Melamchi Water Supply Project, the most awaited project by the denizens of the Kathmandu valley for more than 20 years,was inaugurated today by opening the tap at program venue at Brikutimandap, Kathmandu. Thetap water was supplied through facilities of the Melamchi Water Supply Project.

JICA has been one of the major development partners of GoN to implement the Melamchi Water Supply Project by constructing the 85 MLD (million litter par day) Water Treatment Plant (WTP) at Sundarijal. Since March 2001,with signing the Loan Agreement amounted 5.49 billion JPY between the Government of Nepal and JBIC[1], toconstruct the WTP, the project faced several disruption until it was substantially completed in December 2017. Even after its substantial completion, the WTP had been awaiting the water from melamchi diversion tunnel for its full operation.

The Water Treatment Plant is the largest water treatment plant in the country equipped with modern technology and database system. Components like SCADA system are some of the salient features of the WTP.

Completion of major infrastructure of the project would bring additional 170 MLD water to Kathmandu valley. Since current supply of water is considered 91 MLD in average considering the loss, the Melamchi Project will dramatically improve water supply in Kathmandu Valley with fulling the huge gap of water supply services provided by the Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL), the sole water utility of the capital city.

President of Nepal, Ms. Bidhya Devi Bhandari inaugurated the project. High dignitaries from government agencies, development partners including Chief Representative Ms. Yumiko ASAKUMA showed their valuable presence at the program.

Not only the financial support to construct facilities, JICA is providing technical support in strengthening the capacity of KUKLin order to effectively operate and maintain the newly constructed facilities of the Melamchi Water Supply Project.

JICA asserts its firm belief that with strong and self-reliant leadership of the GoN the water supply sector of the country will observe significant improvement, and JICA commits its continuous support for social development sector of Nepal.