Introduction

Melamchi Water Supply Project

The Melamchi Water Supply Project (MWSP) is considered to be the most viable long-term
alternative to ease the chronic water shortage situation within the Kathmandu Valley. The Project is
designed to divert about 170 MLD of fresh water to Kathmandu Valley from the Melamchi River in
Sindhupalchowk district. Augmenting this supply by adding about a further 170 MLD each from the
Yangri and Larke rivers, which lie in the upstream proximity of Melamchi are also being investigated as
future supply sources.

Ministry of Physical Planning and Works (MPPW) is the executing agency for the Project and an
autonomous Melamchi Water Supply Development Board, formulated for Project implementation, is the
implementing agency.

The Board, as an independent project implementing body has come a long way to collect the necessary
funds to implement the project since 1998. The major donor of the project, Asian Development Bank
(ADB) approved a Loan 1820-NEP (SF) on 21st December, 2000 and it was effective from 28th
November, 2001. After six years of project
implementation, Government of Nepal and the
project’s funding partners, felt necessicity to
change the scopes of project implementation
arrangement by splitting the MWSP into the
following two distinct sub-projects in 2007;

(i) the Melamchi River Water Diversion Subproject

(Sub-Project -1) covering all project activities in
Melamchi Valley including constructions of Water
Diversion Tunnel (WDT) and Water Treatment
Plant (WTP) at Sundarijal .

(ii) Kathmandu Valley Water Supply and Sanitation

Subproject (Subproject -2) comprising water distribution activities in Kathmandu Valley. EMP
implementation requirements as per EIA and EMP of MWSP, 2000 and 2001 have been covered both of
these sub-projects.

The MWSP originally comprised four parts:

i) infrastructure development;
ii) social and environmental support;
iii) institutional reforms; and
iv) project implementation support.
The revised Project comprises three components: Part A. Melamchi Valley Subproject (Subproject I),
Part B. Kathmandu Valley Subproject (Subproject II), and Part C. Project Support (Subproject III) as
described below:

Part A. Subproject I Comprises:

 Construction of Melamchi Diversion Scheme to carry out about 170 MLD of raw water from the
Melamchi River into Kathmandu Valley through a 26.0 km tunnel;

 Construction of about 43 km of access roads and upgrading of about 29 km of road to assist the
construction of the Project facilities and their maintenance;

 Construction of a water treatment plant with an initial capacity of at least 170 MLD and
expandable to about 510 MLD to treat the Melamchi River Water; and

 Development and implementation of a social upliftment program, including – a) buffer zone

development, b) rural electrification, c) health, d) education, and e) income
generation/community development.

Part B. Subproject II Comprises:

 Rehabilitation and improvement of distribution networks at primary, secondary, and tertiary
levels, house connections, rehabilitation and improvement of existing water supply system
including intakes, transmission lines, water treatment plants and service reservoirs;

 Construction of a bulk distribution system comprising service reservoirs strategically located in

the Kathmandu Valley and bulk water supply pipelines leading to the reservoirs from the water
treatment plant in the pipeline and will be constructed once the fund is available;

 Undertaking the improvements of waste water system in a phased manner; and

 Development of a shallow ground water well field at Manohara within the Kathmandu Valley to
extract, treat, and distribute about 20 MLD of water in Kathmandu valley.

Part C. Subproject III Comprises:

 Development and implementation of i) a resettlement action plan; and ii) an Environmental
Management Plan (EMP) to mitigate direct and indirect Project impacts, including a) hygiene
education, b) public relations programs, c) (if required by ADB) a social and environmental
monitoring program undertake by a panel of domestic experts, and d) a groundwater
monitoring program; and

 Provision of support to carry out various Project administration activities, including PMU
operations, design and construction supervision, social and environmental activities and training
provision of incremental administration and operation costs.

Project Objective
The primary objective of the Project is to alleviate the chronic shortage of potable water in Kathmandu
Valley on a sustainable long-term basis, and thereby to improve the health and well-being of its
inhabitants, particularly the poor.

