Kathmandu, February 22: The water tunnel test of the much-awaited Melamchi Drinking Water Supply Project is being carried out from Monday in a bid to supply water from the Melamchi River to Kathmandu. The water flow is being diverted and tested in the tunnel section from Melamchi River to Sundarijal. People of Kathmandu will receive water from Melamchi once the test is successfully carried out in all three stages. It takes a minimum of two months to test. According to the Ministry of Water Supply, Melamchi Drinking Water Development Committee official and Minister for Water Supply Mani Chandra Thapa are scheduled to visit Melamchi today to inspect the water diversion.
On the occasion, Minister Thapa is scheduled to inspect the progress of the overall project. After the connection and finishing of the tunnel entrance at Melamchi were completed, the water was diverted and monitored by a technical team.
The project was delayed for about two months after the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the main donor of the project, had urged for further monitoring by experts. It seems that Melamchi water will take at least two more months to reach Kathmandu. According to the Melamchi Drinking Water Committee, the diversion will take place in three phases to finally supply the water in the capital.
