Broken water pipes and makeshift repairs have been a common struggle for the residents of Tading in Samtse. With the gewog’s only plumber having moved away, villagers often had no choice but to fix the pipes themselves, sometimes using rubber tubes or even bamboo as temporary solutions. But now, that challenge is being addressed through a five-day training organised by the Tarayana Foundation.
The programme is part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI) project, aimed at improving local livelihoods by addressing two major challenges: securing water resources and managing human- wildlife conflicts.
The participants, who include farmers, school representatives, and a monk, learned not only how to connect pipes and repair leaks but also how to protect and maintain water sources.
“The training is proving very helpful for us. The plumber we had before left for Thimphu, but now we feel confident that we can do this work ourselves when needed,” said Mon Maya Tamang, a resident.
Bhakta Raj Tamang, a resident, said, “Earlier, we used rubber tubes to patch up broken pipes, and when things got worse, we even used bamboo. But now, with proper training and equipment, we know how to join and repair pipes properly.”
According to officials of the Tarayana Foundation, this initiative was born out of necessity, as previously trained plumbers have either aged or moved away.
“As we worked on water tank construction and protection projects, we realised that such training was crucial for the villagers. Many of them even requested it. So, we provided them with five days of plumbing training,” said Thinley Bidha, the field officer of the Tarayana Foundation.
Most of the newly-trained plumbers are representatives of Tading Gewog’s ten water committees. This means their skills won’t just benefit individual households but entire communities. Alongside their training, they also received essential plumbing toolkits, gumboots, and gloves, giving them both the knowledge and the equipment to get to work.
The next time a pipe bursts in Tading, villagers won’t have to rely on makeshift fixes. They will have trained hands, ready to get the job done.
Passang Dorji, Samtse
