People residing in south Thimphu have been battling water shortage for last six days.

Residents of Olakha, Changjalu and some parts of Babesa have been using local water source, nearby streams, and ground water as an alternative. Thromde officials said that the recent monsoon rain blocked pipelines and interrupted water supply at the sources.

Olakha residents fetched water from Wangchutaba and the stream near Royal Thimphu College every morning in their vehicles. They also bought mineral water and fetched leaked water from the roadside pipelines.

A restaurant owner, Migmar Lhasang, 29, said he had been driving to Wangchutaba every morning to fetch water for the last five days. “It is difficult to run a restaurant without water for a week. I was not able to serve good meals to my customers.”

He said that the locality always faced the similar shortages in the past.

Thromde officials supplied water for two hours in the morning and two hours in the evening since July 12 to some residents in Olakha, Changjalu and Babesa. Many other residents of Olakha, Changjalu and Babesa are without water.

Thromde officials said they have deployed two excavators and labourers to fix the problem at the water source caused by the heavy rainfall.

Executive engineer, Samten Lhendup, said they have also cleared the pipes blocked by flood at the two water sources.

But a building owner in Olakha, Dema, said that the water supplied in the morning and evening is not sufficient since it do not fill the storage tank.

Another building owner, Naku, 62, said although he has an alternative water source, it is difficult to supply water to all his tenants. “I couldn’t provide my tenants with proper water supply for the last one week,” he said. “I can only supply water for an hour in the morning.”

He said that his storage tank is running half empty. He is worried that it will run out soon.

An Olakha resident, Dorji Wangmo, 25, said they are using ground water supplied in the area.

Thromde officials said that  pipelines constructed on terrains and construction of new roads disturb water supply in the area.

Nima