Water: The problem of water shortage in Changjiji Housing Complex in Thimphu is not a new issue. It persists.

Deki Yangzom, 29, lives in one of the complex’s units. She gets up early every morning to fill the empty buckets lying in her bathroom and kitchen.

And the water, when it comes, is just a little trickle. This has been continuing for more than a week.  About seven other families are going to the same woe.

Deki Yangzom is frustrated this morning. She has two little kids to look after. Luckily, her friend, who is running a canteen in the outskirts of Changjiji, comes to help her.

Deki fetches buckets of water and carries to the top floor where she lives. She has been doing this for a week.

It is such a problem not having enough water at home, said Deki Yangzom. “We have to struggle even to get clean drinking water these days. We complained to the authorities concerned but they do nothing to held ease our problem.”

Another tenant, Phub Thinley, is equally frustrated due to shortage of water at his place. He complained several times to National Housing Development Corporation Limited (NHDCL) and the thromde. Nothing transpired.

“The issue of water shortage in Changjiji is serious. It has been there for a very long time now,” Phub Thinley said.

Today, the housing complex gets water from a source in Jungshina through the two water tanks located in Changjiji.

In charge of Changjiji’s NHDCL branch office, Rinchen Drukpa, said that after receiving complaints from the residents, the office inquired the thromde. There has been no clear answer yet.

“Unless thromde supplies enough water from Jungshina, we can’t do anything about the situation,” Rinchen Drukpa said. “We feel that thromde is neglecting us. We have been calling thromde officials. Sometimes they ignore our calls.”

The 746 units of the complex share water from the two tanks with 48 shops and 25 private houses in Changjiji.

Thimphu Thrompon Kinlay Dorjee said that thromde doesn’t look after the water situation at Changjiji because it is NHDCL’s responsibility.

“The problem is with the water pumps in the tanks that get heated up and doesn’t pump water to the top floors,” said Kinlay Dorjee. “The authorities concerned should look after it.”

By Thinley Zangmo

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