Water from Melamchi to reach KTM in mid-April: Minister Chaudhary

Minister for Drinking Water Umakanta Chaudhary has said that work is underway to distribute Melamchi water in Kathmandu Valley within this month. He said that an agreement has been reached to bring Yangri and Larke water to the capital as there would be a shortage even if 170 million liters of water is brought daily from Melamchi.

"I will take initiative to fix the price of irrigation while pumping and lifting in the drought-hit areas. Former Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai's dream of feeding Melamchi water to the people of Kathmandu will be fulfilled by mid-April this year.

He expressed the commitment of the ministry to supply water to the community schools which do not have access to safe drinking water. Stating that the construction of large overhead tanks in the Terai Madhes with 80 to 90 percent state investment has not been completed, Minister Chaudhary said that the plan has been put forward to complete it.

Secretary at the Ministry, Suresh Acharya, said that it was necessary to make arsenic-rich water clean and safe, adding that further study and research were needed on groundwater resources. He informed that the ministry will run a special program with 'Our knowledge related to water resources, our campaign to break the roots'.

Secretary Acharya instructed Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited to pay attention as it would be a relief to many if it could stop 40 percent leakage. Executive Director of Kathmandu Valley Drinking Water Management Board Sanjeev Bikram Rana said that there was a problem due to the inability to manage groundwater. He was of the view that in a country where 1,600 milliliters of rainfalls, there is a problem of not collecting rainwater.

Santosh Chalise, mayor of Gokarneshwor municipality, had demanded the ministry to provide water as there is no drinking water in the valley as 70 percent of the water still flows into the valley from Sundarijal. He said that the policy made to make the people of Sundarijal live only by looking at the water was wrong even though the water of Melamchi would be treated in Sundarijal and distributed in the valley.

Chairman of BP Museum Committee Parashuram Pokharel, Chairman of the empowered Bagmati Civilization Integrated Development Committee Uddhav Prasad Timalsina, Chairman of Nepal Drinking Water Corporation Gunakar Bhusal, Chairman of Sofen Anil Bhadra Khanal, and others stressed the need to use and manage groundwater properly. In the program, an oratory competition was also organized among the secondary level students about water. On the occasion, Minister Chaudhary released a water-related song composed by Secretary to the Ministry Acharya. Awareness songs and short plays on the water were also presented on the occasion.