GEYZING, : The local panchayat body of Changey under Maneybung-Dentam constituency, which had earlier restricted the drinking water supply from Changey Falls to hotels in Pelling, citing Pelling Tourism Development Association (PTDA) and hotel owners’ failure to renew their permits, has reached a compromise. Following a coordination meeting held on Wednesday under the direction of Gyalshing DC, they agreed to allow vehicle drivers to procure and transport water from the site under certain conditions.
The meeting, attended by representatives of PTDA, Changey local panchayat body, officials from the Dentam SDM office and water transport drivers, decided that water transportation would continue until a new water source at Baar Kholain Bongten is allocated. The revenue per water tanker to be paid by the drivers was increased from Rs. 60 to Rs. 80. Additionally, drivers are mandated to maintain cleanliness around the water source.
Dentam SDM N.K. Karki, who was also present at the meeting, stated that the meeting was fruitful and all parties reached a positive understanding. He confirmed that water transportation from Changey Falls to Pelling would continue until the allocation of the Baar Khola water source.
Pelling, one of West Sikkim’s most popular tourist destinations, has been grappling with an acute water crisis for over a decade, especially during dry season. The water supply provided by the Public Health Engineering (PHE) department is insufficient to meet the growing demand, especially with the inflow of tourists throughout the year.
With over 200 hotels in the area, Pelling has been dealing with acute water scarcity of late, forcing tourism stakeholders to rely on water from Changey Falls at a hefty transportation cost.
The Jal Jeevan Mission has brought some hope to Pelling residents. Although pipelines have been laid under the mission, the supply of water is yet to be operational.
Some tourism stakeholders of Pelling maintained that they have no other alternative, apart from transporting water from Changey falls to manage stock of water especially for the tourists.
"How long Pelling has to deal with water scarcity problem? The growing tourism potential of Pelling and rising inflow of tourists each year cannot be handled without addressing water scarcity problem,” said a local resident.
Despite the current challenges, many tourism stakeholders remain optimistic that the water crisis will be resolved once the Jal Jeevan Mission becomes functional. They are hopeful that the State government will take proactive steps to ensure a reliable water supply for Pelling.