Clean water in Bagmati from mid-October

With the completion of 98 per cent of Bagmati River Basin Improvement Project (BRBIP) in the Kathmandu Valley, clean water will flow in the Bagmati River from coming mid-October. Preparations are being made to send the water collected in the BRBIP in Gokarneshwor Municipality Ward No 1 to the Bagmati River after October 17.

A large man-made lake is constructed at a height of 2,800 to 90 meters above sea level. Also, Dhap dam is the first CFRD dam built in Nepal. The cost of construction of an artificial lake is 450 million rupees, which is being built on top of Mulkharka village, the northwest peak of the valley.

This lake is spread over eight hectares or 158 ropanis of land. The construction work of the dam began in 2015. There will be a 24-meter high dam, in which the rain water and the water coming from different watersheds will be collected. Water from the Dhap Dam under construction will be released in Bagmati for eight months at a rate of 40 liters per second during the dry season.

If the sewerage management is effective and waste management is done along with it properly, clean water will flow from the origin of Bagmati River to Chobhar. According to chief engineer of the project, Nischal Chatkuli, the dam was constructed as the water availability and quality of water in Kathmandu valley is decreasing day by day. He said that in order to increase the water flow and quality of water in Bagmati, the dams were constructed at different places. He informed that construction of the dam started at an additional cost of Rs 450 million excluding VAT and Rs 510 million including VAT. After mid-October there is a plan to flow water to Bagmati river from the dam., he informed. He said that even if the dam is constructed with the assumption that it can flow 40 litters daily for 8 months, it will not be possible to flow water according to the plan until BRBIP is completed.

He informed that the water sent from the dam should be sent to Pashupati Aryaghat. In coordination with the Pashupati Area Development Fund, it was agreed to send only 400 liters of water to the Pashupatinath temple area on 27 days of the year and during special festivals, he added. Chief Engineer Chatkuli also informed that the study and detailed design environmental study of another dam in the Shivapuri Park area near the dam is underway. The aim is to generate electricity from this water and the campaign to clean the Bagmati River is also connected with this.