Nepal

The Melamchi Drinking Water Project has started pumping water into a reservoir at Sundarijal in Kathmandu through a tunnelway following repair work on the flood-damaged structure. 

Monsoon floods damaged the tunnel at Helambu Rural Municipality in Sindhupalchok district, halting the water supply for the past six months.

"After cleaning up the tunnel, there will be regular water distribution," project spokesperson Rajendra Panta said. 

The water will reach Sundarijal reservoir in a week, he added. "Around 175 million litres of water will be discharged daily to the Kathmandu Valley residents. 

The Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited Project Implementation Directorate (KUKL) is constructing infrastructure across the Valley for distribution. 

The project had first pumped the water into the Valley's supply channel 20 months ago, following the completion of the much-awaited project. 

However, it was halted on June 15, 2021 when massive flooding in the Melamchi River severely damaged the project infrastructure. The repair works resumed eight months ago. 

Water from Melamchi is collected in Sundarijal only during winter as some construction works at the source of the water in Melamchi have not been completed yet, according to the project.

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