KATHMANDU, MAY 31
The supply of the drinking water to the valley from Melamchi River in Sindhupalchowk, which was resumed just a month ago after around 10 months of complete closure of the water tunnel, has again been halted from today.
The distribution of drinking water will remain halted till the end of monsoon following security issues, Information Officer of Melamchi Water Supply Project (MWSP) Rajendra Prasad Panta told The Himalayan Times.
"Since a threat remains of floods and debris entering the tunnel and further damaging it, we have stopped the supply of drinking water until the end of monsoon," said Panta, adding, "We will resume the supply of drinking water to Kathmandu in the dry season."
The project had first started distributing the Melamchi water to Kathmandu on March 28 last year.
However, the supply was disrupted following major floods and landslides in Sindhupalchowk on June 15. The headworks of the project were completely damaged, accumulating dozens of feet high pebbles, sand, and mud at the headworks.
Following the damage, the government had intensified the clearing of debris from the headworks by mobilising Nepali Army personnel. But, clearing of the debris was not possible since the link road, along with couple of bridges that joined the headworks, were also completely destroyed by floods.
The Melamchi Water Supply Development Board then decided to channel the water from the Melamchi River through alternative means avoiding the headworks.
On June 15, MWSDB's authorities closed the main door at the headworks, preventing the debris and mud from flowing inside the tunnel. However, the headworks area of around 200 square metres was covered by up by 20 feet high pebbles and mud.
Without proper headworks, floods or debris could easily enter the tunnel. For this, the MWSDB has established an 'early alert machine' at the headworks that will provide early information about floods or massive rainfall in the area so that authorities could close the doors of the dam before any damage.
"We will have to give continuity to this procedure (halting supply during the monsoon season) for at least two years till the construction of permanent headworks of the project is completed. Moreover, as the risk of landslides and floods remains high at Melamchi, the project should be reconstructed considering this risk factor," said Panta who is also senior division engineer of the project.
A version of this article appears in the print on June 01, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
