The wait for an uninterrupted supply of drinking water for the residents of Gelephu Gewog continues. They thought the water woes will end once the Bhalukhola drinking water project completes, but more than four years later the same problem continues to haunt them. The gewog is now planning to construct bore wells to solve the water issue.
Back in 2016, the Bhalukhola drinking water project was started believing it would solve the drinking water shortage in Gelephu Gewog in Sarpang. Two years later, the completed project failed to deliver. And the situation is no better today.
“We were very happy with the Bhalukhola drinking water project. We even contributed labour during the time of surveying. People who could not contribute labour, contributed money. These were all done hoping we will have reliable water from the project, but until now we didn’t get any water from the project,” said Gopal Karki, from Pemathang in Gelephu.
“Tshogpas told us that we will receive drinking water supply from Balukhola within two years but it is now almost five years,” added Bala Ram Katel, from Pelrithang Khatoed.
According to officials, the distribution from the water project did not go smoothly because the source is some 16 kilometres from the gewog. It is said that uphill and instances of bursting pipes that are often damaged by wild animals contributed to the failure.
However, the Gelephu Gup, Prem Prasad Katel, said the gewog administration is now planning to construct bore wells in the community to resolve the water crisis. He said they have identified three villages of Pemathang, Pelrtihang Khatoed and Dzomlingthang.
Today, they are carrying out a survey in these villages.
“We proposed three bore wells but in the present scenario, we could afford only one bore well because of the limited fund. Right now at Gumtidangra, there is a 3000-litre capacity reservoir constructed for Bhalukhola drinking water project. If it is feasible to drill a borewell near the tank, we could store the water from the borewell there. The water can be supplied to the villages from there,” the Gup said.
The Gup also said the gewog administration will seek support from the dzongkhag to look into the Bhalukhola water project. He said replacing the damaged pipes and realigning the pipes might aid in bringing the water to the doors of the people in the gewog.
Karma Wangdi, Gelephu
Edited by Sonam
