Sewerage ponds at Babesa to be turned into an ecological park

Jigmi Wangdi 

It is decided. The sewerage ponds at Babesa, which receive and treat the capital’s wastewater, will be converted into an ecological park.

Under the Green Infrastructure (GI) and Open Spaces Plan in the new Thimphu Structure Plan (TSP), the sewerage ponds are planned to be converted into a recreational or ecological park.

A compact treatment plant on the southern end of the ponds is already operational to treat the capital’s wastewater. The old water stabilisation ponds (sewerage ponds) are decommissioned and will be converted into parks for the benefit of communities in the vicinity.

According to an official from the Department of Human Settlement, there are proposals in the GI and Open Spaces Master Plan to develop the sewerage ponds into an ecological park.

The Master Plan for GI and Open spaces will be completed by the middle of this year and it will further require detailed design and planning for implementation on the ground.

“The old water stabilisation ponds are decommissioned and will be converted into parks for the benefit of communities in the vicinity,” said the official.

While the sewerage ponds had been a nuisance, because of the stench, the ponds over the years became a habitat for a number of birds. Birdwatcher enthusiasts also advised the Thromde to develop an ecological park on the ponds as a way to preserve the habitats of the birds.

If developed into a recreational or ecological park, it would be one of the biggest along the river Thimchhu.