ADB to review Melamchi progress

BY THIRA L BHUSAL
KATHMANDU, June 6

A mission of Asian Development Bank (ADB) is beginning a progress review of the Melamchi Water Supply Project from Friday. The mission from the principal donor of the project will conclude on June 13, said an ADB official from its Kathmandu office.

Urban Development Specialist Gyongshim An, the mission leader, arrived in Kathmandu from ADB's headquarters in Manila on Thursday, according to the ADB official.

Gyongshim and another Urban Development Specialist Notio Saito are in the mission from Manila, while five other members of the mission will join from the Nepal Resident Mission in Kathmandu, the ADB official said.

The objectives of the mission are: review and assessment progress in implementation of institutional reforms and transition works, and follow up on pending issues raised by the Specialist Urban Development Division (SUDD) with respect to the government's assurances on restructured projects and institutional reforms.

The mission will facilitate institutional assessment in implementing sub-projects under the amended loans, discuss social safeguards and social uplift program implementation and undertake field visits to Melamchi Valley to assess the development of social programs. Likewise, other objectives of the mission are to review the progress and implementation action plan of the Technical Assistance (TA) and to undertake inception discussion with the Technical Assistance funded interim managers.

Some four months back, the government of Nepal formed Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL) under public-private partnership concept as ADB and other donors had been pressuring the government that water distribution responsibility in the capital be handed over to an autonomous body for improving the water supply system in the valley.

ADB provided technical assistance to help in management and operation of water services in Kathmandu Valley during KUKL's initial operation period of 18 months. Nepal Water Supply Corporation (NWSC) had been carrying out water supply work in valley in the past. The government had handed over some assets and staff of NWSC to KUKL on February.

Melamchi is designed to supply 170 million liters of water daily into the capital. The current water demand in the Valley is 250 MLD, while supply stands at only one-third of the demand.

THE KATHMANDU POST
Posted on: 2008-06-05 21:07:06 (Server Time)