Neten Dorji | Wamrong

Bringing water from nearby places has become a daily routine for the hoteliers in Wamrong.

The water shortage is growing in the town.

A restaurant owner, Motilal Biswa, said that he brings water twice a day and has to share with friends and neighbours.

“It has been more than two months since we didn’t get enough water,” said Motilal Biswa. He said that in the past the residents were provided water twice a day. “Now, we do not get even once a day.”

The water shortage has affected the business in the town.

Maintaining hygiene is a severe problem in the town and it is growing.

Residents say that the water shortage problem is not a new problem in Wamrong, adding that uninterrupted safe drinking water sources should be identified.

More than eight hoteliers and about 25 shopkeepers in Wamrong have been facing continued water shortage.

A house owner in the town, Dechen Peldon, said that tenants complain about water shortage almost every day. “Tenants would leave soon. It is difficult for them, I know, but there is no water from the source.”

A civil servant living in the town said that without a water source nearby, hoteliers are forced to travel more than five kilometres to fetch water.

Wamrong Drungpa, Tashi Tenzin, said that the problem is not new and that it has been there for many years. “Due to distance and the increasing number of population, the problem is growing.”

The drungpa said that the drungkhag administration has proposed a water flagship programme to the ministry and identified a water source at Shugushinang.

“Once the water flagship is implemented, it would benefit more than 2,000 households and solve the water problem for good,” said the drungpa.