Gangtok water woes: PHE assures normal supply from today amid rain-hit repairs

Residents of Gangtok have been struggling with erratic water supply over the past few days, sparking concerns and inconvenience across various localities. The Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department of Sikkim has attributed the disruption to low water pressure and difficulties in maintaining the supply source due to persistent heavy rainfall.

In recent days, several households in the capital have reported receiving little to no water, with many struggling to meet their daily needs. While the department has been supplying water once a day, it has not reached every household. “We have been supplying once a day, but maybe due to low pressure, everyone is not receiving adequate water,” an official from the department said on condition of anonymity.

According to the department, the root of the problem lies at the source, where continuous rainfall has caused blockages due to silt and debris. This has hindered the water flow and disrupted regular supply. Teams from the department have been deployed to the site to clear the obstruction, but the challenging weather conditions have slowed progress.

“Our staff are mobilised and working at the site, but due to the heavy rain, they are finding it very difficult,” the department said.

On Wednesday morning, limited water was supplied to some parts of Tadong, but officials remained unsure if the entire area received adequate water. The department, however, expressed confidence that the situation is improving. “As per the report received, the debris has been cleared, and hopefully, we will be able to supply water normally from today,” a senior official said.

The PHE Department has issued an apology to the public for the inconvenience caused by the disrupted supply and reassured residents that every effort is being made to restore normalcy. They have urged citizens to use water judiciously until full restoration is confirmed.