The project is designed to serve good quality potable drinking water as per World Health Organization’s
guideline to feed in improved distribution network as set out by the Melamchi Water Supply Project –
Subproject II.

Further to this, project also aims a reliable, affordable, consumer oriented and sustainable potable
water supply and sanitation services in the Kathmandu Valley.

Infrastructures Development
Melamchi Diversion Scheme
Construction of Tunnel and Headwork
The major work under this scheme is the
construction of Diversion tunnel
approximately 26.0 km long excavated by
drill and blast method in order to divert
170 MLD of raw water from Melamchi
River to Sundarijal outlet where the raw
water is treated before sending it to Bulk
Distribution System (BDS).

The contract MDS/DT/01 for construction

of headworks and tunnel was awarded to
CRCC a Chinese company on 19 February
2009 with intended completion date of 2
September 2013. Actual physical works started in April 2010. But due to the unsatisfactory performance
of the Contractor it was terminated on 25 September 2012.

From the date CRCC has excavated total 6417 m tunnel including main water tunnel, adit tunnel, access
and flushing tunnel out of 27584 m length.

The Second Contract MDS/DT/02 for Construction and finishing of Remaining Tunnel Length hand
Headwork’s is awarded to an Italian Contractor M/S Cooperativa Muratori Cementesti (CMC) di
Ravenna on 15th July 2013.The commencement date is 1 October 2013.with the intended Completion
Date 31 September 2016.

Other additional works comprises the construction of:

Headwork diversion tunnel and temporary cofferdams on the Melamchi and Ribarma Rivers

Headwork’s intake structures, including earthworks, cuts, civil works and hydraulic steelworks

Adits from portals at ground level to the Diversion tunnel at Ambathan, Gyalthum and Sindhu Excavated
at 18.4 m2 cross sectional area

Gate valve arrangements at portals and spillway/bypass flushing system to Bagmati River other control
works at downstream and portals and Sundarijal

Tunnel Flushing system at Ambathan adit

River training and intake at Ribarma with de-sanding basin

Pipeline (of 1.6 m dia.) from tunnel portal to WTP, length approximately 235m

ii. Construction Maintenance and Management of Access Roads

Access Roads refer to the roads used to visit different Adit points (project sites) including main intake.
This includes the construction of about 43 km of access roads and upgrading of about 29 km of existing
roads making easier / accessible to visit project sites (Adit points) round the year.

More specifically these access roads are categorized as:

Adit Access Road (AAR) – AAR refers the roads to reach to different Adit points of the project sites which
include – Sindhu Adit (Bahunepati – Sindhu Adit ,15.4 km), Gyalthum Adit (Shera to Gyalthum Adit, 4.2
km) and Ambathan Adit (Timbu – Main Intake at Ambathan Adit, 0.7 km)

Main Access Road (MAR) – MAR refers the road from Melamchi Pul Bazar to Timbu which length18 km
long including 10 bridges.

Upgrading Access Road (UAR)- Upgrading of Jorpati-Sundarijal road (6.0 km), Jorpati Gokarna-
Narayantar and Lamidanda – Melamchi Pul Bazar – Timbu (feeder road), 22.2 km.
Water Treatment Plant

Objective of WTP
The main objective of the Water Treatment Plant is to treat raw water from the Melamchi River to
potable standards according to the current World Health Organization Guidelines. Planning and design
of the Water Treatment Plant shall take in to account for the proposed future expansion of capacity.
Upstream of the Water Treatment Plant is the Melamchi Diversion Scheme and downstream of the WTP
is the Bulk Distribution system.

Raw water diverted through 26.0 Km tunnel from Ribarma at Melamchi River to Sundarijal will be
treated to produce drinking water of WHO Standerd. The ultimate capacity of the water treatment plant
will be 510 mld. The plant is to be developed in two phases, i.e. of 170 MLD in 1st phase of project and
the other 340 MLD in 2nd phase when additional 340 MLD water will be diverted from Yangri and Larke
Rivers.

