The bath that needs washing
18 December 2008
More than 250 people from all over Bhutan cramped at Gelephu Tshachhu from early this month hiring the guest house, or putting up their own tents, to bathe in the hot spring. But the people say a major improvements are needed.
Most of the 260 people who visited the hot spring, an increase in numbers from last year, say that all the five hot spring pots are very dirty. The surrounding also looks bad without a drainage system, and human excrement and rubbish litter the area.
“Last week I thought of dipping into the hot spring but looking at the dirty pots and poor drainage system I returned home instantly,” said a resident from Gelephu.
In the past many visitors also claimed that they were infected with viral diseases due to dirty pots and poor conditioned guest house rooms.
Thinley Dema (name changed) from Gelephu stopped visiting the hot spring after she was infected with skin rashes from bathing there. “With a hope to treat my ulcer I went to the hot spring, but I was infected with skin rashes due to dirty water. Hence I stopped going there,” said Thinley.
Even the residents of the area say that due to the poor condition of toilets, people defecate everywhere, making it difficult for them to walk on the footpath.
“There is a need for more toilets and old ones badly need maintenance,” a resident said. Indra Man Gurung, the caretaker of the Gelephu Tsha Chhu, said that as a single person to look after the area with the huge number of visitors makes maintenance “very difficult”.
“I cannot visit the pots where women dip and wash the pots. There is a need of a woman sweeper to clean the pots,” he said, adding that he also directs the people which pot to dip according to their sickness.
He censured that the hot spring is cramped and dirty because many people come to visit the hot spring out of fun and for holidaying.
This leads to shortage of lodge rooms and the genuine patients who come from far away dzongkhags do not get the opportunity to bathe or they have to spend a long time which even makes it more difficult to clean the pots, Indra said.
The Gelephu Dungpa said the dzongkhag administration is going to construct 3 units of toilets and water pipeline as a matter of urgency.
“But we cannot control the viral diseases since the hot water which comes from underground is very small, and for that we have no other alternatives. On top of that people use stick and stones and rub their body in the pots,” the dungpa said.
However, observers suggest that a small contribution from the visitors would help pay for maintenance, keeping the hot spring clean and beautiful.
“Gelephu hot spring is known nationwide for treating ulcer, joint pains, and paralysis. A small contribution or social work or civic sense from our side may help maintaining it clean and free of infectious diseases,” said one of the visitors.
They also suggest a need of two policemen (male and female) to control the crowd, especially in winter to help the caretaker to direct visitors and wash the pots from time to time.
By Riku Dhan Subba
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Loading ...Zakar for Friday July 30 2010
20th Day of the 06th Month - Iron Male Tiger Year
Auspicious for: Carrying out daily chores and making offerings.
Inauspicious for: Starting construction of new house, sowing seeds, planting flowers, entering the new house, shifting houses, calling upon superiors, starting business, doing charity works in the name of deceased, taking out dead bodies, paying grain debts, undertaking long journey and holding discussion.
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How about building a separate shower room with hot running water so that every one can wash and scrape and clean and do what ever they normally do before entering the hot tubs? How about make it compulsory?
How about restricting the people to enter the pool only in Bathing suits?
How about everybody clean up after themselves? And how about imposing a heavy fine if somebody is caught littering?
How about hiring an extra hand as the care taker suggests?
How about using some organic water treatment to control the viral disease?
How about build more toilets and charge a nominal fee per use?
How about the visitors limit their time in the hot tub and give a chance to the others? (After all it’s not healthy to stay in a hot tub for an extended period of time)
How about we the Bhutanese learn some civic sense and learn to follow lines and wait for our turn and clean after ourselves and not scrape and wash off dirts in a public pool?
So much we could do on our part while waiting for the govrnment to build extra infracture eh?
Lobxang
NYC