Phub Dem | Paro

Residents of 98 households of Naja gewog in Paro, who faced acute water shortage, are happy with the inauguration of Desuung National Service Water project on His Majesty The King’s birth anniversary.

Villagers are hoping to have reliable drinking water after three months.

As part of the 4.6 million project, six spring water intakes will be constructed along with water transmission lines, reservoirs, tap stands and distribution pipelines.

According to Naja gup Kinley Wangdi, there are seven water projects to address water shortage in the gewog.

He said that the Desuung National Service Water project would initiate five projects, and two others were scheduled under the national water flagship programme.

The gup said villages like Gumu, Sengkha, Jabagoenpa, Lingshi, Boenpu and Shomchi would benefit from the water project. “Wanakha and Tsendu-goenpa chiwog, which had been facing a significant challenge due to water scarcity, will benefit from the flagship programme.”

He said, although there was need for irrigation water, their priority was to have reliable drinking water.

Residents say water shortage caused disputes amongst them.

Penjor, who left his job as an agriculture extension officer and settled in Sengkha in the late 1990s, said that five households from the chiwog depended on a spring water source.

As of today, the pressure on the water source doubled with more than 30 households.  The issue of water often became a topic of disharmony between the two villages of Gumu and Sengkha.

He said that he needed a reliable water source to water his vegetables.

A farmer from Gumu, Passang, said that the right to irrigation water was insignificant without paddy cultivation, but farmers depend mostly on agriculture and livestock where water is a must. “The farm work depends heavily on rain but rainfall is inconstant now.”

Where it is not for water scarcity, Chencho Pem said the farmers could grow all types of vegetables and fruits all year. “If it doesn’t rain on time, we can’t grow anything.”

Villagers said the Desuung project could solve the pressing issue of water scarcity.

Meanwhile, Desuung National Service Water project will launch another project in Kana gewog under Dagana and Decheling gewog in Pemagatshel by March.