The water treatment plant is to be located near Mahankal, a village on the left bank of the Bagmati River
about 12 km northeast of Kathmandu city at an elevation of approximately 1400 m, such that the plant
will be able to distribute treated water by gravity to existing and proposed storage reservoirs in the
Valley. A conventional treatment process is proposed and which includes pre-treatment, sedimentation,
lime dosing, rapid sand filtration and disinfection

The second stage will be accomplished by duplicating the major facilities of the 1st phase, preferably the
performance and design will be enhanced depending upon the loading on the facilities constructed
under phases 1 and 2.

Water Treatment procedure Waste

Sludge lagoons
water

Receiving flocculation Sedimentation

chamber basins basins

Chemical Clear water

Filtration units
facilation units reservoirs

Safe
drinking
Distribution water
pipe gallery
chamber
Receiving chamber
Water from the melamchi through the 27.5 km tunnel is collected in the huge receiving
chamber. Coagulants like aluminum sulphate / ferric chloride is mixed rapidly in this chamber. The clay,
sand, silts and organic materials combines and remains in the colloidal form.

Flocculation basins
The clay, sand, silts and organic materials combines and remains in the colloidal form. In this
chamber there is slow mixing of the coagulants.

Sedimentation basin
The colloidal formed after the flocculation is collected by the sedimentation process, these
sediment are collected at the bottom and is discharged through the sludge lagoons in the form of waste
water.

Filtration units
The water after the sedimentation is passed through the filtration unit where the water is
filtered by sand filtration process where the water is passed through the fine to coarse sand layers.

Then the water is collected in the clear water reservoir and then it is passed through the
chemical facilitation unit where it is treated with the different chemicals now the water is passed
through the pipe gallery and then to the distribution chamber. The safe drinking water collected in this
chamber is distributed through different bulk distribution unit.

WTP-01

The Comonent of the Melamchi Water Supply Project is funded by the Japan Bank for International Co-
operation (JBIC). The designed capacity was 170 mld with provision of the future expansion. In the first
phase of project. The design of phase 1 allows for the complete development of the site over the three
phases, and some facilities are, therefore, sized for the ultimate capacity. Now the project is
implemented in two phases. Under the 1st phase of WTP the capacity is scaled down to 85 MLD in
recommendation of JICA.

The work under this Contract will include, but will not be limited to, furnishing all labor, materials,
appurtenances, tools, equipment and construction technology necessary for the Melamchi Water Supply
Project, Contract No. WTP/01, Construction of Water Treatment Plant at Sundarijal and which includes
both civil and electrical/mechanical work to construct:

The connection to the pipeline laid under the Melamchi Diversion Scheme (MDS) from the end of the
tunnel to near the water treatment plant;
Construction of the Water treatment plant includes the receiving chamber, mini-hydro power
generation(200KW), distribution chamber, flocculation basins, 3 sedimentation basins, 8 filtration units,
pipe gallery, 1 clear water reservoir (13.8ML), 2 sludge lagoons, Central Building Complex comprising
chemical facilities, maintenance facilities and administration facilities and on-site pipework;

The treated water transmission main from the treatment plant to the connection with the bulk
distribution system (BDS);

All ancillary works including roads and site works; and

Testing, commissioning and training of MWSDB (or other designated) personnel for the works under the
Contract.

Sundarijal Water Treatment plant is designed as the SCADA system operated largest Water Treatment
Plant in the country.

WTP-02

ADB has been provided additional financing (loan 3255) to MWSDB for construction of 85 MLD water
Treatment Plant as a capacity expansion of Sundarijal Water Treatment Plant from 85 MLD to 170 MLD.
NJS and associates have prepared design reports and bid documents for part -2 of WTP (WTP-02). The
work has been awarded and contract signed with the contractor Tundi Construction Pvt.Ltd. and-
Pratibha Industries JV. The contract agreement was made on 7th November 2016. The scheduled
completion date is 23rd July 2018. The total contract price is NPR 1375155063.86 without VAT.

Eptisa Servicios de Ingenieria SL (Spain) in association with Tech Studio of Engineering (Nepal), SILT
Consultants (P) Ltd. (Nepal), TEAC Consul P Ltd. (Nepal) and GeoCom Nepal Consult Pvt. Ltd (Nepal) have
been awarded contract for design review and construction supervision of WTP-02, Capacity Expansion of
Sundarijal WTP from 85 MLD to 170 MLD.

