Melamchi water supply affected as locals prevent diversion to Kathmandu

MeWater supply from the Melamchi Drinking Water Project to Kathmandu has been stopped after local committees, including vendors and victims of the Melamchi floods, stopped the water diversiovn, saying their demands had not been met.

According to Jagarnath Das, Executive Director of the Melamchi Drinking Water Development Committee, local’s in the project’s source area shut down the water supply to Kathmandu on Thursday.

“The locals have closed the source demanding implementation of the agreement reached last year with the then Minister for Water Supply Pradeep Yadav. As a result, the flow of Melamchi water to Kathmandu has been completely stopped since Thursday afternoon,” he said.

The locals stopped the diversion saying that the government had failed to address the demands of those affected by the 2021 floods and landslides, among others.
The supply of Melamchi water, which had been suspended at the start of the monsoon season, had only resumed on October 12.

Das added that discussions would be held with the agitating groups from Sindhupalchok and Kavre to find a resolution and restore the water supply.
Four committees from those districts had even locked up the Melamchi Drinking Water Project’s Kathmandu office at Panipokhari a week ago.