By Bhauch Prasad Yadav, Kathmandu, Mar. 19: The construction work of the head box of the Melamchi Water Supply Project has reached the final stage.

A 'head box' is constructed for the initial treatment of water before it is diverted to the Melamchi water tunnel.

Now the river water is poured directly into the tunnel. The head box will be ready in about two months. Even if the head box is not ready, the test work will continue from March 28.

Rajendra Prasad Pant, Spokesperson at Melamchi Water Supply Development Board said that the construction of the head box was scheduled to be completed by December but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the work was halted so the time for the completion of the project was added.

He said, "The physical work of the head box has been completed while some of the hydro-mechanical equipment, automatic devices and electrification equipment to be connected are being procured from abroad."

As soon as the equipment arrives, all the work of the head box will be completed along with the connection work.

Work is also underway to connect the 'Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA)' system to the head box.

"As soon as the test of the tunnel is completed, the work of the head box will also be completed and the water of Melamchi will be permanently diverted to the tunnel through the head box," said spokesperson Pant.

He added, "The head box cleans the various doors in the intake, separates and piles the ballast sand that comes with the water, and removes the soluble substances mixed in the water."

He clarified that the water tunnel will be diverted only after all these processes are completed from the head box.

He said that the water of Melamchi will be muddy only for one and a half months mainly during the rainy season, however, there will be no problem of water being impure as the water is still clean.

He said, "A water audit mechanism has been installed to treat the water inside the tunnel even if debris enters the tunnel while diverting water."

Under this system, the waste in the water goes to the bottom of the tunnel and can be washed later.

The bottom of the zigzag-shaped tunnel is fitted with a 'water audit mechanism', in which the waste in the water can be easily collected.

Construction of SCADA

Spokesperson Pant said that the project is constructing a 'Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA)' system to bring the water of Melamchi to the taps of the people of the valley easily and simply.

This is the most advanced computerized automated system ever adopted worldwide for safe and secure drinking water distribution.