Whoever gets elected as the Gup of Tsirang Toed Gewog has a big task ahead. Some 150 households of Tsirang Toed and Soentabsa Chiwogs want their drinking water problem to be solved once and for all. And hopes are high with all four Gup candidates promising to make water supply reliable.
Taps run dry. And it has been like this for decades now. People have been storing water all this time. They get water once a day, that too, on a rotational basis.
“Water taps were constructed for every household since 1994 but we don’t have water. Maintaining hygiene is difficult. If we have enough water, we can develop kitchen gardens. But today, we can’t grow vegetables without water,” said Tshering, a resident of Tsirang Toed Gewog.
Another resident Dal Bdr. Tamang said, “I have been fetching water from one of the ponds located nearby. But raising livestock has become difficult.”
“We get water only for three hours a day that also towards the evening. We would be grateful if our gup candidates could convert their pledges into reality,” said Ganesh Rai.
And all gup candidates are trying to woo the voters by pledging to solve this problem.
“The existing drinking water supply lacks proper distribution lines and need more reservoir tanks. And it also lacks timely maintenance causing leakages. If we maintain, the existing water supply will somehow address the problem,” said Agay Dorji, a gup candidate.
Another Gup candidate, Langa Dorji said, “I will look for additional budget besides the gewog development grant to initiate a project to supply reliable drinking water. There is a possibility of getting grants from foreign countries.”
“It is possible to solve the drinking water shortage because the new water source has already been identified. The new source is big enough to provide adequate drinking water. So I will look for the additional budget by making project proposals besides a gewog development grant to make the project successful,” said Nanda Lal Kharel, a gup candidate.
“Tsirang Toed being located on a hilltop, there are no reliable water sources nearby. The present water supply from Pungtenchhu Gewog is too far. But I heard the present water supply is also not well managed despite its scarcity. I heard there is a water flagship programme for the gewog but simply having it will not solve the problem. So I will plan in such a way that every droplet is managed well,” said Ratna Bdr. Rai, a gup candidate.
But some voters are sceptical since the pledge has been there for a long time on paper.
Pema Tshewang, Tsirang
Edited by Tandin Phuntsho
