March 29: The long-awaited Melamchi drinking water project has been materialized. Dried taps in the Kathmandu Valley have seen water from the Melamchi river running, relieving Kathmanduites of hard life they had been enduring for want of drinking water.    
People of areas in the Valley including Battisputali, Jayabageshwori, Chabahil, Kutubahal, Sifal, Kalopule, Airport Height and Dhanawantari have got their taps with running water from the project since Sunday (March 28), said the Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanipani Limited (KUKL).    
The KUKL has a plan to discharge the water deposited in the water ponds through the existing pipelines and release the water through newly installed pipelines later. At present, 40 million liters of water has been released on a daily basis, said KUKL Chief Executive Director Milan Shakya.    
In the first phase, the water would be distributed soon to Mahangkalchaur, Anamnagar, Minbhavan and Khumaltarv areas, he said, adding that other areas would receive water gradually. Water collected in the Mahankal pond would be distributed to Chabahil, Kutubahal and Aananda Nagar, he said.    
Quantity of the water released on a daily basis would be increased to 170 million. The KUKL aims to release the water on taps on a daily basis as far as possible.    
"Otherwise, water will be released on alternative days," said Shakya. For the time being, existing tariffs would be retained for using water. Tariffs would be increased only in consent with customers, added Shakya.    
A team from the respective authorities would find out and resolve problems when customers complain of their taps without running water.    
There had been an acute water crisis in the Valley since long. So as to address water crisis, the government established Melamchi Water Supply Project Board in 1998 as a body to implement the Melamchi Water Supply Project. However, it took as long as 23 years for the completion of the project. -- RSS