Samdrup Jongkhar thromde has become synonymous with a water crisis. Reliable and sufficient drinking water remains a dream for many residents. This dream has now come true for the residents of the Samdrup Jongkhar Toed constituency. The completed project to supply uninterrupted safe drinking water under the Dessung National Service Water Project was handed over to the thromde today. It will benefit the constituency with a population of about 1500.
The joint project by Desuups and the Royal Bhutan Army constructed a 120-cubic-metre water tank that can store 120 thousand litres of water and laid 1.5-kilometre-long pipelines from the water treatment plant to the reservoir. This was all done in just three months at a cost of about Nu 5.2 M. The Samdrup Jongkhar Thromde Administration will connect temporary pipelines from the reservoir tank and supply water to Samdrup Jongkhar primary school, industrial area and other households in the upper part of Samdrup Jongkhar toed in a month.
However, it is not all good news for Samdrup Jongkhar. Residents of Samdrup Jongkhar Bar and Mead constituencies will still have to wait for more than two years to rejoice like those in the Toed constituency. They will have to live with the longstanding water crisis until the construction of the more than Nu 137 M water supply and sewerage project in the town is complete.
Today, old water pipelines and mechanical failures at the water pump house leave the two constituencies without water for days.
“We are replacing all the old water pipes with new one and we are constructing two new tanks. After completing this, the thromde will not face water problems. We have sufficient water from the source. We get complaints from the main town area and for it, we have constructed three bore wells and water is more than enough, I have personally seen water overflowing,” said Karma Sherab Thobgyal, the Samdrup Jongkhar Thrompon.
The Thrompon also says water charges are less and residents should manage water properly. And as an immediate measure, the Thromde is also requesting building owners to keep water storage tanks.
Kinley Wangchuk, Samdrup Jongkhar
Edited by Sonam
