The Bhutanese Leading the way.
Thimphu Thromde , with funding from the World Bank, initiated a project worth Nu 400 mn to to augment the existing water supply system for Thimphu .
The project includes construction of water intake, transmission main line from Dodena to Taba with further trunk line and construction of 10 MLD water treatment plant at Taba.
Thimphu Thrompon, in an earlier interview said residents in Thimphu city will receive 24 hours of water supply.
It is now apparent that the Thimphu Thromde encountered various issues while implementing the project, as even after the completion of the project, water issues still continue.
Under the project agreement, water from Dodena was channeled to the Taba treatment plant and then to the four reservoir tanks in Taba, Pamtsho, Langjophakha and Samteling. Since places, like Changjiji, Yangchenphu and Langjophakha, faced serious water related issues, the World Bank decided to provide water to those areas, although it was not within their scope of agreement.
Thimphu Thromde learnt that the water from Dodena was sufficient for only certain areas, like Changjiji, Yangchenphu, Langjophakha, Samteling, Hejo and Pamtsho, and there was need to come up with an alternative water supply to Norzin lam, Changzamtog and Changedaphu facing severe water problems.
The proposal to supply the water from water treatment plant at Taba to the three tanks in Changangkha was submitted by the Water Supply Division (WSD), Thimphu Thromde.
Nu 22 mn worth of project to construct the distribution line from Taba to the three tanks in Changangkha was awarded to Dejung Construction Private.
An official from Thimphu Thromde, Pema Thekchong, said that since Dodena was covering only few areas, WSD felt that there was need to come up to an alternative to resolve the water issues in Thimphu city.
He said, “After studying the water system carefully, we proposed to supply of the water from the Taba treatment plant to the three tanks in Changangkha, which will supply water to core areas.”
This is not a part of Dodena project but an initiative taken by Thromde to address the water issues, he added.
He said that a distribution line from Taba to the three tanks in Changangkha is under construction, and scheduled to be completed by February so that water can be provide to the residents by March. However, Thromde said the water supply in homes shall depend on the duration of winter, as they have to construct thrust blocks and construction of concrete is difficult in the winter season.
