Come September, the people of Tshaphel chiwog will have a reliable drinking water supply. The De-Suung National Service Water Project and the government began the works for the cause.
The project will be of great benefit for the households residing nearby the Tshaphel Lower Secondary school. The villagers come across many people, mostly school teachers looking for an apartment. But without a reliable drinking water supply, they are not able to income the expected income from renting out the apartments.
“People ask if the apartment has a reliable water supply with attached toilet. People who came looking for a vacant house cancelled the apartment booking because the water supply is not reliable. Now, things are likely to change,” said Phub Tshering who plans to rent out apartments.
“I actually had tenants in my attic. Now, they vacated due to water scarcity,” added Tshewang Namgay.
According to the Eusu Gewog’s Mangmi Ugyen Chungwa, Tshaphel village started facing water shortage issues as the population increased over the years.
“There were only 17 households in Tshaphel village in the past. Today, the number of households has increased to 47. This is the main reason for the water shortage issue in the village.”
Moreover, the village’s existing water supply is irregular as the reservoir tank and pipes are too old. The project will construct 11 household taps for Tshaphel chiwog. The people said this would address the problem of water shortage.
The project will also supply reliable drinking water to Tshaphel Lower Secondary School. The school will soon be upgraded to a middle secondary school and take in both day scholars and boarding students from six gewogs in Haa.
The school’s Vice Principal Sonam Choden said the project will go a long way in helping students maintain hygiene in the school. “Now, with the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to wash hands frequently. So we must have an uninterrupted water supply. The current water source for the school is located in one of the pasturelands. So when it rains, mud and twigs block the pipe and tank. And our cooks and other staff have to go and clear the pipe frequently.”
The works are carried out by 60 De-Suups along with RBA personnel, officials from the works and human settlement ministry Haa Dzongkhag Administration. They will be constructing a water intake tank, two reservoirs and pipe transmission and distribution lines.
The project is estimated to cost five million ngultrum. Once complete, it will be handed over to the dzongkhag and gewog for maintenance.
Namgay Wangchuk, Haa
