Panchkhal: The construction of the Panchkhal-Sunkoshi Water Supply Project has reached its final stage. Around 31,000 citizens in the region are set to benefit from this initiative.
According to National News Agency Nepal, the project’s completion has been delayed by approximately three years due to various challenges. The Project Office reports that construction has achieved around 99 percent physical progress. Following the damage caused by floods and landslides in Asoj last year, the project underwent significant repairs and reconstruction, as confirmed by Kumar Lamichhane, Chairperson of the Drinking Water Consumers’ Committee.
Lamichhane highlighted that drinking water is now being distributed to targeted settlements after collecting water in a 3.9 million litre-capacity water treatment plant and overhead tank at Panchkhal-9. The water is sourced from the Sunkoshi River. The project is anticipated to be fully operational by the end of December, with 84 litres of water per second being directed to the treatment plant.
The infrastructure, including wells and lifting technology, has been constructed on the bank of the Sunkoshi River in Bimire, Ward 10 of Bhumlu Rural Municipality, to manage the water supply for Panchkhal Municipality. Lamichhane noted that the project, with a total cost of Rs 1 billion 474 million 360 thousand, will benefit 31,415 citizens across 6,037 households in various wards of Panchkhal Municipality.
It is estimated that each individual will have access to 192.05 litres of water daily, with the project projecting benefits for 45,000 citizens by 2040.