History and progress

The concept of this project was first initiated in 2031 BS. The possibility of the project was studied by the
British company Bini and Partners. In 2055 BS the melamchi water supply project was established. 120
million dollar loan was taken from Asian development bank in 2007 AD. But due to the political reasons
the project was delayed and started in 2009 .The contract was taken by the Chinese company CRCC to
finish it by 2013.

But in three years only 6.5 km tunnel out of 27.5 km was constructed by CRCC. In 2012 sept 25,
this contract was dismissed. The new contractor from Italy started the project in 1 st oct 2013, to finish
the work within 1095 days, but the work was delayed by the earth quake and blockage. Up to 2017 oct ,
almost all work for the construction of tunnel was completed.
 SN Major activates Present Status
. (As per fiscal year 2074/75)

1. Head work construction 70% completed

2. Tunnel construction Out of 27.58 km 27.371 km tunnel

construction completed. Out of 27.371km
completed tunnel, around 3.5km the work
of final support and invert lining is
completed.

3. WTP-1 Construction and testing phase completed

(85 MLD) on 31st dec 2017 .168 hours test was
completed by using bagmati water.

4. WTP-2 8400 cubic meter of RCC/PCC work done

(85 MLD) in reservoir and filter plants.

Project Financing
Funding MWSP – Project Financing Plan
Melamchi Water Supply Project (MWSP) was designed to finance four major components (i)
Infrastructure Development, (ii) Social and Environmental Support; (iii) institutional reforms; and (iv)
Project implementation Support.
 The MWSP was projected to cost US$ 464 million in 2000 prices. According to the original
financial plan, ADB shouldered the largest financing share (US$120 million equivalent) followed by the
World Bank (US$80 million), the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), US$52 million
equivalent), NORAD (US$28 million equivalent), Sida (US$ 25 million equivalent), the Japan International
Cooperation Agency (JICA, $18 million equivalent), the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
Fund for International Development (OFID/OPEC), $14 million equivalent), and NDF ($9 million
equivalent). The Government’s original financing share in the MWSP was $ 118 million equivalent.

World Bank proposed a PSP financing plan (Private Sector Participation) financing plan for
institutional reform components of the project. But this private lease failed to attract interest from
potential bidders in both tendering efforts and hence the World Bank decided to drop proposed funding
in June 2002. Due this, other funding partners has also lost their interest and hence delayed the project
operation until new scheme of financing re-designed and sourced.

After a demonstrated commitment and initiatives taken by the government, ADB agreed to
recover the financial lag created and re-structure the project as Melamchi Valley Subproject
(Subproject1) and Kathmandu Valley Subproject (Subproject2). Currently, the MWSDB governs only the
Subproject1 activities.

The current financing plan and sources to respective project task has been described below:

1. Government of Nepal (GON)

2. Asian Development Bank (ADB)

3. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)

4. Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)

5. Nordic Development Fund (NDF)

1. Government of Nepal

Nepal government has been continuously putting effort to complete the Melamchi Water Supply
Project and provide safe drinking water to the people of capital city, Kathmandu since November 1998
after the establishment of the Melamchi Water Supply Development Board (MWSDB).

Various researches, studies and concept has been put forward before the formal establishment
of MWSDB, it seems that country has already estimated the future crisis of water in the capital city and
started programming of Melamchi project since 1990.

Although, Nepal government has allocated only the 28.56 percent of total estimated budget to
be spent to complete the Melamchi Water Supply Project, it has already worked hard to create/collect
the required fund coordinating with different international/multinational and bilateral financial
institutions.

Keeping the evaluations and follow up of all sorts of project works, the government of Nepal has
allocated budget in the following work areas of the project.

Infrastructure Development – 36.98 million Out of 148.64 million, i.e. 25 percent of total cost of
this component.

