With the completion of tunnel digging of Melamchi Water Supply Project, there are increased hopes that Kathmandu valley will get water supply before Dashain festival. Government plans to highlight the progress organizing a special program on Thursday in the presence of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Minister for Water Supply and Sanitaion Bina Magar. Other several tasks will have to be completed within next three months.
Here are the 10 things you should know about the project:
· Construction of 26-km tunnel has been completed which is expected to carry 170 million liters of water per day from Melamchi River to the Sundarijal Water Treatment Plant in Kathmandu valley
· Sundarijal Water Treatment Plant receives raw water from Melamchi River of Sindhupalchowk district
· Treated Water flows from Sundarijal Water Treatment Plant to large storage tanks in Kathmandu valley
· Water from the large storage tanks will be available for testing and supply to KUKL customers through the existing and new networks
· The existing network will remain in intact until the new network has been successfully completed
· KUKL will publish a new schedule for water supply distribution by December this year
· Large storage tanks remains in Arubari, Mahankal, Bansbari, Panipokhari, Balaju, Khumaltar, Anamanagar and Min Bhawan
· After the completion of tunnel it would take at least another three months to complete the tasks such as headwork intake structures, earthworks and other tunnel support structures
· Rs24.22 billion has been spent in project so far
· This is considered to be the most viable long-term alternative to ease the chronic water shortage situation within the Kathmandu Valley, the project was initiated two-decade ago
