People of Tangsibi village in Bumthang are all smiles after the Water Flagship Programme handed over the new drinking water facilities to them yesterday. The facilities will benefit over fifty households in the village.
Before the new facilities were built, 80-year-old Jambay and his family used to rely on a small pond for drinking water. Jambay had to keep worrying about the pond drying up. Like him, four other families relied on such ponds as their source of daily water requirements.
“I am so grateful for the new tap. It would take us years to build a facility like this if we had to do this on our own.” he said. “Even my children won’t be able to serve me like that. I can’t thank the government and His Majesty enough.”
“With His Majesty’s blessing and the hard work of the DeSuups, we no longer have to depend on the ponds now. Water is no longer a problem for us,” said Sherub Gyeltshen, a resident of Tangsibji village.
Around Nu 5 M was spent on the 3 month-long project. Almost 50 Desuups built 2 reservoirs, 2 tanks and laid nearly 6 kilometers of pipeline. The volunteers also built more than 20 taps. This will benefit close to 360 people.
According to another Tangsibi resident, Lungten, untill now, most households in the village depended on a small source up the mountain which becomes muddy during rainy days and snowfall. “With the new facilities, the people of Tangsibi and Shingyer are blessed.”
Meanwhile, the Water Flagship Programme has handed over 17 projects to communities across the country so far. 8 projects are ongoing and 4 new projects will be launched this month. The programme has engaged 1600 DeSuups on national service so far.
Kipchu, Bumthang
Edited by Yeshi Gyaltshen