Social and Environmental Support – 1.67 million out of 8.31 million investment in this sector (20
percent of total cost)

Project Implementation Support – 14.87 million out of 45.66 million investment in this sector
(33 percent)

Also, the government of Nepal bears 100 percent expenses on estimated 16.67 million US$ tax
and 19 percent (2.97 million US$) of contingencies estimated for physical and prices contingencies our
of 16.02 million US$.

Hence, in total the government of Nepal bears a sum of 73.16 million US$ out of 235.31 million
US$ estimated to invest in the project construction i.e. approximately 31.02 Percent of cost allocated for
Subproject I of Melamchi Water Supply project.

2. Asian Development Bank (ADB)

ADB is the major donor for the Melamchi Water Supply Project. A total of 91.72 million US$ out
of estimated 235.31 has been financed as a Loan. This amount will be approximately 39 percent of the
total cost estimated to complete the task as assigned to Subproject 1 of Melamchi Water Supply Project.

The sum from the ADB Loan shall be covered as follows:

Infrastructure Development – 60.49 million Out of 148.64 million, i.e. 41 percent of total cost of
this component.

Social and Environmental Support – 6.64 million out of 8.31 million investment in this sector (80
percent of total cost of this component.

Project Implementation Support – 15.50 million out of 45.66 million investment in this sector
(34 percent)

A sum of 9.08 m US$ out of 16.02 m US$ has also been estimated to finance for physical and
price contingencies from the Loan of ADB.

The work under Infrastructure Development are:

 (i) Construction of 26.0 km long tunnel

(ii) building and maintenance of access roads including – AAR, UAR and MAR; and

(iii) construction operation and maintenance of Camp site offices Pulbazar and different Adit
Access points.

3. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)

The loan agreed to provide by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) has now been
invested in the Melamchi Water Supply project through JICA. A sum of estimated 46.28 million US$ out
of 235.31 million US$ i.e. 20 percent of total cost incurred in the subproject1 of Melamchi Water Supply
Project.

Basically, out of the total Loan amount i.e 46.28 million, 37.47 million US$ will be invested in
order to construct the water treatment plant at main outlet of the 26.3 Km long tunnel at Sundarijal.
Rest of the loan amount (8.81 m US$) will be spent on different training required to operate the water
treatment plant after completion. Also, this loan will contribute for physical and price contingencies.

In summary the Fund from JICA/JBIC will cover:

(i) Construction of Water Treatment Plant (WTP) at Sundarijal Mahankal

(ii) Consulting and management expenses for Water Treatment Plant

Water Treatment Plant Consultant.

Challenges in the project construction:

 Longest tunnel of the south Asia.

 Rock structure- presence of all six categories of rocks.
 Small dimension of tunnel, breadth 3.5m and length 4m area 12 square
meter.
 Constructed by drilling and blasting method 6m per day.
 Length of tunnel=27584m
 Total days to construct whole tunnel=27584/6
=4597 days
=12 years.
 Out of 27.5 km ,about 9 km is below the shiva puri hill with hard rock.
 Supply pipe sewage pipe are laid parallel.
Melamchi : expectation vs. reality
Present water supply status of Kathmandu valley
 Daily requirement of KTM valley -375MLD
 Supply by KUKL-120MLD
 Leakage-50MLD (35%)
 Actual supply- 70MLD (only 18.67% of total demand)
 Water supplied by tanker-20MLD
 Mineral water bottle supply-4MLD
 Expenditure on mineral water –RS 8 crore per day (RS 20 per bottle).
 Deficiency of water per day-281 MLD
 Capacity of melamchi -170 MLD
 Deficiency of water after the completion of this project-111MLD

Solutions
 Future expansion of melamchi project(up to 510MLD)

 170MLD from yangri and Larke Rivers each.

 Development of a shallow ground water well field at
Manohara within the Kathmandu Valley to extract,
treat, and distribute about 20 MLD of water in
Kathmandu valley.

 Rain water, grey water and black water harvesting.

Conclusion
In conclusion, we found out that even after the completion of
melamchi project ,there would still be the scarcity of water in
the Kathmandu. The melamchi project was designed as per to
meet the population of 1990. .As the work was started 12
years ago but still the 1st phase in under construction .