The two water sources supplying water to the Gelephu Thromde at Raidangra and Lhayul villages are on the verge of drying out. So far, the Sarpang Forest Division office has been carrying out water source management works at the two sources. However, the Gelephu Thromde, at the request of the forest division office decided to fund the water source management works on the two sources this week.
The promised fund to support the watershed management groups of Gelephu and Chhudzom Gewog will come from the collection of Nu 10 every month from the water service users in Gelephu Thromde.
The users agreed to contribute a small payment for environmental services as a sense of ownership for protecting and conserving their water sources.
The Gelephu gup, Prem Prasad Katel said, the fund coming from the thromde will benefit the community people carrying out the water source management works.
The gup added, “till now, our community people have been carrying out protection works of the water sources. The payment for environmental service would be of immense benefit for our community.”
Chhudzom Gewog is where the Lhayul water source is. The gewog’s gup, Bishnu Prasad Rai said, “at the moment, Lhayul village has no water source issue. However, if we don’t take precautions right now, we might have future water source issues.”
The gup added that existing water sources need to be revived to store monsoon rains and that such initiative will also make spring water available in winters.
The watershed community management groups of the two gewogs will carry out conservation and watershed management works.
The works include maintaining 100 metre buffer zone to ensure proper recharge of spring water, check dam construction to avoid landslides, restricting livestock grazing in the watershed area, and tree plantation.
The Gelephu Thromde has around over 1,500 water meter users, which will contribute to over Nu 180,000 annually to the conservation efforts.
Karma Wangdi, Gelephu
Edited by Sherub Dorji
