The people of Lingzhi were provided with safe drinking water under the rural water supply scheme some 15 years ago. However, it wasn’t long before many reverted to the old ways of drinking from sources maintained by individual or a group of households.
The rural water supply scheme did not work or benefit as it was designed to. Lingzhi’s extreme cold weather condition is at fault. Water pipes froze and burst in winters, forcing households to abandon the taps built for them under the scheme. The taps had to be left running throughout the night to prevent it from freezing.
Dechen Dorji, a Lingzhi local, recalls using the water tap for only about three months. “After that, it ran dry because the pipes have burst,” he said.
The people do worry about whether the water they drink is safe or not, but they have no other option. “The government urges us to maintain safe drinking water all the time,” said Chimi Dorji. “As of now, there’s been no problem.”
There are also other factors. Animals often destroyed their water source. “Cattle, horses and yaks destroyed our water source despite all our efforts to keep it safe. So, we now maintain individual sources and drink from it,” said Chimi Dorji.
Whether the water they are drinking is safe or not is a different issue. But one thing is certain: shortage of water is not a concern, at least as of now. In fact, Lingzhi is blessed with abundant water resources.
However, the Mangmi of Lingzhi, Tenzin Zangpo, says they are looking to restore the rural water supply scheme.
