Kathmandu- After remaining halted for 11 months, the construction of Melamchi Drinking Water Project has finally resumed.
With the resumption of construction works, government officials have claimed that the drinking water from the much-awaited project will be distributed to the homes of Kathmandu by mid-July next year.
Speaking to Hakahaki, Spokesperson at the Ministry of Water Supply and Sanitation Ritesh Kumar Shakya said that 97 percent of the Melamchi Drinking Water Project has already been completed, informing that the work of diversion will be taken ahead now.
“Sinohydro will carry out the works of constructing the final infrastructure of the tunnel, diversion tunnel and lining of audit tunnel among other things,” he said.
Shakya said that the construction of only one km tunnel is left to be completed now and the work of head box has just started. Similarly, he further said that five percent work of processing center also remains to be completed.
The construction of Melamchi Drinking Water Project was halted after Italian company Cooperativa Muratori e Cementisti di Ravenna (CMC) abandoned the project following a financial dispute. Later, the government announced fresh bids for the completion of the project. The whole project was divided into two packages. Both the tender was awarded to Chinese company Sinohydro.
The government on September 29 had signed an agreement with Sinohydro to complete the construction of tunnel while the agreement to construct the head box was signed in the second week of October.
According to the agreement, Sinohydro should complete the construction of tunnel within a year. Likewise, the company had received Rs 1.2billion to construct the head box. The company should complete the construction of head box within 15 months. According to the agreement, Sinohydro will get the bonus if it completes the work before the deadline.
