Drinking water supply from the Melamchi project to the Kathmandu Valley was suspended on Friday after monsoon flooding turned the source river too muddy to treat. It is the latest interruption to a mega-project that has become synonymous with both Kathmandu’s water hopes and its recurring frustrations.
Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL) spokesperson Bir Bahadur Chand said the flow from the Melamchi river to the Sundarijal-based treatment centre was halted because water at the source had become extremely turbid following heavy rainfall, making the treatment process unworkable. Supply will resume on the predetermined distribution schedule once the source clears, Chand said, but he cautioned that continuous rain could delay the return of water for some time.
The suspension underscores a chronic vulnerability of the Melamchi Drinking Water Project, which channels water from the Melamchi river in Sindhupalchok through a 26-km tunnel to a valley that has struggled with chronic shortages for decades. Since finally coming online after years of delays, the project has repeatedly gone offline during the monsoon, when flooding and heavy sediment in the headworks force operators to shut intake to protect the system. For Valley residents who had counted on Melamchi to ease their dependence on tankers and wells, the seasonal stoppages are a reminder that delivering water reliably remains as much about managing the monsoon as about the pipeline itself.