Thimphu (Kuensel/ANN) - It seems like a serene torquoise lake surrounded by trees and fresh green shrubs and bushes, the atrificial lake, about half-an-hour walk up a hill from Nganglam.
But it is a source of constant worry for villagers living downstream of the fear of a flashflood the lake, located between the cement plant and Nganglam town, might unleash following a heavy downpour.
A panel of retention wall and a portion of road to Dungsam Cement Project was washed away recently and the heavy logs, debris and mud that have fallen into the lake after every landslide above it had increased the volume of the water.
Nganglam dungpa Nima Gyeltshen said the artificial lake was formed after landslides blocked the flow of Karungchhu river between Nganglam town and Dungsam cement plant followig downpour sometime in April last year.
The landslide occurred in the area called Zimzimphu near Norbugang gewog farm road. Norbugang is about four-hour walk from Nganglam town.
The blockage has caused the formation of lake that is 2.8 metre deep, 190 metres long and 42 metres wide while the river has ben reduced to a trickle downstream that is meandering towards Nganglam-Gyalpozhing highway.
Dungsam cement's chief executive officer Dorji Norbu said if measures were not taken sooner, the lake posed some serious threat to Nganglam-Gyalpozhing highway and Gashari villagers.
"A portion of the project site will also be washed away," he said.
Even the people living in some 20 or so shops at Tsenkari catering to employees of the cement plant run to Nganglam about 6km with their belongings every time there is a heavy rain.
"It lies on a slightly lower level than Nganglam town," he said.
He said the water level has risen by about five meters in the lake.
"We're clearing the boulders that rolled down the mushy gradient," Dorji Norbu said. "We used cement walls as defence against impending flashflood but it was washed away this year."
Nima Gyeltshen said the matter was submitted to the government.
Geology and mines officials were deputed to carry out measures to stop the landslide.
"Based on their report we approached the government for allocation of budget last year," he said. "But our request was not entertained."
He said dungkhag was asked to adjust from the approved budget for dungkhag developmental activities and there was no supplementary budget.
"But the budget we had was not enough for mitigation work," he said.
Dungsam cement officials helped in reducing water volume by creating water channels downstream with excavators.
"It cost the project about Nu 2.1M," the dungpa said. "Now the project has asked us to refund the money, while we are still wait for government to release the amount."
However dungkhag has submitted the details of work and cost estimation for mitigation works to dzongkhag.
Nima Gyeltshen said the government could have saved millions had it responded immediately when formation of artificial lake was reported last year.
He said the final estimated cost for the mitigation work on artificial lake was about Nu 223M.
He said the cost included carrying out mitigation works like building river protection walls in particular among others.
An elderly woman said, they always make sure they pack their things and run to Nganglam town whenever it rained heavily.
"We live in perpetual fear lives everyday," she said.
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