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ADB expresses interest in funding second phase
Asian Development Bank (ADB) has expressed interest in financing the second phase of the Melamchi Drinking Water Project which is expected to begin right after the completion of first phase in May 2017.Asian Development Bank (ADB) has expressed interest in financing the second phase of the Melamchi Drinking Water Project which is expected to begin right after the completion of first phase in May 2017.
Once the first phase is completed, the project will start pumping 170 million litres of water daily from the Melamchi River in Sindhupalchok to the Valley.
ADB Vice-president (Operations) Wencai Zhang said on Monday the lender wants the first phase to complete without delay so that work on the second phase could start at the earliest.
“If the first phase is completed by May 2017, detailed design of the second phase can be carried out in 2017,” said Kenichi Yokoyama, ADB’s country director for Nepal. “Based on my conversation with the contractor, consultant and the government implementing agency (Melamchi Board), the first phase should be completed by May 2017,” said Wencai.
According to ADB, the project has been making good progress lately under the new contractor—Italy’s Cooperativa Muratori e Cementisti di Ravenna (CMC). The contractor began work since July 2013.
Melamchi Board has said CMC has finished digging 15km of the tunnel so far at the rate of 30-32 metres per day.
As per the agreement, the contractor has to dig at least 40 metres per day. Earlier, it was digging at the rate of 22 meters per day.
Admitting the project has been delayed significantly, Wenchai said last year’s earthquake and subsequent disruption in the supply of construction materials due to trade blockade until the first week of February also affected the project.