Kathmandu. Water has been released from Dhapadyam to increase the water flow in the Bagmati river targeting the Maha Shivaratri festival this year. The water is being poured from the Dhapadyam with the objective of helping the devotees to bathe and enhance the beauty of the river.

The Bagmati Improvement Project under the High Powered Committee for Integrated Development of the Bagmati Civilization has released water flow to the Pashupatinath temple premises in view of a large crowd of devotees.

According to the project, water has been gradually released from the dam since this afternoon to increase the water flow. The project has said that the project has been coordinating with the river to ensure continuous flow of water throughout the festival.

Project Deputy Director and Information Officer Uddhav Nepal informed that the water from Dhapadyam has been released into the river since today targeting the Mahashivaratri festival. “It takes around 14 hours to reach the Pashupati area after the release of water from the Dhap Dam, so we have started releasing water from the dam in the Bagmati on special days,” he said. Thousands of devotees from home and abroad come here to worship the Pashupatinath temple and take holy dip in the Bagmati river on the occasion of Shivaratri.

Four hundred liters of water per second was released

According to the committee, 400 litres of water per second would be released in the Bagmati river for three days. “The release of water will bring down the water level in the Bagmati River up to knee-deep and it will be easier for the devotees to bathe in the river, which is expected to enhance the beauty of the river,” Nepal said, adding, “We have also requested the Melamchi Drinking Water Development Committee to release water in the Bagmati River.” ”

Coordinate with KUKL

Coordination has been made among the bodies concerned for preparation to increase the water flow in the Bagmati river on the occasion of Mahashivaratri festival. Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL) has been sent to the Sundarijal Water Treatment Section to supply water to the river.

Prior to this, a meeting of the bodies concerned on June 7, 2081 had decided to supply water in the Bagmati River on the occasion of different festivals. According to Bagmati Improvement Project Chief Shambhuraj Pandit, 320 million litres of water has been supplied to the KUKL Sundarijal branch from Dhapadyam so far. He also informed that KUKL has already collected 279.8 million liters of water during various festivals.

According to Pandit, the Bagmati River has been urged to supply water at the rate of 400 liters per second on the occasion of Mahashivaratri. “We have urged the people to flow water from 6.00 pm today to 6.00 pm on Sunday,” he said.

Preparing to release up to 50 million liters of water

Preparations are underway to divert water up to five million litres to the Bagmati River on the occasion of Mahashivaratri festival. Chief of Sundarijal Water Treatment Project under Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL), Hem Budhathoki, said that the water will be released from 6:00 pm today.

“The project has officially sent a letter to the project demanding the release of water to the Bagmati River”, he said, adding that the project is preparing to release around 50 million liters of water from the Sundarijal Processing Centre by 6:00 pm on Sunday. ”

The water from Dhapadyam was borrowed when the Melamchi Project was temporarily shut down during the monsoon last year. But this year, KUKL has not taken water from Dhapadyam. The Melamchi River has been helping to increase the water flow in the Bagmati River even during important festivals like Chhath. Last year, the Melamchi Project had supplied water to the Bagmati River during Mahashivaratri.

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Mayor Budhathoki said the flow of water into the Bagmati River would not affect the consumers of the Kathmandu Valley. “We have been distributing 170 million litres of water to consumers in Kathmandu Valley every day. Even if water flows into the Bagmati River, it will not affect the consumers,” he said, “Because we will divert more water from the Melamchi project to the treatment centre.” ”