarcity of water with one Melamchi. Even 10 such projects will not be enough to meet the demand for water if people continue to pour into Kathmandu,” she said.

Chairman of the Lumanti Support Group for Shelter Lajana Manandhar, who is also a member of the newly-formed Kathmandu Valley Water Management Board, said, “There is no alternative to the Melamchi project. There is nothing wrong with the project. But we have to think whether the project is going to a wrong hand or is being handled in wrong way,” she said, adding that the proposed contract is not in favour of consumers.

Prem Raj Joshi, executive officer, Lalitpur Sub-metropolitan City, said he will go for exploitation of local sources of water.

The Kumbheshowr Stone Spout Conservation and Water Users’ Committee is constructing a 45-feet-high tower and a 10,000-litre water storage tank at a cost of Rs 1.4 million. The KSSCWUC chairman Aroj Kumar Khadgi said, “After construction of the storage tank, the committee will channelise water flowing from a traditional spout into the tank and distribute it to 150 families.