The project started decades ago – with countless deadlines – water from Sindupalchowk district finally traveled to Kathmandu valley on March 7. The Melamchi project carries 260 liters of water per second through 26.3 km of tunnel. About 170 million liters of water is daily supplied to the Kathmandu valley.
“A long dream of bringing water from Melamchi to Kathmandu Valley has come true today. This is a happy day as we have succeeded in bringing drinking water for many of the population”, prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli said during the inauguration session. He also added that people would get water from the Yangri and Larke rivers in the future, providing 510 million liters daily.
After getting a plenty amount of water, how are the people of Kathmandu utilizing it? The question arises. Before this project, KUKL – distributing authority – supplied only 10 percent of demand daily. The majority would have to depend upon the water tanker – which costs around Rs 3000 per 10 thousand liters. Kathmandu was one of the most expensive places to bathe. However, these days, the situation has totally changed.
Melamchi Has Become a Boon
A year ago, the situation was different. People used to travel miles to wash their clothes. One of the famous destinations is Dudhpokhari – spring tap – situated in Machhegau, Kirtipur. Daily, more than a thousand people bathed and washed their clothes. The majority was of students living in Kirtipur. On the contrary, the flow of people amassed during Saturday.
A local of Dudhpokhari, Rajendra Maharjan, said, “In the past days we did not get proper sleep, people used to come even during the night. But, these days, it’s very comfortable. Nobody disturbs us; even the spring is crying alone in happiness.” He adds the water has now been sent to a reservoir and used for daily purposes. What Rajendra feels is the change brought by the Melamchi water project. The significance of spring tap has now drastically decreased because of getting facility.
Melamchi’s Water Has Changed People’s Behaviour
Sunita Roka, a student from Tripureshwor, says, “I remember, two years ago, when there were SAG games, there was a huge scarcity of water around the valley. Similarly, during the lockdown, in 2020, we had to face a crisis. I did not bathe for 2 consecutive weeks.” Sunita is not the only character who faced difficulties while living in Kathmandu. Her pain was reflected through her words. She adds, “I had my periods during that time; only a woman can understand my pain. I tackled the situation excruciatingly. Even the shops were not open; if they were, I could have brought a jar (water) and bathe.”
According to Mi-Yeon Eom, a psychologist, “As a symbol, water is rich with psychological meaning for it represents the source of life, maternity, potential energy, healing, wisdom, … It embodies all possibilities and potentiality, … water functions as a symbolic mediator that reveals human problems and offers the possibility of healing.” So, in a sense, when people get enough water, they feel satisfied.
To put a case, Kabita Dhakal, an underprivileged housewife living in rent in Lokanthali, explains, “Before Melamchi, I did not use much water while showering, I used to collect and utilize it to irrigate vegetables in my yard. We had maintained discipline; in a sense, we used to collect every drop of used water.” I used to stay awake, thinking about water. I felt depressed and dreamed of buying a big tank.
There were many bathing houses in Kathmandu valley. Per hour they charged between 150-500 rupees. However, they are on the brink of collapse. Another business, which is now on the verge of fall, is a water tanker. It is estimated that around ten thousand water tankers were operating in Kathmandu. During winter and autumn, a tanker driver had to make eight to fifteen trips daily. However, after the arrival of Melamchi’s water, the business slumped.
Sudhir, 21, a student living in rent, explains his immense pain, which he suffered daily. He is a student living in Kirtipur. During the past days, his landlord only gave 2 buckets of water per day. With that bucket, he had to go to the bathroom, wash his kitchen utensils and clothes, and bathe. Furthermore, he says, I used to collect water in a big bucket and wash my clothes twice a week. Talking about bathing, that only happened once a week. The Tribune asked him if it the same or different, he explained, “Nowadays, I bathe daily; my landlord has no problem while giving water.”
The suffering of the peoples of Kathmandu has been partially solved. Still, the amount of water is not sufficient to provide on a 24-hour basis. Yet, something to have is much better than nothing to have. The government should start and continue Yangri and Larke project as soon as possible.
Read more: Bangladeshi Journo Rozina Sent To Jail
