"In lack of fuel, machinery works have been hampered. The project needed to speed up after the monsoon. However, it could not happen due to the fuel shortage of fuel," said Narayan Sundar Shrestha, the project manager.
The highly ambitious project which is even called 'second Melamchi' due to its high cost as well as the number of beneficiaries is being looked after by a Chinese company Ningbo Ningsing.
The deadline of the project was set for the end of 2014. The Chinese company, when it was given the contract in December 2012, had agreed to complete the work in two years.
The company has demanded 600 liters of petrol and 50 liter diesel per day to carry out the works these days. "However, Kavre administration has not been able to supply the demanded quantity of fuel, due to which the progress has been halted," Shrestha said.
Though the progress of the project has been delayed by other reasons, recently fuel shortage has been pointed to for the delay. The project had been progressing sluggishly even before the fuel crisis started nearly three months ago and locals claim that the delay has been intentional. A political leader in Panauti, claims that the delay in the project serves the interest of both the contractor and the project managers as they can demand extra budget. "Fuel is only an excuse. They would have completed the work much earlier if they were really sincere," he commented.
"They were getting enough fuel before the blockade started. But they did not progress towards completing the project. So, we cannot buy their argument of fuel, "he added. Requesting anonymity, he further claimed that concerned authority's apathy towards project deadlines and the dilly dallying of contractors has been the major reason for the delay in the completion of the this project, just like other development projects across the country.
According to him, it was a foolish idea to bring the cost variation order after one and half year of the beginning of the project. "The cost was increased by 36 percent. That was a game to make this drinking water project unsuccessful," he stated.
So far, the Chinese company has already been paid Rs 470.9 million for the project. According to Shrestha, it is not that the company has not done anything. "Had there been no hurdles, the work would have progressed remarkably," he said.
Delay in laying pipelines has bothered the locals who have quite waited for the completion of the project. They were earlier told that they would be able to get the water by 2015. Now, they are being promised that they would get water in their tap before June 2016. According to Shrestha, the project is going to benefit 70,000 people of Kavre.
"Seventy thousand people of all the three municipalities of the district would get water once the project completes. They would get it for at least 20 years and the water supply would be twenty four hours," he said. Minimum cost public has to pay for the water has been fixed Rs 248 per 10,000 liter of water, according to Shrestha.
As per the agreement, ADB bank is providing 50 percent of the total cost as loan, the Town Development Fund is contributing 35 percent while the municipalities are contributing the remaining 15 percentage of the project cost.
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