August 30: Water supply from Melamchi will resume one and a half months after the end of monsoon.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has made it clear the Melamchi Water Supply Project will resume its operation only after the end of rainy season.

He said so while answering a question raised by a Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Representatives meeting on Tuesday.

"Melamchi Water Supply Project has been damaged by the flood that occurred in the month of Shrawan (mid-July to mid-August) and the road from Melamchi market to the head works area has been damaged," he said told the lower house meeting.

As a result, the water supply has been affected.

The Melamchi Water Supply Project was initiated in 1998 to address the acute shortage of water in the Kathmandu valley. It took more than two decades to complete the project at a cost of Rs 34 billion.

The project started distributing the water in Kathmandu from March 28, 2021. However, the supply has been frequently disrupted following major floods and landslides in Sindhupalchowk on June 15 the same year. The headworks of the project were completely damaged, as the floods and landslides had deposited dozens of feet high debris at the headworks. 

The problem has been recurring ever since the initial setback and water supply has been obstructed mainly in the rainy season.