SINDHUPALCHOWK, JANUARY 4:: The repair work of the Melamchi Water Supply Project (MWSP) has reached its final stage. The destructive flood in the Melamchi River in June 2021 caused extensive damage to the estuary area of the project. Senior engineer at the MWSP, Padam Bahadur Kunwar, said 70 percent of the repair work of the […]
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The source site of the Melamchi Water Supply Project at Ambathan, in Sindhupalchowk district, has faced significant damages, with its headwork obstructed by flood debris. As a result, it has become increasingly difficult to ensure the distribution of Melamchi water to the Valley dwellers before the Dashain festival.
SINDHUPALCHOWK, Aug 15: The road leading to the Melamchi Water Supply Project's source in Ambathan has been blocked by flood. The Chairman of Helambu Rural Municipality, Nima Gyalzen Sherpa, informed Republica that the continuous rain has damaged the Helambu Highway at various places.
KATHMANDU, July 9: It seems to take at least three months to restore the Melamchi to Kathmandu Valley water supply system.
The Melamchi Drinking Water Project sets a target of bringing about waters from the Sindhupalchowk-based Melamchi River up to Sundarijal by mid-October. The Committee is to undertake the related works in collaboration with the local levels and other related bodies.
The project was largely damaged by the recent devastating flood from the river. Access roads to the project, bridge and some structures at the construction side had been damaged by the disaster in mid-June, the Committee said.
According to Committee information officer Rajendra Prasad Pant, they set a target of restoring the water supply system if a temporary access to the project could be made by re-opening the track and placing a Bailey bridge. But the Committee is not sure whether the target could be met as the risk of future damages to be caused by monsoon still prevails.
"If we could reach the headwork by mid-September, mud and other depositions caused by the flood inside the tunnel would be cleared off next months. The time to restore the supply system could take long if there is havoc by the flood," he said.
The Chinese construction company, Sino Hydro, has been carrying out the remaining works of the project. Among the construction of the structures like the tunnel, headwork and the water treatment centre, only the works of the head works remain.
The project has categorized the repair works to be carried out into two categories – works to be carried out immediately and works to be done in long-term. Construction and repair of the approach road comes under the immediate work.
Project information officer Panta said it is estimated that Rs 1 billion would be required for the repair works. As he said works like construction of the road and bridge and clearing the road up to the headwork should be done immediately to supply water from Melamchi river in Sindhupalchok to Sundarijal of Kathmandu.
Three bodies under the federal government, namely the department of Roads, Nepali Army and the Melamchi Water Supply Project Board are linked to it as the road and the bridges have to be repaired. The road leading to the project site should be made operational at the earliest with the support of the local level.
For the time being, transport would be operated by constructing a Bailey bridge immediately. A concrete bridge would be constructed for the long-term.
On June 15, a flood inundated the under-construction dam and water treatment plant of the Melamchi Water Supply Project. The details of damage in the headwork area are yet to be estimated.
KATHMANDU, June 23: The landslide triggered by incessant rainfall last week has caused damage worth more than one billion rupees to the Melamchi Water Supply Project structures.
Other structures of the project except the main structures – the tunnel and headwork – have been damaged while the shelters for the project staff and the construction materials have been washed away.
The project technicians have not been able to reach Ambathan till date, Project Information Officer Rajendra Prasad Panta said. Although a team of the project including Divisional Engineer had set out for Ambathan on Tuesday to make an assessment of the damage, it has not been able to reach there. It is difficult to reach Ambathan as a bridge over the Melamchi River and the road to Ambathan has been swept away.
"According to preliminary estimates, the rest of the structures except the tunnel and headwork have suffered much damage," Panta said. He added that sand, aggregates and other construction materials kept at the construction site as well as the storage structure have all been washed away by the flooded Melamchi stream.
The accommodation camp set up for the residential workers at the construction site, water supply structure and toilet at the camp were swept away. The flooded rivulet also swept away the equipment of the construction entrepreneurs.
Project Information Officer Panta said the physical damage and the financial loss due to this apart, it will take more time to clear up the site of the debris deposited by the landslide and flood. "We have not been able to guess how long it will take to clear up the debris and carry out the repair and maintenance works," he said.
Spokesperson Panta said it was going to be difficult to carry out works at the construction site as the flood has swept away the road and the bridge.
According to him, the Ministry of Water Supply and Sanitation is facilitating the repair works and the remaining works of the project. He shared that a Bailey bridge could be immediately installed and the repair and maintenance works started at the project site if the Prime Minister's Office directed the bodies concerned for the same.
The project is making initiatives for re-opening the road in coordination with the local bodies and local level wards there.
Although the main structures have not been damaged, sand, silt and pebbles have been deposited in the audit tunnel at Ambathan, and this needs to be removed immediately.
Panta stressed that first it was necessary to repair the approach road in order to carry out a trial of the tunnel. As he said, the approach road and the bridge have to be constructed to clear up the project's audit tunnel that has been blocked by the debris.
"We have been consulting with the Army and the Department of Roads regarding the construction of the bridge and the road," Panta added.
According to him, how long it will take to supply water from Melamchi to Kathmandu depends on the extent of the damage caused to the headwork and the duration it takes to repair it. He estimated that it will take two to two and half months for this.
Panta shared that the damage to the project structures has definitely prolonged the project completion time since the project was not completed and works to that end were in progress.
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