Water shortage is nothing new for the residents of Changidaphu in Thimphu. The problem has been there for quite some time and the crisis is now at its worst.
Today, residents fetch water in vehicles from streams in Babesa. They can be seen ferrying water in DCM trucks, but not all can afford to do this.
A 58-year-old resident, Sonam Pema, says it’s been over a month now without water. “Sometimes, the water comes only for a minute or two and then the taps run dry,” she added.
“We have been storing water in buckets but it gets dirty when stored for longer time. It’s hard to keep our home clean.”
Kuenga, a building owner, says he had approached the Thromde several times. “As requested, some fitters came several times, but the water shortage could not be solved. We hardly get two buckets a day. Forget about maintaining cleanliness, we don’t even get enough water to cook our daily meals.”
The water shortage has also hit the construction sites hard. Kuenga has been using drain water.
“I diverted drain water for construction works, but I am afraid it may affect work quality since drain water contains acids and soap bubbles. But for now, I have no other options.”
The Thromde is aware of the problem and said several other Thromde areas too are faced with water shortage.
An official said the problem will be taken care of once the works on the central water supply in Dodena is over.
