The long-awaited water supply project in Pema Gatshel’s Nganglam town has finally come to an end, bringing much-needed relief to the residents. They have struggled with water scarcity for years. With the water treatment plant at Dizama in Chhoekhorling Gewog now operational, the community has renewed hope for a reliable water supply. The plant, which can treat up to 3.2 million litres per day, was officially inaugurated by the Indian Ambassador on Wednesday.
As Nganglam town has grown and more buildings and infrastructure have come up, the demand for public facilities, especially clean water, has also increased.
For years, residents struggled with limited access to clean drinking water.
That challenge has finally been addressed with the inauguration of the final phase of the water supply project. The project not only ends the town’s long-standing drinking water shortage but also ensures safe, clean, and reliable water for all residents.
“The plant is built very differently by experts. The treatment process begins as soon as the water arrives from the source. Now, we are confident that we will have clean and cool drinking water, protecting us from diseases,” said Tshering Penjor, a resident of Nganglam Town, Pema Gatshel.
“The government has constructed a large water treatment plant. The water will now be treated with chemicals to eliminate germs. With the plant’s inauguration, we are truly happy,” said Choten Tshering, another resident of Nganglam Town, Pema Gatshel.
Many residents recalled the challenges they faced before the project was completed.
“There were risks of elephant attacks and snake bites when checking the pipelines. During the rainy season, mud would enter the source, and we never had access to safe drinking water. It has been a difficult time for us,” added Choten Tshering.
“Sometimes, we would even get into arguments because we couldn’t identify our pipelines. Elephants would often damage them, and we had to carry out frequent repairs. Some people used electric motors to pump water, which increased the risk of electric shocks,” said Tshering Penjor.
The Government of India funded the construction of the water treatment plant at a cost of over Nu 43 M through the Small Development Project grant. The project was executed by the district and the dungkhag administrations. Works began in May 2022 and were completed in May last year.
It will benefit more than 500 households, around 5,500 people, including the employees of Dungsam Cement Corporation and Dungsam Polymers.
During his visit, the Indian Ambassador also visited other key developmental sites in the area.
Thinley Dorji, Pema Gatshel
Edited by Sonam Pem
