Wednesday 8th May 2024
Nepal Prime Minister KP Oli Sharma laid the foundation stone for a sewage treatment plant at Lalitpur’s Balkumari on January 03, 2019.
The plant which will be constructed by the Nepal Ministry of Water Supply & Sanitation is targeted to be completed within a five-year span.
Prime Minister Oli used the opportunity to speak about the Melamchi Water Supply Project informing that the government was work relentlessly for the completion of the projection and supply its water to Kathmandu at the earliest.
“Although its progress was at a snail’s pace for 27 years, it has been accelerated now,” Oli added.
Oli also said that 70 percent of the water flowing in India’s Ganges was coming from Nepal which saved Bihar and Uttar Pradesh from desertification.
Following this, Water Supply & Sanitation Minister Bina Magar said that the water treated at the plant could be used for different applications.
“The sludge could be used for generating electricity and producing organic manure,” Magar added.
Ministry Secretary Gajendra Kumar Thakur also shared that works for reviving the rivers on the verge of drying up, have started. Besides, works on sewerage are also being undertaken.
Mayor of Lalitpur Metropolitan City Chiri Babu Maharjan revealed that the government was having discussions with the locals of Sundarighat for a similar project.
Although, Project Implementation Director Tiresh Prasad Khatri expressed concern saying that even though the water drawn from Melamchi to Kathmandu will solve the drinking water shortage, it would increase the volume of sewage, presenting more challenges for managing it.
