February 12: Altogether 69 percent works of the Melamchi Water Supply Project (MWSP) has been completed, according to the half-yearly budget review report of 2020/21 unveiled by the government recently.

“Following an incident in the tunnel of MWSP last year, construction is going on through revised procedures,” said Ritesh Kumar Shakya, spokesperson for Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation. According to Shakya an expert team of ADB was in Nepal a month ago for the inspection of MWSP. Works on tunnel grouting are being carried out in accordance to the suggestion of the team. 

Shakya said that the task of tunnel grouting will be completed by the second week of Falgun (February end). After that, MWSP will move ahead with the works of tunnel test. Testing of the tunnel is expected to last for around two months. Soon after the completion of tunnel test, MWSP will start working on water supply, Shakya told New Business Age.

It has been more that two decades since this project was started with a cost estimate of $464 million which was later downsized to $312.9 million. A total of Rs 5.46 billion has been allocated in this fiscal year of which Rs 52.19 million has been spent.