Water shortage has become a daily struggle for many across the country. It is not just in towns, but in villages as well. One such place is Suzung village in Samdrup Jongkhar’s Orong Gewog.
Water here doesn’t flow. It drips in Suzung village, located nearly 70 kilometres away from Samdrup Jongkhar town towards Trashigang. Storing water in drums and jerry cans is the only option.
That means extra work for water caretaker, Tshering Wangchuk. The main water source is gradually drying up and is no longer sufficient for all 28 households here.
“The water source dries up during winter. It is sufficient for about 10 to 15 households. I control and manage it; otherwise, it would not be possible to supply water to everyone,” said Tshering Wangchuk, Caretaker, Suzung, Orong Gewog, Samdrup Jongkhar.
“During the morning and evening, the water is not sufficient when all households use it. Earlier, we tried to connect a water supply here, but due to some objections, the work could not proceed,” said Changlupai, Resident, Orong Gewog, Samdrup Jongkhar.
“We face problems during winter. Whatever we do requires water, and with a limited supply, it becomes difficult,” said Pema, Resident, Suzung, Orong Gewog, Samdrup Jongkhar.
“I have to store water. The source has dried up, and especially during winter, it is challenging to get enough water,” said Rinzin, Resident, Suzung, Orong Gewog, Samdrup Jongkhar.
There was an attempt to connect Suzung village to a water source in Dori back in 2019.
However, the effort hit a wall. Suzung village took the matter to the court since the residents of Malang village were not ready to give up their lands for the pipeline.
Suzung village won the case in 2020. But Malang village appealed to the High Court. The high court dismissed the case in 2021, saying that the matter should first be addressed by the gewog and district administration under the Water Act.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic and local government elections delayed the progress. No formal appeal was made to the gewog after the high court judgment, while Suzung residents waited for action.
Six long years have passed, with no solution in sight. Until action is taken, the problem is likely to remain.
Kinley Wangchuk, Samdrup Jongkhar
Edited by Tandin Phuntsho
