A major water supply project in Tsirang is expected to ease years of water shortages for thousands of residents while opening new opportunities for farming and rural livelihoods.
The climate-resilient water supply system, formally handed over yesterday, is designed to serve around 13,500 people across Patshaling, Barshong, Mendrelgang, Rangthangling, Tsholingkhar and Kilkhorthang gewogs.
For communities that have long depended on scarce and often unreliable sources, the project could significantly change everyday life. In some villages, households have had to ration water or take turns collecting it, leaving little beyond what was required for drinking and other essential needs.
Choden, a resident of Tsholingkhar Gewog, said unreliable supply made even routine household chores difficult.
“It is impossible to wash clothes, prepare meals, and clean our homes without water. It is much easier when we have a reliable water supply,” she said. “We didn’t have a reliable water supply before and had to use water on a rotational basis among neighbours.”
For residents such as Lal Bdr. Thingh, the biggest relief is expected during the dry months, when existing sources come under greater pressure.
“The new drinking scheme will benefit about 50 households in our chiwog. We will no longer have to face difficulties during the dry season,” he said.
The new system draws water from the Kuchi River in Patshaling Gewog. Nearly 18 kilometres of transmission pipelines carry water from the source to distribution points in Dupi and Dharchhargang, from where it is channelled to the six gewogs.
Reservoirs, village-level storage tanks and associated infrastructure have also been constructed as part of the scheme.
The system has yet to operate at its full capacity, with district officials saying the complete volume of water is expected to reach the communities in the coming days.
Once fully operational, residents hope the additional supply will meet not only domestic requirements but also support livestock and small-scale irrigation.
Chandra Bdr. Monger of Barshong Gewog said the community currently has enough water mainly for drinking.
“With the new drinking water supply, we have connected the main pipeline to the reservoir. We will be happy once we start receiving the water supply,” he said. “The new water supply will now be adequate for our livestock and for dry land irrigation.”
In Mendrelgang, where some households have few alternative water sources, the project is similarly expected to reduce pressure on existing supplies.
“For some of us here, we don’t have any other water source. We have to depend solely on the Paw River and the Khuchi River for water,” resident Rinzin Dorji said. “The new water supply scheme will be adequate for drinking as well as for our gardens.”
From water security to farm income
Beyond improving access to drinking water, the project has sought to turn greater water security into an opportunity to strengthen agriculture.
More than 2,100 farming households have received irrigation equipment and support to adopt climate-smart agricultural practices. With better access to water, farmers who previously depended largely on rain-fed subsistence farming are being encouraged to diversify production and cultivate higher-value crops.
Climate-smart practices, including mulching and more efficient use of water, have now been adopted across nearly 3,000 acres of farmland. This is higher than the project’s initial target of about 2,600 acres.
Improved access to irrigation has also helped revive agricultural land that had gone unused. Nearly 440 acres of fallow land in Kilkhorthang and Patshaling gewogs have been brought back under cultivation.
Close to 400 farmers have also been trained in sustainable land management, organic farming and mulching. Project officials estimate that the various agricultural interventions have generated about Nu 40 million in additional income for farming households.
Tsirang Dzongda Sonam said reliable water could have implications well beyond addressing an immediate shortage.
“It means our farms and kitchen gardens can flourish with reliable water, strengthening food security and livelihoods,” he said. “And it means our gewogs become vibrant, encouraging our youths to see a future here rather than seeking elsewhere.”
The initiative was implemented by the Tsirang district administration in collaboration with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport under the Advancing Climate Resilience of Water Sector (ACREWAS) project. It was funded by the Global Environment Facility through the United Nations Development Programme.
According to UNDP, a dependable supply of safe water is expected to improve health by reducing exposure to waterborne diseases while supporting greater agricultural production and household incomes.
UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Fadhil Bakeer Marker said improved access would also ease the disproportionate burden water insecurity often places on women.
“It will reduce the burden on our mothers, sisters and daughters,” he said. “There are many responsibilities and challenges associated with water insecurity. Even if the numbers suggest an equal impact, when we look at it more closely, I think their responsibilities and burden will be reduced significantly.”
With the infrastructure now handed over to the gewogs and water-user groups, local communities will be responsible for operating and maintaining the system.
Its longer-term impact will ultimately depend on whether the scheme can provide a dependable supply throughout the year. For Tsirang’s communities, however, reliable water could mean much more than an end to rationing. It could allow families to expand their farms, cultivate land that has remained unused, better care for livestock and turn greater water security into more secure rural livelihoods.
