Second phase of Melamchi water project begins

Kathmandu, May 20

The Melamchi Water Supply Development Board has begun the second phase of Melamchi project which is expected to add 340 million litres of water supply to Kathmandu Valley.

Currently, the Melamchi project is about to finish its first phase. After completion of the first phase, the project is expected to supply 70 million litres of water in Kathmandu Valley.

According to the board, the process of preparing Detailed Project Report has begun and staffers are busy carrying out survey.

Deputy Executive Director of the MWSDB Ramakanta Duwadi said the second phase of Melamchi will be completed by 2021. “We are in the process of preparing DPR right now and we target to complete the second phase by 2021,” he told The Himalayan Times, “DPR will be prepared by the end of 2017.”

He said approximately Rs 250,000,000 has been allocated for preparation of the second phase DPR with financial support from Asian Development Bank.

In the second phase, Melamchi Water Supply Project will have to construct 15 km access road, 11 km tunnel and a treatment plant within the next four years. Before the construction work begins, Environmental Impact Assessment, construction of two dam headwork, social upliftment programme, land acquisition, among others, will be accomplished.

“After completion of the second phase, Kathmandu denizens will get 510 litres of water per day by 2021,” added Duwadi. The second phase of the Melamchi project is expected to cost Rs 20 billion.

It has been said that after access road construction, the first 9 km tunnel will join Melamchi with the Yangri River. The Yangri River would then be connected to Larke River by constructing another 2 km tunnel.

Started in 21 December 2000, the Melamchi Water Supply Project is assisted by the Asian Development Bank. The project covers parts of Indrawati and Bagmati watersheds and is spread over five districts. Key water diversion facilities are located within Sindhupalchowk and Kavrepalanchowk, whereas the water treatment plant, water distribution centre, and the ancillary structures are located within Kathmandu Valley.

The Melamchi Project envisages supplying 510,000,000 litres of water per day to the Valley from the Melamchi, Yangri, and Larke rivers of Sindhupalchowk. In phase one, the project will supply 170,000,000 litres of water per day to the Valley.