Tunnel digging of Melamchi almost done
Kathmandu, December 30
The tunnel digging process of the much-hyped and long-awaited Melamchi Drinking Water Project is nearly complete with the digging of the 8.3-kilometre Gyalthum-Ambathan section completed today. Out of the total 27.58-km long tunnel, now only 443 metres remains to be dug in the Gyalthum-Sindhu section of the tunnel.
However, though the remaining section is very short, the tunnel digging process is likely to be lengthy as the section is composed of soft rocks.
Ram Chandra Devkota, executive director of Melamchi Water Supply Development Board, informed that at least 60 working days will be needed to complete the remaining section of the tunnel.
“Soft rock formation has been found in the remaining section, which may create difficulties in tunnel digging. It will take longer to dig this section compared to other sections,” he said.
Due to the lengthy tunnel digging process in the remaining section, the project will most likely once again miss the set deadline to bring water to the Sundarijal Water Treatment Plant. “We are trying to complete the project within this March and will speed up the tunnel finishing process and construction of the dam,” Devkota said. “However, the deadline could be missed due to extra time needed for tunnel digging and finishing process. Meanwhile, the project will be able to bring water to Sundarijal by May.”
Dhaniram Sharma, chairman of Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Ltd (KUKL), informed that the project will be able to bring water from Melamchi River to Sundarijal within this fiscal year. “They have told us that the project will be able to bring water to Sundarijal within the next three months. However, it may take a bit longer than that, but if they expedite their works, the project will be able to bring water to Sundarijal from May 1,” he added.
A high-level team of government officials also visited the project site today. “We witnessed that the works were going on smoothly and we have also told the concerned authorities that the project should be completed soon,” Sharma stated.
CMC de Revenna - an Italian contractor - is constructing the national pride project. Initially, the project had appointed a Chinese contractor in 2010 but the contract was terminated due to slow work progress and the project was later awarded to CMC de Revenna after terminating the contract with the Chinese firm in 2013.
