Gangtok:3rd Nov: ‘ A high-level meeting took place today between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) team, led by its Spokesperson, and senior officials of the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department, headed by the Secretary of the Department.
‘The BJP team consisted of Spokesperson Sangay Gyatso Bhutia, State Secretary Sangay Pulger, ST Morcha State President Karma Sonam Bhutia, Gangtok District Treasurer Jigme Lachenpa and Gangtok Mandal President Rajen Tamang. The PHE team consisted of Secretary Sailendra Sharma, Principal Chief Engineer Sanjeev Rai, Additional Chief Engineer, Supretending Engineer, Divisional Engineer, Assistant Engineer and Junior Engineers,’according to Spokesperson Sangay Gyatso Bhutia.
The meeting was held in direct response to the detailed presentation submitted by the BJP, referenced as 130/BJPSK/2025 dated 24/11/25, and a subsequent press video release dated 25/11/25. The central agenda of the discussion was the urgent concern regarding the chronic and severe shortage of drinking water plaguing the residents of Gangtok for the past several years, despite the region being naturally water-abundant. The BJP delegation firmly called for greater departmental accountability to resolve this persistent civic issue,’ added Gyatso.
During the dialogue, the PHE Department team acknowledged the severity of the crisis, outlining various challenges faced, particularly the hostile nature of the scope of work and the terrain-specific operational hurdles faced by its workforce.
The BJP, however, strongly advocated that the uninterrupted supply of drinking water is the basic necessity that a government is obligated to provide its citizens. The unequivocal demand placed before the PHE Department was simple and direct: 24×7, 365 days drinking water supply for all residents of Gangtok.
In response, the PHE Department affirmed that providing 24-hour drinking water is, in fact, their main objective and that significant efforts are already underway to achieve this goal. When pressed for a concrete future roadmap, the department highlighted the following major steps:
1. Water Wastage Reduction: Implementing measures to ensure float valves are installed in every household to prevent tank overflow, thereby stopping wastage. The department plans to sensitize the public on this matter with the assistance of local MLAs and Councillors.
2. Alternate Augmentation Pipeline: Laying an alternate augmentation water pipeline from the Bhusuk River, to specifically meet the demands of residents living below the Daragoan region, this is currently in the final phase of approval.
3. Infrastructure Overhaul: A proposal to replace old, rusted, and broken pipelines is being actively pursued, with the department remaining in constant touch with relevant authorities to secure approvals.
4. Digital Grievance Redressal: The department is in the final stages of inaugurating an online redressal platform, which will allow consumers to register grievances and access other essential facilities from the convenience of their homes.
‘The BJP recognizes the need to avoid causing unnecessary hindrance to the functioning of the department, but remains fundamentally result-oriented. While the proposals provided by the PHE Department appear genuine and committed to solving the water crisis faced by Gangtokians, the BJP will maintain constant vigilance regarding the concerns of the people. We will be regularly checking with the department about the progress of the shared proposals and we assure all residents of Gangtok that the BJP will always be someone they can rely on to champion their basic rights, ‘ said Gyatso finally.
