KATHMANDU, Dec 19: Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Ltd (KUKL) is procuring a computerized system to monitor and control distribution of water brought into the Kathmandu Valley by the Melamchi Water Supply Project.
All the bulk distribution will be controlled by the computerized system, ending the existing practice of controlling water supply by opening and closing valves manually.
Lila Prasad Dhakal, spokesperson of the Project Implementation Directorate, said that the directorate was publishing a notice shortly, inviting interested firms to supply and install Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) software. Initially, SCADA will control water supply from reservoir tanks and other bulk distribution.
KUKL plans to replace existing household meters with smart meters later on.
Although smart meters are expensive, they can monitor water consumption as well as manage bill payment system like the ways telecom companies are doing. Consumers can pay the bill through top-up cards.
PID is currently installing water meters of traditional nature at households. Smart meters will enable it to introduce paperless billing system, replacing the existing paper-based record keeping and tariff assessments. Such controlling and monitoring will be effective up to District Metering Area (DMA) from different water supply substations, according to Dhakal.
Though PID has planned to use latest technology, many worry about lack of technical manpower to handle and operate it as Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL) has not been able to recruit young technicians as per the need.
Melamchi water for the people outside Ring Road as well: KUKL
'LAYING OF PIPES IN MAJOR INTERSECTIONS CRITICAL'
KATHMANDU (REPUBLICA): Project Implementation Directorate (PID) has said that laying of pipes for supplying Melamchi water has entered the critical phase as the work in remaining 17 km segment of the 29-kilometer bulk distribution system lies in major intersections with heavy traffic movement.
“Laying of pipes in several intersections is a herculean task as it affects traffic management,” Lila Prasad Dhakal, the spokesperson for PID, said. “Around 1,000 people are working in two shifts to lay down pipes. We need to do something for traffic management as work need to continue in daytime to meet the target of laying down pipes by October next year.”
Melamchi water is expected to come to Kathmandu Valley by October, 2017.
PID has completed 440 kilometers of distribution network out of targeted 670 kilometers as of November.
