Water Supply Minister pledges to find sustainable way for water supplies in Valley

Minister for Water Supply, Umakant Chaudhary, has pledged to address the drinking water issue in the Kathmandu Valley in a permanent way.

In his address to a program to mark the restoration of supplies of Melamchi water in the Valley at Mahankal Ground today, the Minister assured that the Valley would see the drinking water supplies, though temporarily, throughout the year. “We aspire to find a sustainable approach for the water supplies here.”

The Minister said the water supply was suspended as per the advice of experts and it is resumed now as the rains are over. He was of the view of also exploring alternative sources of water for the distribution in the Valley.

Secretary at the Ministry of Water Supply, Maniram Gelal, said works to redistribute the Melamchi water were delayed by sometimes due to rains-damaged physical infrastructure. He pledges to get ways for the distribution of Melamchi water throughout the year.

According to Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited deputy executive officer Gyanendra Bahadur Karki, 10 water-storage ponds in the Kathmandu Valley have the capacity of storing 58,300,000 liters of water at once and old water pipes are to be repaired to improve the supply system.

Melamchi Water Supply Board Directorate executive director Rajendra Sapkota said at the moment the supplies will be made via newly installed water pipes and the maintenance of the old ones will be carried out within the next months.