Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, July 1:

Water experts today criticised the policy makers for paying much attention to the Melamchi Drinking Water Project, a mega dream project, and ignoring the cheaper and more realistic water supply schemes for the Kathmandu valley residents. "When it is certain that the Melamchi water will take a long time to reach the Kathmandu taps, the government should have resorted to some other schemes to relieve the residents here from water scarcity," said Ishwar Wanta, a Melamchi expert. "The government is indifferent to the present water crisis in the city," he further said. Wanta added that the government should act promptly to stop water leakage to increase water supply by up to sixty per cent.

Wanta further stated that the government officials are not interested in listening to projects which might offer alternatives to the Melamchi water project. Dr Dwarika Dhungel, former secretary at the ministry of water resources said that there has virtually been no improvements in the water supply sector even though it has already been six years that the Melamchi Water Development Board was established. Editor of the Himal South Asia magazine, Kanakmani Dixit, laid stress on the need for more discussions among the civil society regarding the Melamchi water project. Bharat Sharma, a senior town planner said that the water supplied by the Melamchi project will not be enough to meet the water demand by the time the project completes.