Resources: While construction of the new dzongkhag court above Guma gewog, Punakha is nearing completion, local leaders are worried that there will not be a water supply for the court.

Guma Gup Namgay Tshering requested the Khuruthang municipality to share the town’s water supply with the dzongkhag court during the eighth dzongkhag tshogdu yesterday

He said the gewog was supposed to help provide drinking water for the court, the forestry office, office of renewable resources and the upcoming new police station in the gewog.

However, since the gewog already faces water scarcity it will not be able to provide water even for the court. The existing water supply of Guma is too small and not enough.

Khuruthang municipal engineer Aiman Limboo said the town is also in short supply of drinking water, and like Guma gewog, several others from the Punakha area have also requested to share the town’s water. But due to the water shortage problem in the town, they could not share.

He said if they share the town’s water with Guma gewog, the town’s residents would face shortages. The town’s water pressure is already too low and not enough to reach the gewog, he said.

The municipal engineer also said there is a need to verify if the dzongkhag court and upcoming police stations will fall under the town or gewog. He suggested that Guma gewog find a new source from within the gewog.

Guma Gup Namgay said a search for a new water source had already been made but that none was found.

Punakha dzongkhag engineer Tandin Dorji said both Guma gewog and Khuru-throm are faced with water shortage issues. Following requests by court officials, he said they tried to acquire a supply from Khuru-throm but it was found that the water pressure was too low and that it would not reach the gewog.

However, he said it is hoped that a newly approved project supported by the Asian Development Bank will be able to resolve the water shortage problem.

Meanwhile, the Punakha dzongkhag court is being built with funding support of Nu 50M from the Austrian Development Cooperation and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.

The court is being constructed above Guma gewog at a place called Zingchenma. The court will have two benches. Construction started in January last year.

Dawa Gyelmo | Punakha

Advertisement