Melamchi Drinking Water Project to be delayed again

Kathmandu: The multi-million dollar Melamchi Drinking Water Project (MDWP), which has already had its completion target postponed twice is unlikely to meet its next target of 2015.

The project, one of the biggest drinking water projects launched so far, has been reeling under political meddling and ever growing demands of locals, which has forced the project to defer various works related with it.

Political instability and fresh demands are impeding the smooth running of the project,' Krishna Rana, deputy executive director of MDWP said.

The project has failed to complete the main access road connecting the link roads in the past several years. The 18-Km access road is still incomplete with only 2-Km stretch yet to get the finishing touches.

Besides the main road the project has constructed 15.7-Km road in Sindhu, 4.6 Km in Gyalthum, and 2.6 Km in Sundarijal. The project has already spent Rs 4,60,000000 on road construction, community development programme and day to day running of the MDWP office.

According to the project Rs 1,60,0000000 has gone into providing compensation for the land while Rs 1,000000000 for road construction. Similarly, Rs 5,000000000 had been spent for community development programme and rest of the amount was spent for the construction of the official resident.

Rana said the date for the completion of the project has been postponed time and again owing to the emergence of fresh complications. The project has not been able to provide compensation for land in 14 districts of Sindhupalchwok. Similarly, the locals of Kavre are also demanding compensation for land and water levy.

The Kavre locals have been hindering the project activities mounting pressure that their demands be fulfilled.

The project is ignoring the demands of the locals and mutual relations between the locals and consumers is needed. The government is shying away to take leading responsibility,' Yognath Dotel, resident of Kavre said.

Environment activist Bhusan Tuladhar sharing the views of Dotel said, ?Melamchi is becoming merely a rumor than reality,' he said.

The frequent change of governments over the past years followed by changes in the policy have had a negative bearing in the smooth running of the project, Madan Shankar Shrestha, Former deputy executive director of project said.

Of late, hydropower experts have also called for the review of the project stressing that it would not be able to cater to the water demands of the capital valley, which has witnessed a sudden rise in its population.

Melamchi cannot bear the rising water demand as the population has been growing continuously. If we revise the project we can get more water and the project can be used for hydropower and irrigation,' Ratna Sansar Shtrestha, a hydropower expert said.

According to him, even if the project were completed by 2020, it should be revised to increase its utility. Shrestha who recently returned from Sindhupalchwok after observing the project said, the project could also produce 225 MW of electricity and six times more water would be supplied to Kathmandu. Presently the target is to supply 170-M liters water from Melamchi alone.

Apart from this 30 thousands hectares of land would be irrigated,' Shrestha added. To scale up the capacity of Melamchi, the project officials have added water from the Yangri and Baklekhi stream also.'

Dr Krishna Aryal, a hydropower expert is of the view that the review of the capacity of the project should be begun without wasting time so that the project is not further delayed.