Marpji, a village located a few kilometres from the Phuentshogling Gewog Center has long been facing a persistent challenge of accessing sufficient drinking water. Residents voice their concerns about severe water issues, particularly during the winter season when they are unable to obtain any water at all.
People in Marpji in Phuentshogling Gewog have to wait for rainfall to get enough drinking water. Although they have a water source, it dries up when there is no rain.
In such times, they resort to hiring vehicles to fetch water from a river nearby. There are over 50 households in the village.
“We have a severe water issue here. In winter, we do not get water at all. During such times, we have to fetch water from the river by hiring vehicles. In summer, we get water when there is enough rain. But it stops if the weather remains sunny for consecutive days. It has been days without water,” said Renuka Ghalley, a resident.
“The gewog provided water to the village in 2003 and as a result, we enjoyed the supply for around ten years. However, a strong earthquake disrupted the water source, leading to the subsequent drying up of water source. As a result, during winter, the village is left without water, necessitating multiple trips to fetch water from other locations at a cost of over Nu 500 per trip,” said Meharman Ghalley, another resident.
“We have raised the issue in the Gewog Tshogdey. The proposed solution involves obtaining a new water source located about 25 kilometres away, which comes with a significant cost. Therefore, the villagers’ only hope lies in the Desuung water project, which if successful, will benefit not only Marpji but also the people of Pachu village,” said Purna Bdr Ghalley, Deling-Marpji Tshogpa.
Despite Marpji village receiving Pachu village’s old water source a few years ago, they did not benefit from it. Residents claimed that the project was not executed properly. They say pipes were not laid underground and proper water tanks were not constructed.
While the gewog has assured people its assistance in providing adequate drinking water, budget constraints have always posed challenges.
For now, all that they can do is wait for alternative measures to solve their water woes.
Kinley Dem, Phuentshogling
Edited by Sonam Pem
