Melamchi Water Supply Resumes in Kathmandu After Year-Long Closure

The long-awaited Melamchi drinking water has finally returned to Kathmandu after being halted for over a year due to heavy monsoon rains. The project had been closed since June 24 last year to prevent damage from floods and landslides along the Melamchi River.

Following extensive repair works, over 170 million liters of water per day are now being channeled to the Sundarijal treatment center, according to Jagarnath Das, Executive Director of the Melamchi Water Supply Development Board.

“We repaired the monsoon-damaged sections and, with reduced river flow, have successfully resumed the supply,” Das said.

The Kathmandu Valley, which demands around 430 million liters of water daily, had been surviving on just 130–140 million liters from alternative sources during the shutdown. Now, with the Melamchi supply restored, Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL) has begun distribution.

KUKL Executive Director Ashok Kumar Paudel announced that water distribution will now occur every three days, compared to once every six days in the past.

The Melamchi project had suffered catastrophic damage in June 2021, when floods destroyed its headworks. Since then, only seasonal distribution had been possible. Efforts are ongoing to restore full, year-round water flow to the Valley.