The Central Water Supply System in Thimphu Thromde is expected to be ready by January. The project was actually due for completion this month.
Officials say they are focusing on quality and this is among the reasons for delay.
The Central Water Supply System will divert the stream, located two kilometres above Dordena, to the Thromde’s water supply network.
The new water supply is expected to solve the water crisis in North Thimphu, core town areas and the Changjiji housing colony.
Thromde officials say almost 95 per cent of the works are complete.
“We thought of inaugurating by 17th of this month. The works are almost complete, but the water pipe size is big, almost 14 inches,” Thimphu Thrompon Kinlay Dorjee said.
“So, as the water runs from higher altitude to lower altitude with high speed and if the works near the water pipes are not done properly and if the water pipe joints are not properly tightened then water might flow out of it, which may cause damage to the houses nearby,” he added.
Harsh working condition in some places is also being blamed for the delay.
“It would have been done by the end of this year but we had some difficult situations, such as carrying and laying of the big water pipes across steep cliffs and to places where there were no motorable roads from Pangrizampa to Taba,” the Thrompon said.
“But the work near Dodeyna and Taba is properly done. The only work that is incomplete is to build the walls and to make the water pipes strong with metal and cement so it won’t move when the water is supplied.”
Once complete, the Thromde is hopeful of providing over 170 litres of water per person in a day. However, the old water distribution pipelines are still a concern.
According to the Thimphu Thromde, the battered distribution network of pipelines will hinder their goal of providing 24-hour water supply.
The Thromde, therefore, is planning to replace all the old pipes with newer and bigger ones in the 12th Five Year Plan.
