KUKL to send Malamchi water to households from today

Kathmandu, Mar. 27

The Kathamndu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL) is sending the water from the Melamchi River to households in the Kathmandu Valley from Sunday.

After purifying at the Sundarijal-based Water Treatment Plant, water was sent to the bulk distribution system from Friday.

However, the household distribution system has two structures -- old pipelines and new ones -- laid by the Melamchi Water Supply Project (MWSP).

While it would take a couple of days to clean the new pipelines, some amount of water will be channeled to the households through the KUKL’s existing distribution system.

After testing, cleaning and connecting to the household supply channel, water distribution will be started in the newly laid pipelines.

All the water won’t be sent to the pipelines right from Sunday, said Rajendra Prasad Pant, Senior Divisional Engineer and Spokesperson at the MWSP.

According to him, only about 40 million litres a day would be distributed in the first phase, then the quantity of water would be increased to 60 million MLD and 80 million MLD.

The MWSP would make arrangements for the supply of the required water at the Sundarijal-based Water Treatment Plant upon the request from the KUKL.

Water from Melamchi had arrived in the Valley on March 6. The MWSP had begun filling the tunnel with water from 22 February. Earlier, the project had started sending water to the tunnel in July 2020 but as two of its gates crashed due to the force of water and killed two employees, the project took time to upgrade safety measures in the tunnel.

The national pride project has been completed more than 12 years after its initial deadline. It was supposed to be completed in 2008. The first phase of the project would bring about 170 MLD into the Valley from Melamchi River and in the second and third phase additional 340 MLD from Yangri and Larke rivers would be channeled to Kathmandu from the same tunnel.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 28 March 2021.