Pokhara’s water supply project completed, shortages persist

The construction of the Pokhara Water Supply Improvement Project, initiated in 2019 to provide mineral water-quality drinking water to Pokhara households, has been completed.

The project, funded with a grant of Rs 4.81bn from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), was officially handed over on Friday. JICA and the Government of Nepal signed the grant agreement for the project on 15 Feb 2017, with construction beginning in 2019.

Japan’s Hazama Ando Corporation was entrusted with the project’s construction. Although work was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the initial deadline of 31 Dec 2023, was extended to Aug 31. With the project’s completion, 41m liters of water collected daily from the Mardi River in Machhapuchhre Rural Municipality are now processed through a state-of-the-art treatment plant before distribution in Pokhara. Previously, 46m liters of untreated water were distributed daily from the same source. The project adjusted its output to match the original design specifications, resulting in a 5m-liter reduction in daily distribution.

Despite the availability of treated drinking water, Pokhara continues to face water shortages. The Drinking Water Corporation has connected 52,000 households to the system. According to Ashish Karki, head of the Pokhara branch of the Drinking Water Corporation, current production stands at 62m liters daily, including water sourced from boreholes.

However, the 19 wards of Pokhara Metropolitan City require 87m liters of water per day to meet the demands of the growing population. The project did not account for this population growth during its planning phase, leading to continued shortages.

At the inauguration ceremony on Friday, Water Minister Pradeep Yadav pledged to address the remaining water scarcity through additional measures. Mayor Dhana Raj Acharya of Pokhara Metropolitan City expressed satisfaction that, for the first time, the city now has a pure and safe drinking water treatment system. He also called for new plans to resolve the ongoing water shortages, assuring the metropolis’ support in this effort.

Currently, Pokhara’s water supply includes 3.5m liters daily in the rainy season and 1m liters in the dry season from Armalasthi Bhotikhola. Another 3.5m liters in the rainy season and 1.5m liters in the dry season are sourced from Kalimuda and Majkun Muhan, distributed via the Amalabisauni tank. Additionally, 1m liters are distributed from Baldhara. Water is also extracted from 21 boreholes across the city, with a total of 62m liters supplied daily.

To address the shortages, the Drinking Water Corporation is in the process of contracting work to bring additional water from the Mardi River through a 500-mm pipeline. However, it appears residents of Pokhara will need to wait a few more years for uninterrupted, 24-hour access to clean drinking water.