SINDHUPALCHOK, Jan 4: The repair work of the Melamchi drinking water project has reached its final stage. The destructive flood that occurred in the Melamchi River in June 2021 caused extensive damage to the estuary area of the project.

SINDHUPALCHOK, Dec 17: Speaker Devraj Ghimire has called for restoring the supply of water from Melamchi to Kathmandu at the earliest possible.

KATHMANDU, Dec 3: Minister for Water Supply Mahindra Ray Yadav visited Melamchi to inspect the water supply project, focusing on the estuary and areas affected by floods. While crossing the river, Minister Yadav instructed the project staff to expedite water delivery to the residents of Kathmandu.

As this project encapsulates a legacy of misguided development that has left the Kathmandu Valley parched and disillusioned, it is time for the government to launch a thorough investigation into the project's chronicle, identify those responsible, and offer transparent answers to the citizens.

KATHMANDU, Aug 25: Due to the risk of floods in the rainy season, the Melamchi water supply project remains closed since mid-June, deepening the water supply crisis in the Kathmandu Valley. Even though there is water everywhere in the Kathmandu Valley as it has been raining for the past several days causing flooding of rivers and unorganized drainage, the residents of the valley are facing a shortage of safe drinking water.

KATHMANDU, May 13: Water supply from Melamchi will be stopped for some time from May 15 for regular maintenance work.

KATHMANDU, Feb 21: It will cost more than Rs 23 billion to distribute the water of Melamchi River to the locations outside the ring road area of the Kathmandu Valley.

KATHMANDU, Feb 9: Director of Melamchi Water Supply Project Implementation Directorate, Rajendra Sapkota has said that there has been a huge demand for Melamchi water distribution in the areas outside the Ring Road in the Kathmandu Valley.

KATHMANDU, Dec 6: Nepali Congress (NC) leader and Member of Parliament from Kathmandu-5, Pradeep Paudel has demanded that the water from the Melamchi River be provided to areas outside the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) as well.

SINDHUPALCHOK, Nov 28: The Melamchi Water Supply Project has started releasing water to the tunnel from the headworks (source of origin) at Ambathan in Helambu from Monday.

KATHMANDU, Oct 10: Water supply from the Melamchi Drinking Water Project will be resumed from November after the cleaning of headworks is completed in the stipulated time.

SINDHUPALCHOWK, August 28: The Melamchi-Helambu road has been blocked for traffic at Melamchi Municipality-11 due to floods triggered by heavy rainfall last night. Regular traffic has been affected after flood water from the nearby river entered the road near Seemkhet, according to the Area Police Office, Melamchi.

KATHMANDU, August 3: A Chinese high court has ruled in favor of two Nepali banks, following hearings on a case between a Chinese company contracted for the construction of the Melamchi Water Supply Project (MWSP) and the two Nepali banks.

KATHMANDU, July 8: In Sindhupalchowk district, which has been facing natural calamities every year, inter-municipal discussions have been intensified for monsoon preparedness and disaster response.

KATHMANDU, June 29: In the past, Jitu Bharti of Duwachaur, Melamchi-7, used to carry goods easily. But after recent floods damaged the roads and bridges in the area, Bharti now has to cross the rivers and rivulets in the area, carrying his belongings. He said that the cost of goods has risen due to the rise in the transportation cost.

KATHMANDU, June 9: The area around Melamchi River in Sindhupalchowk has been affected due to heavy rains. Floods triggered by heavy rain last night have damaged temporary structures on the Melamchi River.

KATHMANDU, May 9: Shailung Construction, which has been neglecting contracted roads and bridges, has also neglected the Melamchi pipeline expansion and construction of overhead tanks. Shailung had won a contract with Indian company CIPEL in a joint venture to lay 160 kilometers of pipeline and build overhead tanks for the Melamchi drinking water project at a cost of Rs 1.41 billion.

KATHMANDU, April 23: The supply of drinking water from Melamchi River is being resumed from Sunday after the Melamchi Water Supply Project (MWSP) filled the reservoir in Sundarijal on Friday.

KATHMANDU, April 19: The water fed to the tunnel from the Melamchi Drinking Water Project at Helambu Rural Municipality of Sindhupalchowk on April 12 arrived at Sundarijal, Kathmandu at about 10:00 PM Monday.

KATHMANDU, April 5: Despite the government’s commitment to resume water supply to the Kathmandu Valley from the Melamchi River by mid-April, it seems unlikely because of the slow pace of maintenance work at the project site.

KATHMANDU, March 22: Minister for Water Supply, Umakanta Chaudhary has said that work is underway to distribute water from the Melamchi River in Sindhupalchowk in the Kathmandu Valley within mid-April. He said that an agreement has been reached to bring water from the Yangri and Larke rivers to the capital as there would be a shortage even if 170 million liters of water is brought daily from Melamchi.

SINDHUPALCHOWK, Jan 29: Minister of Drinking Water Supply Umakanta Chaudhary has instructed the contractor company and the project staff to complete the work of distributing Melamchi water to the people of Kathmandu Valley by mid-March. He gave the instruction while inspecting the rehabilitation work of the Melamchi Drinking Water Project damaged by the floods last July.

KATHMANDU, Nov 11: Citing a delay in the resumption of water supply through the Melamchi Drinking Water Project (MDWP), the Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL) has stepped up efforts for alternative mechanism to supply an additional 10 million liters of water daily in the Kathmandu Valley.

