Flood fear looms large in Yangtse

Trashiyangtse: Fear of a flash flood is looming large among the people of Baychen village and Trashiyangtse town.

The fear is mostly born of the belief that Berzam Chhu and Serkang Chhu flood once in every 100 years. Berzam Chhu flows through Baychen village, which is above the town, and Serkang Chhu runs through the town.

Residents say it has been 100 years since the rivers last flooded.

If the rivers flood, it will not only destroy Baychen village and the town, but also the storied Gomphu Kora Chorten.

People’s concern over the threat of a flash flood has been growing despite the dzongkhag’s mitigation works along the river banks. Yangtse Gup Karma Wangchuk said people are worried because many strongly believe that the rivers flood every 100 years.

The thromde thuemi of Trashiyangtse town, Karma Kelzang, said the business people of the town, particularly those living on the banks of Serkang Chhu, are under constant fear of a flood. They believe that time is ripe for the river to burst its banks. “Shopkeepers in the town go through sleepless nights,” he said.

During monsoon, some residents of the town even fled their homes in fear of a flood. Karma, a shopkeeper from the town, said the thought of a flood scares the residents because they live between two potentially dangerous rivers. He said the rivers are unpredictable and are known to suddenly swell even on fair weather days.

However, Gup Karma Wangchuk said the old belief surrounding the rivers flooding once in every 100 years irrespective of weather condition doesn’t hold water. He said it has been established that there are no lakes at their sources, which could burst open and trigger a flood. He added, though, that the risk of a flood cannot be ruled out.

The residents also fear that, in the event of a flood, the low bridges across the two rivers could act as artificial dams causing the flood to spread into the town. If debris gets clogged under the bridges, the flood would get more dangerous.

The dzongkhag is aware of this and has been carrying out mitigation works like raising the height of the bridge across Serkang Chhu.

Besides, river bank protection works like building wire mesh walls have been done to mitigate the risk of a flood.

Karma Kelzang said besides spending on mitigation works near the settlements, the dzongkhag could also conduct studies on the upper course of the rivers. He said the dzongkhag should deploy watershed specialists to do that.

By Tempa Wangdi