POKHARA, August 14: The construction company that worked on the Siltation Dam for the conservation of Fewa Lake in Pokhara has announced plans to repair the infrastructure that was damaged a month ago. There was widespread criticism surrounding the construction company after the dam was destroyed over a month ago due to heavy rainfall and floods in the region.
Krishna PK JV had announced plans to reconstruct the dam, a month after Pokhara Metropolis wrote a letter to the construction company stressing the need to repair the dam and stating that it would take legal actions if the company did not do that.
Ensuring dam safety
According to Dhan Bahadur Nepali, spokesperson for the metropolitan city, the company has decided to start the reconstruction from mid-September after the water level decreases in the lake. The metropolis will not provide any financial support for the reconstruction process, Nepali said.
The metropolis had decided to impose a fine and recommend the revocation of the company’s license if they had not replied to the letter. The cost of the construction of the Siltation Dam was Rs 70.88 million.
There were widespread complaints about the use of substandard materials during the construction of the dam. Earlier, technicians from Pokhara and members of Gandaki Provincial Assembly had also conducted a study of the project. A team led by Mayor Man Bahadur GC and Deputy Mayor Manju Devi Gurung of Pokhara Metropolitan City had also visited the project during its construction.
Locals have expressed their dissatisfaction over the authorities’ efforts, citing that they could have put pressure on the construction company during the construction. The lack of efforts from the authorities concerned caused the dam to be severely damaged by floods on July 27, putting human settlements at risk. There are currently various dam projects under construction with a budget of Rs 281.6 million.
