Melamchi water is New Year gift to people: Prez
Additional 340m water in valley in 3 years: PM
Kathmandu, Apr. 2
President Bidya Devi Bhandari on Friday inaugurated
the water distribution from the much awaited Melamchi Water Supply Project
(MWSP) by opening a switch of a stone tap recently built at Bhrikutimandap in
the capital.
The project that was conceptualised about five
decades ago has completed about two decades after its commencement with
multiple deadline extensions and cost overrun.
President Bhandari expressed happiness over the
completion of the project and start of water distribution.
The Kathmandu Upatakya Khanepani Limited (KUKL) has
already started the test distribution of water through its existing supply
network.
The national pride project is distributing 85
million litres of water a day – half of the total water that is being brought
to the Kathmandu Valley from the Melamchi River in Sindhupalchok district via a
26.5 kilometre tunnel.
Distribution of 170 million litres water would begin
in the next couple of weeks after the completion of the testing of the second
Water Treatment Plant (WTP) at Sundarijal, according to the MWSP. There are two
WTPs, each with the capacity of holding 8.5 million litres.
Remembering the then Prime Minister late Krishna
Prasad Bhattarai on the occasion for his vision and commitment to bring
Melamchi water in to the Valley, President Bhandari stated that the water has
come as a gift to the people on the eve of New Year 2078.
Late Bhattarai, about three decades ago after the
restoration of democracy in 1990, had promised to bring the water of the
Melamchi to the Kathmandu Valley.
The President stressed on the conservation of water
sources as they are at risk due to climate change, population growth and
excessive exploitation of underground water. "Melamchi water will help in
restoring the underground water and decrease the pollution of watershed
areas," she said.
She also said that the country should learn both the
negative and positive aspects of project development from the MWSP and bear
caution during the planning and implementation of large infrastructure
projects.
Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister KP Sharma
Oli expressed confidence that another 340 million litres water would come to
the valley per day in the next three years.
He directed the Ministry of Water Supply to make
environment to add water from the Yangri and Larke rivers to the supply channel
by 2024.
Prime Minister Oli stated that the present
government had made progress in infrastructure development and stressed on
expediting the development work with greater inter-ministerial coordination.
Japan expresses
happiness
Meanwhile, the Government
of Japan has expressed pleasure with the successful completion of the MWSP.
Japan
has funded the Water Treatment Plant (WTP) in Sundarijal. It provided loan
assistance of around 5,494 million Japanese Yen (equivalent to Rs. 58 billion)
for the construction of the plant, Embassy of Japan in Kathmandu said in a
statement on Friday.
The
loan contract with Japan was signed in March, 2001 and the construction was
completed in December, 2017.
"The
Plant has the capacity to purify 85 million liters per day, which make clean
water for Kathmandu residents to become free from keeping water at tanks at
their homes, or fetching water from the communal wells when they need,"
read the statement.
Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 3 April 2021.
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