The residents of five chiwogs in Sarpang’s Gelephu Gewog are facing an acute shortage of drinking water, a problem that they say would not have occurred if the Balukhola drinking water project for the gewog had materialised. People have yet to benefit from the Nu 31 M Balukhola project, completed in 2018.
Pabitra Nepal, a resident of Pelrithang Khamaed, said that the drying water source could not keep up with the increasing number of settlements in the gewog.
She added that residents were assured of drinking water supply from the Balukhola drinking water project. Pabitra is now demanding that authorities bring an end to this problem.
“In the past, they assured us adequate drinking water supply from the Balukhola and water for our kitchen garden. We were very happy but after not receiving water from the Balukhola, we are having a difficult time with the drinking water crisis.”
“We are experiencing a difficult time due to the shortage of water supply. Before our current gup took office, there was funding available, and the tshogpa utilised that fund to lay pipes in the old water source tank. Now, there is no water supply, and they keep telling us that the water supply from the Balukhola will come,” said Bhim Lal Katel, a resident of Pelrithang Khamaed.
In response to the residents’ plight, the Gelephu gup said that water supply to Dzomlimgthang, Lekithang, and Pemathang chiwogs would be provided from the Gelephu Thromde Water Treatment plant located at Dechenpelri.
Pipes from the Dechenpelri plant to the three chiwogs have been laid, and according to the gup, water will be supplied on an auspicious day.
Regarding Pelrtihang Khatoed and Khamaed, the misalignment of the pipeline from the Balukhola water source caused the project to fail its intended purpose.
The gewog office has yet to secure funds for the realignment works.
“As for the Pelrithang Khatoed and Khamaed, we must survey realignment because the previous pipeline could not serve its purpose. We have submitted the report to the Thromde Office. We are all aware of the inevitable failure if the pipes are laid randomly like the last time. This time, however, we will lay the pipes only after the survey, even if it is time-consuming. We will supply water within two months,” said Prema Prasad Katel, Gelephu Gup.
The Balukhola water supply project was expected to benefit the residents of Gelephu Gewog and Samtenling Gewog’s Khenpagang village.
Gelephu Gewog has over 1,000 households with a population of almost 4,500 people.
Karma Wangdi, Gelephu
Edited by Sherub Dorji