SINDHUPALCHOK, OCT 17: The heavy rainfall on Saturday night damaged the temporary motorway that was built at Melamchi-Indrawati after the multiple floods since June 15 swept away the infrastructure in the area.

KATHMANDU, Sept 9: Finance Minister Janardan Sharma has announced that the Melamchi Drinking Water Project, which was damaged severely by the floods and landslides, will be repaired and water supply will be resumed by mid-April 2022.

KATHMANDU, August 22: Incessant rain in Sindhupalchowk district has put 34 homes in Melamchi Municipality-8 at the risk of landslides. The ongoing risk of landslides has put human settlements in the region at risk.

KATHMANDU, August 13: Floods started from the influence of Pemdang Stream and Melamchi Stream following the incessant rains on June 15 got blocked at one point of the Melamchi River and it turned more violent as it got mixed with landslide deposition, causing further river erosion. As a result, the Melamchi Bazaar and adjoining settlement suffered a significant loss, according to senior divisional geologist Baskota.

Sindhupalchowk, August 11: Melamchi Municipality has brought in five machines to take the Melamchi and Indrawati rivers back to their original courses. According to Mayor Dambar Aryal, the work to change the rivers’ courses will be completed in 10 days if everything goes as planned.

KATHMANDU, August 8: Former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has expressed his dissatisfaction over the government’s failure to accelerate the work for providing relief supplies to flood and landslide victims of Melamchi in Sindhupalchowk.

KATHMANDU, August 7: The Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) has requested the government to immediately relocate the flood and landslide victims of Melamchi and the locals of nearby settlements to safe places.

KATHMANDU, August 4: Reports have shown that there are multiple reasons behind devastating floods and landslides in Melamchi River.

KATHMANDU, Aug 3: The government will be sending a team to Melamchi for a comprehensive geological survey of the area.

KATHMANDU, August 1: Seventeen houses and huts in Helambu Rural Municipality and Melamchi Municipality of Sindhupalchowk were washed away by a flash flood in the Melamchi River last night.

KATHMANDU, August 1: A fresh flood has occurred in the Melamchi River yet again. Following incessant rain on Saturday, the flood struck the region on Sunday morning, sweeping away the ‘Rato Pul’ along with 12 houses and tarp settlements damaged by the previous floods.

KATHMANDU, July 19: Dreams of thousands of people of Helambu and Melamchi have been shattered by the devastating landslides and floods that occurred on July 15.

KATMANDU, June 29: The massive landslide in the Himalayas of Helambu Rural Municipality-1 of Sindhupalchowk district triggered a huge flash flood downstream that wiped away everything on its way on June 16.

SINDHUPALCHOK, June 23: A devastating flash flood triggered by a huge landslide in the Himalayas of Helambu, once a brimming city of Melamchi, is scrambling through the residue of the flood.

KATHMANDU, June 20: People's representatives of Melamchi Municipality-1, Sindhupalchowk have decided to contribute their one month's salary for the relief and rehabilitation fund meant for the flood survivors. A meeting of the representatives held on Saturday made a decision to this effect, according to ward chair Krishna Prasad Chaulagain.

KATHMANDU, June 18: Helambu Rural Municipality in Sindhupalchowk district is witnessing a heavy rainfall since this evening. This has increased the water level in the Melamchi River again to dangerous levels, leaving people living on the banks of the Melamchi River to stay awake.

If you can hold a meeting in the middle of the night and recommend to the President to dissolve parliament, why can't you pay a visit to the flood- and landslide-hit areas and announce relief, extend support and give hope to people in despair? What is stopping you?

KATHMANDU, June 16: Melamchi Municipality and Helambu Rural Municipality witnessed massive destruction due to floods and landslides triggered by incessant rainfall on Wednesday.

“You are not supposed to make false claims at such programs where you are never questioned.”

MELAMCHI, March 9: Reconstruction of the heritages as old temples and Buddhist monasteries is in limbo in Sindhupalchok district even as five years have passed since the 2015 Gorkha Earthquake.

One major reason why Melamchi Drinking Water Project has become like a mirage for thirsty Kathmandu is because the political leaders in power have cared little to complete the project on time. We were told, months ago, that over 90 percent of the works have been completed and that it would take just a couple of months to get the water from Melamchi to the houses of residents of Kathmandu Valley.

MELAMCHI, Feb 13: An agreement has been inked with Panchpokhari Thangpal rural municipality in connection with implementing the Yangri Larke Project under the second phase of the Melamchi Water Supply Project.

One of the reasons why people are frustrated with the government is because the infrastructure projects launched by the government hardly ever get completed on time. Yes, there are exceptions. For example, the construction of 12.2-kilometer long tunnel Bheri-Babai Diversion Multipurpose Project was completed a year before the deadline and within the allocated budget in April this year. But other projects lie in limbo for years.

The government has signed an agreement with Chinese contractor Sinohydro Corporation Limited to complete the remaining construction work of Melamchi Water Supply Project (MWSP).

KATHMANDU, Sept 30: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has expressed his dissatisfaction against lack of publicity of good works carried out by the government.

KATHMANDU, Sept 24:Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba has accused the government of engaging in a ‘shady deal’ while awarding the contract for Melamchi Water Supply Project to a Chinese contractor.

SINDHUPALCHOWK, Sept 7: The District Administration Office of Sindhupalchowk has issued an indefinite prohibitory order at Ambathan, Sindhu, Gyalthum Audit camp and Melamchi Drinking Water Project area to be effective from Friday evening given the agitation of the local contractors and labours.