January 23: Melamchi Water Supply Project (MWSP) recently held consultations with Asian Development Bank (ADB) to expedite the project work after the Italian contractor company pulled out from the project.

According to Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS), spokesperson of MWSP Rajendra Prasad Panta said that the project is preparing to scrap the contract with CMC di Ravanna for tunnel construction and entrusting the responsibilities to carry on the remaining works of the project to subsidiary construction companies as it would take a while to call for tender.

Of the tunnel measuring 27.5 kilometres from Ambathan of Sindhupalchowk to Sundarjal of Kathmandu, only 410 metres of tunnel require finishing touches, shared Panta.

Similarly, 885 metres of tunnel await RCC works and two of the three ventilators are yet to be rebuilt, according to a news report published by RSS.

“Ventilation has been made in the tunnel stretching from Gyalthum to Ambathan while drilling needs to be done for ventilations from tunnel spanning from Sundarijal to Sindhu and Sindhu to Gyalthum,” RSS said.

Installation of GI pipe to bring water from the outlet of the tunnel at Sundarijal to water processing centre is also left to be carried out.

According to RSS, the project is holding further consultations with the stakeholders to expedite the works.

MWSP said it would wait for 14 days for response from the Italian construction company before scrapping the contract. Works relating to the project would be forwarded from February 2, according to the project.