Tshering Choden and Kezang Dema

Residents of Changzamtog in Thimphu are facing acute shortage of water with supply limited to few hours a day.

Most residents said that their complains fell to the deaf ears.

“It has been over a month since we didn’t get enough water,” said one of the restaurant owners in the area. With increasing number of dwellers in the area, he said, the amount of water they get is not sufficient.

One of the residents, above the Changzamtog School said that it has been around 4 months without sufficient water supply. “When we complain to the landlord, they ask us to vacant the house.” She said. She said that she has to fetch water from her relatives and neighbours.

Owner of Hotel Kulagangri, Suresh said that he bought a bolero to fetch water from Jungshina and transplant it into his tanks.

With eight members in the family, Mithey Drukpa shared his difficulties. “We try to store water in every container that we have at our house,” he said.

However, Changzamtog Thuemi, Phub Dem said that the thromde did not receive any serious complains till date. Actions have been taken on minor complaints.

She said that she gets a minimum of five complain calls a day and that plumbers are dispatched immediately.  Sometimes calls are made directly to the Plumbers, instead of calling the authorities. “People complain to the Plumbers directly and they accuse Thromde of not taking actions,” she added.

Thromde’s plumber, Sangay Tshering said that water in the areas below the Changzamtog Middle Secondary School is being supplied for one and half hour, twice a day from three water sources. He denied that there is an acute shortage.

However, people residing above the school has been facing consistent water shortage since there is only one source at Motithang with a tank capacity of 1,000 Litres. The supply in these area is restricted to about 45 minutes a day.

Thromde’s assistant water engineer, Kinley Norbu said that the Thromde has recently constructed a new tank at Kuensel Phodrang, which can hold up to 2,300 Litres. Thromde is hopeful that this will minimise the instances of water shortage in the area.