The Bhutanese Leading the way.
The nation is yet-to come to terms with the Wangdiphodrang dzong tragedy, but it still has to ensure preventive measures in places that still face imminent natural threats.
The mitigation works at the Thorthormi lake in Lunana was a task left incomplete and it is that time of the year again to send men and machine to lower the level of the glacial lake.
The project officials said the work force is short of labor this year and it’s a cause for concern.
Only 62 laborers are heading toward Lunana this year to mitigate the Thorthormi Lake. Out of the 340 required only 62 laborers reported in Damji, on the way to Lunana.
The shortage of laborers is has been considered as a serious problem but the project has planned to solve this problem through other means.
So far the Thorthormi Lake has been reduced by 3.68 meters of water volume from the size of Thorthormi Lake of 3.42 sq. km. Now the remaining 2.32 meters has to be reduced by the supposedly smaller work force. The project officials are uncertain to meet the deadline which is set for end of September.
The project manager of the mitigation of Thorthormi Lake, Dowchu Dukpa said “The labor shortage is the main problem as of now but I think we can add some few from the local areas near Lunana and from other villages like Sephu, Laya and Lunana”.
He said there is a possibility of getting laborers from those villages because this year the productivity of cordyceps was not good so people will definitely look for alternative means for income.
Lake Thorthormi is the largest glacial lake in Bhutan, with a size of 3.42 sq. km, and thrice the dimension of Lake Lugge that burst in 1994 and affected Punakha Dzongkhag.
Still work there ..