Melamchi tunnel to be closed during monsoon

KATHMANDU: The residents of Kathmandu will not receive Melamchi water from their taps during this year’s monsoon season either. Since the 2021 floods destroyed the headworks of the multi-billion-rupee project, authorities have been closing the 26-kilometer tunnel that supplies water to Kathmandu during the rainy season.

The Melamchi Water Supply Development Board has not made any arrangements to supply water during the monsoon season when the water level rises in the river. Rajendra Prasad Pant, the board’s information officer, stated that the situation would be the same as last year, and the tunnel would have to be shut down after the onset of the monsoon.

The board had planned to run the project throughout the year by constructing small structures at the head of the project. However, due to delays in obtaining necessary approvals, the work could not be started. According to Pant, the project has proposed building small structures at Gate No.1 of the alternative system to operate during the rainy season. Even if the design is finalized, the contract will only be awarded after the design is approved and necessary funds are arranged, he added.

Moreover, it is not possible to work on repairs alone as the headwork is completely damaged. Additionally, there is still a risk of landslides above the project site. “If the headworks are to be rebuilt where they were before, preventive work must be done first,” Pant added. The cost of the work has been estimated at Rs 1 billion.

“A policy decision needs to be made on how and when to repair the headwork. But there has been no discussion on it yet,” Pant added. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has studied the damage to the structure and submitted its report to the Ministry of Water Supply. “A decision can be made based on the findings of the study report,” he added.

(With Inputs from RSS)