Water: the source of Happiness

Bhutan - our motherland is located in the heart of eastern Himalayas. Our country shares its international boundaries with China in the North and India in the East, West and South. We all know that our 38,983 square kilometer land is divided into mountainous terrain and some very smaller amount of plains in the south. Despite being in culture and traditions, our country is rich with more than 72 percent forest covered land, surrounded by land from all the sides of the country.

Due to motherland being landlocked and mountainous topography, and moreover, some 72 percent of the land is covered with forest areas, water sources in the country is available. This is how ‘we’ Bhutanese enjoy tremendous peace and happiness in everyone’s life on the earth. The rivers flow from high altitudes to the low altitudes throughout the year. The stream, springs, rivers, tributaries, and lakes are the main sources of water supply in the country. Wherever we stay and move, we are surrounded by waters. We could get fresh and clean water everywhere.

The rivers flow from the top of the mountains to the plains in the south through various hills and gorges. The rivers are originated from the glaciers, streams, and springs and sometimes out of melting of the snow on the mountains, and many more. The spring and stream water that come out from the soil have high potential of mineral contents and its said to be good for health.

Today, the country like ours is under developing stage. The developmental activities such as construction of roads, schools, houses, hydroelectric projects, industries, etc. are in the process. Such construction works are carried on in forested areas and also in farmlands. The thousand acres of land are used for above purpose. The trees in that particular area are cut down without hesitation. This may lead decrease forest covered area drastically. When the numbers of trees are reduced, the stream and spring water sources would dry up. Industries are set up in the country, the industrial wastes such as harm gases are emit in the air, harmful liquids in the water, and in open area. These would have negative impacts on environment which force to water pollution, in which water sources are being lessened.

In the scenarios of the world’s water bodies, only 3 percent of the water on the earth surface is fresh and drinkable. The 97 percent of the water on earth’s surface is salty. The salty water is not good for our health. The 3 percent of the fresh water is shared amongst the world’s population. Coming to Bhutan, the waters in our country is useable. Some spring water contains enough amounts of minerals that are good for health. We, the Bhutanese people does not have water shortage problem as of now. But things are changing with development activities are underway. Water shortage will soon hit the cities and towns.

For example, Thimphu is our capital city; before few decades, the buildings in the city were sparsely erected. The less people were lived there. The fresh and clean water was supplied in every household for 24 hours a day. Today, the houses are already crowded; population is increasing every now and then. Due to crowded and congested area, more construction works carried in the area, the water sources are dried up, which was connected to Thimphu city. Now the scenario has changed. The water supplied for 24 hours a day has changed to few hours a day. This is happens due to the climate change over the year.

The situation of the country of being available fresh and clean water sources is in the process changing. Every dzongkhag have towns, where thousands of people settled together. Water supply has become scarcer than before. There are many rivers flowing in the valleys which have become unusable, because the waste drains from the houses are connected to. If this is the case, how we can conserve water for our younger generations?

In our country, until now, water has been sources of happiness for all individuals. Compare our country with our neighbor country or our friend, India. In 2009, I was referred to Vellore, India for further treatment. I stayed there for few weeks. It was sophisticated to stay there, because of unavailability of fresh and clean water for drinking purposes, forget about taking bath and all. We had to buy bottled water for drinking and cooking purposes. To take bath and wash clothes, we had use tap water that’s muddy and dirty. These were the water problems in India. Back to Bhutan, as soon as I reached Phuentsholing, I could experience or see fresh and clean water. This is difference between our country and our neighbor country.

Due to climate change taking place in the country and in world as a whole, the water is getting scarcer and scarcer yearly. This problem is rising because, the people in the world today use greenhouse to plant crops and vegetables. The greenhouse has positive impacts but also has negative impacts, which lead to climate change that directly affect our water sources. Industrialization is one of the reasons for water becoming scarcer. For the industries to be set up, large amount of land is needed. The land is being cleared up and construction starts on thereafter. Though, growths of industries are good for the country from economy point of view, but it undoubtedly affects the sources of the water. Human-activities such as use of vehicles, shifting cultivation, forest fires, etc. also harm environment and lead to scarcer of the water.

With this our water sources that I mentioned in above paragraphs would dry up. The sources would be lessened. Streams and springs water will one day go nowhere. Our country’s situation would be poor in water sources.