SARBHANG

Written by M.B. Subba, Gelephu    

April 04, 2009:With the start of the dry season, residents of Sarpangtar are facing   the same problem all over again; acute shortage of drinking water.

Kamikhola stream, the only source of water for the residents is drying up due to lack of rainfall. Residents are seen fetching water from Sarpang river and from lower Kamikhola stream for drinking and cooking.

It is not too difficult to fetch water from the stream for those who have vehicles. But others have to carry on their backs or pay Nu.50  for a round trip by  taxi to fetch water from the stream.  There are long line of people  by the stream.  I go to the Sarpang river as the rush for water is comparatively low,” said D Tamang.

They walk about two kilometres to Sarpang river and Kamikhola stream for washing their clothes and taking bath. “We carry water in jerry cans for drinking and for kitchen use but we have to go to Sarpang river for washing clothes,” said a resident Tshomo.

“My children quarrel and fight for their share of drinking water at home,” Tshomo added.

Residents also complain that they have to engage their children in the morning and evening to fetch water at a time when they should be occupied in their studies and home work. “Instead of doing our home work we have to fetch water from the stream, it’s irritating,” said Chador Wangmo, a class VII student of Sarpang lower secondary high school.

Residents worry about outbreak of diseases as the stream water could be contaminated. They say the authorities must find an early solution before the crisis goes out of hand.

The west-end part of the town is the hardest-hit where the families of the Royal Bhutan Army and the police are living.

The lower part of the town receives water for half an hour a day in the morning; residents complain that it is hardly enough for drinking purpose.

The situation is expected to worsen if the dry season extends further. If it does not rain soon, there is a growing fear that the source might completely dry up due to over exploitation of the ground water, a resident said.

Landlords have been affected as tenants have started vacating houses and flats due to lack of water. 

Meanwhile the dzongkhag administration is in the process of solving the problem as soon as possible.

The dzongkhag engineer, Sangay Dorji said that the construction of a new water scheme from Hilley geog has been awarded to a local contractor. “We have received the letter of acceptance and the budget will be finalized to start works of the project,’ he said. He did not specifically mention when the work would start but said that it would be carried out soon.

While the residents in the main area of Sarpangtar may get a breather with the completion of the new scheme, the problem of the residents around Sarpangtar will not be addressed. “This scheme will not serve households and villages around the town as water supply schemes for villages are the responsibility of the local government,” the DE said.

Sarpang town, which is located near the river, is not extremely hard hit by the water shortage.   . “We go to the river to wash clothes,” said a town resident. According to the DE, a separate scheme for the town is in the pipe line. 

The drinking water supply scheme from Loring to Sarpantar was completed  in 2007, but the pipelines were  washed away at several points  by flash floods,  a few days after it was inaugurated.