Sindhupalchowk. Locals have halted the diversion of water from the Melamchi Water Supply Project. The diversion of water from the tunnel at Ambathan of Helambu rural municipality-1 has been halted from today. The Melamchi Drinking Water Flood Victims’ Struggle Committee has padlocked the site office of the drinking water project and has taken a stance that they will not allow the water to be diverted until their demands are met.

The Melamchi Flood Victims Struggle Committee, various political parties and locals have called for halting the diversion of water until their demands were met, said Vice-Chairperson of Melamchi Flood Victims Struggle Committee, Nawaraj Guragain.

Among the demands put forth by the flood-affected Melamchi Project include construction of embankments to control the river, protection of vulnerable settlements, waiving off the loans of houses and businesses built in the Melamchi corridor by taking loan from banks and financial institutions before the Melamchi floods, compensation of Rs 1 million each to the families killed in the floods, providing drinking water levy through the local government and Rs 2 million grant for the construction of new houses ।

They said that the Melamchi water cannot be diverted to Kathmandu without fulfilling the demands of the locals. They have demanded the implementation of income generation programmes for the flood victims. They drew the attention of the 17-point demand. They chanted slogans such as ‘Implement the agreements reached earlier’, ‘Long live Melamchi flood victims’ and ‘Fulfill the demands of the victims’.

An agreement was reached between the struggle committee, the rural municipality and the Ministry of Water Supply on October 9, 2081 BS. The then Water Supply Minister Pradeep Yadav had agreed to the demands of the locals. The massive flood of June 14, 2078 BS had completely destroyed houses and farms of most of the people living near the Melamchi River. Locals have been putting forth various demands.