June flood incurred loss worth Rs 2 billion in Melamchi Water Supply Project

Kathmandu, July 26

A flood in mid-June incurred a loss worth nearly Rs 2 billion in the Melamchi Water Supply Project, estimates the project management team.

The project’s executive director Ram Kumar Shrestha says a preliminary estimation suggests the loss at around Rs 1.88 billion. He says calculating the actual loss will take time.

“We can say the exact details after looking into all structures submerged underwater. Currently, our technical team is in Melamchi to check what can be done to restore the dam.”

He complains new rounds of floods have affected the project restoration bid. The project team has already said the project cannot be brought back to life before February 2022.

A massive flood in the Sindhupalchok town last month has severely damaged the infrastructures of the project making it unable to resume the water supply to the capital suspended for two months for some technical works. The project had launched water supply just in March.