Tsirang sees problem, opportunity together

Gelephu, March 30, 2009: For the Tsirang residents, problems and opportunities seem to have arrived simultaneously that confused them how to make best use of the both without knowing what future prospects they have carried in. 

On one hand, the Tsirangees are facing acute shortage of drinking water supply and on the other the sky rocketing prices of the land have become golden goose for those with excess land. 

The prices of the land sharply went up with the announcement by the government to build airport in Gelephu, a border town only 50 k away from Tsirang. 

Businessmen and government officials climb down from the hills of Paro, Thimphu to buy land in Tsirang and Gelephu. 

A decimal of land, which cost Nu 10,000 in 2004, is sold at Nu 40,000 today. The local resident say construction of airport in Gelephu would mould Tsirang into a hotbed for cross-border and in-country trade. 

However, the increasing owes of the water supply is likely to affect the soaring real estate. Even today, may houses have dry tapes and local authorities have ignored the issue for whatsoever reason. 

Residents fetch water from nearby springs and travel distances in cars to wash their clothes.

The Powakhola drinking water project constructed last year with aid from DANIDA could supply less than half of the demand and booming urbanization would bring further disaster to the probem if government did not it on time.