For Sustainable Supply of Melamchi Water to Valley

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Monday inaugurated the distribution of water from the Melamchi Drinking Water Supply Project amidst a special function in Singha Durbar. This marks the fifth time of the inauguration of the water from the Melamchi project, highlighting the need to make the water distribution more sustainable. Reacting to the inauguration made by Prime Minister Dahal, Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) Balen Shah commented that Prime Minister Dahal has merely engaged in a political stunt by inaugurating the distribution of water from the Melamchi water project. In a lengthy Facebook post on Monday, Balen expressed his frustration, emphasizing that without evaluating and addressing the technical risks associated with the Melamchi project, Kathmandu was subjected to political maneuvers, purely aimed at hoodwinking the people suffering from an acute shortage of drinking water. "Attempting to bring Melamchi water to Kathmandu solely for political stunt, without assessing and resolving technical risks, is just the latest episode in a series of ill-considered inaugurations and actions," wrote Balen on the social media platform Facebook.

In the year 2021, the then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli inaugurated the Melamchi drinking water project. However, Mayor Balen noted that several technical aspects were then disregarded, and the cycle of inaugurations persisted. Even now, the hill to the east of the Melamchi water source is at risk of landslides, and the source may be blocked if it collapses at any time. The water is being drawn from the sand tunnel without sand removal, posing another critical risk. Due to the absence of structures to channel the sand, sediment may enter the tunnel directly, leading to self-filling, which could take years and cost billions to rectify. Balen has rightly highlighted that if water is extracted directly from the diversion canal to the tunnel without removing the mud, even in winter, the sand in the tunnel will gradually solidify. After some time, the tunnel may be entirely filled with sand and mud, leading to a prolonged halt in water supply. To address this, he recommended studying and relocating the new intake upstream. Additionally, he suggested constructing appropriate structures for sediment settling in the tunnel.

As there is a celebration of the success of bringing water from Melamchi yet again, we join Balen’s call to make drinking water supply sustainable so that people do not have to face supply disruption again. While the ruling political leaders may see Balen’s comments as mere criticisms, we believe that he has raised valid points and recommended measures that are necessary to ensure sustainable supply of Melamchi water to the Kathmandu Valley. It is said that the existing structures do not ensure supply of water during the rainy season. We urge the government, stakeholders, and the public to collaborate to develop long-term solutions that ensure the resilience and sustainability of the water supply system. The true measure of success of this project will be the establishment of a robust and sustainable water supply system that stands resilient even during the rainy season. It is an opportune moment for the authorities to demonstrate their commitment to the well-being of Kathmandu's residents by securing their access to water, not just for this winter, but for the many years to come.