Gasa Tshachhu (hot spring) is so popular that waste has become an issue. A committee started cleaning campaign starting October last year to take care of waste at the hot spring area.

Committee members and the visitors clean the tshachu area every Friday. This is part of mission to make Gasa the cleanest dzongkhag in the country.

Located on the basin Mochhu River, Gasa Tshachhu receives close to 3,000 locals and tourists annually. The hot spring is believed to have multiple curative powers

With the increasing number of visitors at the site, managing waste and sanitation has become a growing issue. The committee has designated separate disposal pits for the degradable and non-degradable waste. Here are also waste bags along the path leading to the bathhouse.

People from as far as Trashiyangtse from the east and Samtse from the south come to the hot spring. Gasa Tshachhu receives maximum number of visitors from Gasa, Thimphu, and Paro.

Tshachhu’s manager, Tandin Dorji, said that the cleaning campaign has helped keep the tshachhu area clean. “It’s hard to keep the site clean as we receive the increasing number of visitors daily. People from diverse backgrounds come here and it is difficult to convince them about the need to keep the area clean.”

The dzongkhag’s municipality tractor comes to pick the waste twice a month.

“We try hard to keep the site clean, but with the increasing number of people visiting the place, it has become a challenge,” said Tandin Dorji.

The tshachhu’s guesthouse is not able to accommodate increasing number of visitors.

“We get people with different sanitary habits. Despite our repeated reminder, visitors continue to dispose of waste wherever they like. It is important for us to keep the place clean and hygienic as we receive people from both within and outside the country,” said Tandin Dorji.

The tsahchu area has around 37 toilets altogethet, including those attached to the guesthouse. The ones near the bathhouse suffer frequent blockage.

Nima