Road flooded after Melamchi water pipe bursts in Lainchaur

Published On: December 13, 2022 08:15 AM NPT By: Sajira Shrestha

Photo By: Prasan Gurung

KATHMANDU, Dec 13: The main road in Lainchaur area was flooded with water after a pipe of the Melamchi Water Supply Project burst on Monday afternoon.

The pipe of the Melamchi project, which was laid under the main road, burst near the office of the Department of Mines and Geology, inundating the busy road with water and causing traffic jam. Due to this, drivers and pedestrians faced trouble traveling through the road.

“The pipes are still in the testing phase. We had laid the pipes but there was no water earlier. Now the water has arrived, we are finally able to test the pipes. The pipes today at Lainchaur burst as they were still in the testing phase,” said Prakash Kumar Rai, spokesperson of Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL).

Water supply from Melamchi had resumed on December 9 after the project released water to be distributed in the capital through a tunnel at Ambathan, the origin of the Melamchi River located in Helambu Rural Municipality-1 of Sindhupalchok district. According to the KUKL, there is a plan to distribute 100 million liters of water in Kathmandu valley now and 170 million litres later. The project has a plan to distribute water for the next six months until the monsoon starts.

The distribution of water from Melamchi is currently underway. “We haven’t got 170 million liters of water. The water will slowly collect in the reservoir and we will supply accordingly. We have distributed water in Mahankal Chaur, Anamnagar, Minbhawan, Balaju, Khumaltar and Maharajgunj for now,” said spokesperson Paudel, adding, “After we get 170 million liters of water, we will supply it to Basbari, Bode, Kantuje and other places as well.”

The supply of Melamchi's water was closed earlier in June after floods caused severe damage to the tunnel. Water from Melamchi was supplied in the capital for the first time in March 2021, albeit temporarily before the flooding damaged the headworks. The Melamchi water was brought to the capital for the second time in March, 2022 after repairing the structure and access road damaged by the flood on June 15, 2021.