Kathmandu (Rastriya Samachar Samiti): Necessary preparations for water distribution have reached the final stage as preparations are being made to re-test Melamchi water in Kathmandu Valley. While the Melamchi Drinking Water Development Committee is preparing for re-testing of water, the project implementation directorate has started preparations for distribution from new pipes in most places and old pipes in some places.
Ujjwal Prajapati, information officer of the directorate, said that the directorate is working to prepare the infrastructure for proportional distribution in the Kathmandu Valley after the water falls in Sundarijal. According to him, even though a lot of work has been completed, the rest of the work is being done now. He said, “There is a plan to distribute water from old pipes in new and non-existing areas where pipes are constructed.”
Information Officer Prajapati informed that testing and commissioning is being carried out at the places where the infrastructure required for water distribution has been completed. The Directorate is checking whether there is leakage in the newly constructed pipes. In some small areas, water is being tested from tankers. He said that it is yet to be done in a large area and the test will be done after the water falls in the valley. After the arrival of Melamchi water in the valley, the test of the new pipe will be carried out along with the distribution from the old pipe.
The committee is bringing 170 million liters of water daily from Melamchi River in the first phase. In the second phase, an additional Rs 170 million will come to the Kathmandu Valley from Yangri and Larkekhola. In the first phase, infrastructure has been constructed for the distribution of 170 million liters of water daily, according to the directorate. This water is distributed everywhere within the cycle path. In the first phase, water will be distributed in Madhyapur and Kirtipur. Construction of pipes for water distribution has also been started in Kapan. He said, “Currently, water will be distributed only in these three places outside the ring road.”
The directorate has already constructed pipelines for water distribution and tanks at nine places. Information Officer Prajapati informed that water will be distributed from the old pipe at the place where the pipeline is being constructed. Areas that do not have new pipelines within the ring road include Swayambhu, Tahchal, Panipokhari and other areas. He said that the contract was signed in these places last July and the construction will be completed within the current fiscal year. He said, “The contract was signed only after the construction was completed in other places.”
Though plans have been made to build tanks in 10 places in the Kathmandu Valley, only nine places have been completed so far, according to the directorate. Prajapati said that a tank was being constructed at Katunje in Bhaktapur. Due to the land in the area, the construction of both the tank and the pipeline could not proceed for a long time. He informed that the pipeline is still under construction even though there is a dispute.
It is the responsibility of the committee to construct the necessary structure to discharge water from the Melamlamchi river to the Sundarijal treatment plant through a tunnel. The Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL) will distribute the water while the structure construction directorate will supply the treated water to the households in Sundarijal. He informed that water would reach households from Sundarijal through tanks from the main distribution line and from the tanks through distribution pipes. There are distribution lines around the main ring road, from where the water will go to the tank. He said that water would go from tank to house through distribution line.
The tanks constructed by the directorate are located in Lazimpat, Bansbari, Panipokhari, Balaju, Mahankal, Khumaltar of Lalitpur and Katunje of Bhaktapur. The government is trying to re-test the tunnel by correcting the defects after it had an accident while testing the tunnel last July.
Spokesperson of the Ministry of Drinking Water Ritesh Kumar Shakya said that a plan has been made to test the situation by sending water to the tunnel again as the work of correcting the fault in the tunnel is nearing completion. According to him, the tunnel is being reviewed along with the error correction. He said it would take two months to test the water in the tunnel.
Water will be sent in small quantities as per the procedure made by the Ministry. He informed that the tunnel will be held for a few days even after it is filled with water. After filling it with water for a few days, the water will be released only after you know if there is any problem and if there is no problem.