KP Sharma

Residents of Babesa and Olakha in Thimphu are facing an acute shortage of drinking water due to inadequate water supply from the main source.

The thromde administration has reported that the water level at the source is insufficient to provide enough water to the residents.

An official from the thromde water section stated that the lack of rainfall during the dry season has severely affected the water level at the source. The water level at the Chamgang water source has decreased by more than 70 percent.

The authority is exploring all possible alternatives to fill the tank as soon as possible. However, the official stated that they could only supply water from the tank for a few hours, and it cannot reach areas that are far from the source.

Residents have expressed their concerns and urged the thromde administration to come up with other alternatives to provide them with water.

Thinley Dorji, a resident of Babesa, stated that he drives to his relative’s house in Changzamtog every day to fetch water. He added that the problem is more severe for larger families without cars and alternatives like himself. He emphasised that the water shortage is an annual problem, and the thromde administration must prioritise finding a solution.

A restaurant owner, Dorji Peldon, said that she could not open her restaurant fully due to lack of water. She cannot ask her workers to go and fetch water to run the restaurant.

Namgay Dorji, a house owner, said that he could only supply his tenants with the water stored in the tank for a few hours a day. He expressed concern that the water level had reached its lowest point.

Most of the residents in the affected areas said that it is challenging to maintain hygiene without sufficient water at home. Some suggested that the thromde administration should hire and deploy more water tankers to ease the burden on the residents.

The thromde administration reported that such water crises are a result of climate change and the decreasing amount of snowfall, which is the main source of water at the source.

The administration hopes that rainfall in the next few days will solve the problem.