People of Jawangkha-Sewla Chiwog of Chhubu Gewog in Punakha will soon have enough drinking water. The De-Suung National Service Water Project will be constructing a reliable source of drinking water for the chiwog’s residents.
The people of Jawangkha-Sewla have long associated their community with insufficient drinking water. According to them, they hardly enjoyed a reliable source. And what’s worse is that today, the spring water and other sources they have depended on are drying.
They say water has always been a scarce resource. The problem is more severe during the dry seasons.
“It is difficult to maintain hygiene when people have to rely on irrigation water for consumption,” said chiwog Tshogpa Tsagay.
“Our water source is unreliable. We get water only when there is rainfall,” said Namgay Dem, a resident of the chiwog.
They said the increasing number of users in the chiwog had put further pressure on the drying sources.
“I did not have water for the whole winter last year. Fortunately, my neighbours and relatives helped me get water in their vehicle. Moreover, I have a poultry farm where even three barrels of water cannot last for a few days. The shortage is acute from this year,” said Phub Dem, a resident of Jawangkha-Sewla.
“We have to fetch water from the pipe on a rotational basis without even sleeping,” said Tshering Wangmo, another resident of the chiwog.
But these problems are bound to be solved soon. The De-Suung National Service Water Project has come to the community’s help.
90 desuups will work for five months to draw water from a source almost 30 kilometres away and establish a reliable drinking water supply.
“We heard that the water will be supplied to our doorstep as a Soelra without us having to do anything,” said Dawa Gyeltshen, a resident of the chiwog.
“We are extremely happy that His Majesty The King is granting us drinking water kidu,” said another resident Phub Dem.
The water project will also benefit the people of Bumtakha-Tenpakha chiwog whose plights are similar to that of Jangwakha Sewla chiwog. Together, there are around 135 households in the two chiwogs.
Changa Dorji, Punakha
