As per the renewed schedule, the multi-billion dollar project is targeted be completed by July 2016.
After awarding a contract for the remaining construction of 27km tunnel from Melamchi in Sindhupalchowk to Sundarijal in Kathmandu to an Italian construction company in June, the MDWP officials have said that the work will resume soon after Tihar.[break]
On Dec 1, 2012 the government had called for a fresh tender for the remaining construction work after terminating the contract awarded to China Railway 15 Bureau Group in September last year, citing its dissatisfactory performance.
Melamchi Water Supply Development Board (MWSDB), an implementing agency of the project, had awarded the contract to CMC Cooperativa Muratori e Cementisti di Ravenna to build the tunnel.
The company had quoted Rs 7.72 billion for the same. Work on the tunnel remains halted since the government terminated the agreement with China Railway Bureau 15 in September last year.
According to Krishna Prasad Acharya, Executive Director of MWSDB, the contractor have already begun opening the track to the project site and that tunnel construction would gain momentum from November.
The Italian firm was chosen from 25 bidders for the tunnel work on the basis of the technical and financial competence.
On May 28, the government shortlisted two companies -- the Italian Firm and China´s Sino Hydro Corporation. Later the Italian firm was awarded the project. “The Chinese company´s failure has already delayed the project of national pride,” said Acharya. “We have learnt a lesson from the previous contractor.”
After the government terminated the contract awarded to the Chinese firm, the project site wore a deserted look with heavy equipment lying about unused and incomplete structures.
While the last contractor employed Chinese workers, the Italian firm is looking for the Nepali laborers that are capable of tunnel construction, added Acharya.
The Chinese contractor had dug only 6.5 km out of the planned 26.5 km tunnel.
“The new contractor is looking for experienced manpower from Marsyangdi hydro electricity project as well as those who have already worked in tunnel diversion construction in India,” Acahrya added.
The CMC representatives have also expressed strong commitment to complete the construction work within the deadline by taking into consideration the contractor obligations and international standards within 36 months of the signing of contract, stated Acharya.
At present, there is a demand of 320 million liters of drinking water in the Kathmandu Valley for 3.2 million people, out of which 2.6 million are the residents of the valley and more than half a million people are those who visit the valley.
However, Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL) has the capacity to supply only 90 million liters of water to the valley during the dry season and 150 million liters during the rainy season. Therefore, KUKL is also working on other alternatives as Melamchi project would supply only 170 million liters of water every day, which is only half of the total requirement.
To address the crisis after the completion of the Melamchi project, the MDWP is planning to connect water from two more rivers in Sindhupalchowk to the same tunnel of the project, said Indra Bilash Khanal, acting chief at the Regional office of MDWP at Melamchi in Sindhupalchok.
“The Lyangri and Larke Rivers are to be connected with the tunnel diversion after the successful completion of the Melamchi project,” Khanal added. “Connecting the two rivers with the Melamchi tunnel will solve drinking water problem in Kathmandu for years,” he claimed.
Meanwhile, the construction of a water treatment plant at Sundarijal has been awarded to VA Tech Wabag Limited-Pratibha Industries. The Board has set aside 240 ropanis of land in the vicinity of the tunnel for water treatment.
Project Implementation Directorate (PID), which is under KUKL, has been working to develop the bulk water transmission and distribution network after the completion of the Melamchi project.
The PID is laying pipes for 10 km Bulk Distribution System from Melamchi to the KUKL reservoir at Mahankal in the capital. The PID has laid 800 meters long 1400 mm diameter pipes since December last year and aims to complete the project by 2016.
Donor Agencies Amount (M. US $) Percent
GoN 73.9073.90 29.60
ADB 103.80103.80 41.65
N.D.F. 10.5010.50 4.21
JICA 47.5047.50 19.04
OPEC 13.7013.70 5.50
Total 249.40249.40 100
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