Lachen firms up resolve to keep bottled water away

GANGTOK, 18 May: An awareness programme on the ban of bottled water in Lachen was organized as a follow-up to the ongoing work of WWF India and Lachen Tourism Development Committee for conservation of Lake Gurudongmar situated in North Sikkim under the wetlands conservation programme on Thursday.
Lachen Dzumsa had announced a ban on sale and use of bottled water in Lachen and areas above during the World Wetlands Day 2012 celebrations in February as an initiative for the conservation of the sacred lake of Gurudongmar, which, over the years has been growing as a tourist destination in the state.
The consent of hoteliers and shopkeepers had been taken earlier at an informal meeting wherein all stakeholders agreed to support the ban on use and sale of bottled water in the village. However they had expressed a need for providing tourists with safer options of drinking water, and also awareness generation and sensitization of tourists was felt necessary, so that the reason for the ban was clearly understood by them.
As a follow up, to this, water quality testing of the drinking water in Lachen and Thangu was conducted with the help of the water testing laboratory of CCDU under State Institute of Rural Development, which certified that the water was fit for drinking. The results of the water quality test were shared with the stakeholders and water filters were also provided to 44 hotels and shops in Lachen, which would be used as a replacement to bottled water.
Stickers for raising awareness amongst drivers, travel agents and hotels regarding the ban, were also distributed in the village, and it was announced that these would be made available very soon to all the travel agents in Gangtok as well.
Representative of the Hotel Association, Tamding Lachenpa, in his address said that the hoteliers wholeheartedly supported the ban, and initiatives for managing the garbage situation in Lachen would be taken. Hutu Lachenpa, Gyambo of Lachen Dzumsa in his speech announced to support the ban further adding that a fine would be imposed on shops/ hotels that sell bottled water in the village. He appreciated the initiative of WWF India and thanked the organization for providing support for garbage management in the village.
He mentioned that the Dzumsa would ensure that the ban was implemented and proper monitoring on this matter would be conducted in the future. Members of LTDC also organized an awareness campaign after the meeting with drivers and tourists, at the checkpost in Lachen. Stickers announcing the ban were distributed to all the drivers visiting the village, and sensitized on the matter.
The Officer-in-Charge, DK Pradhan at the Lachen Police Station also said that his team would also provide support in monitoring the bottled water ban by checking all the tourist vehicles coming to Lachen. Lachen Dzumsa, with assistance from LTDC and WWF will be working on developing a strategy for monitoring of the garbage that goes up to Gurudongmar lake, and ensuring that it is brought back to Lachen. A proposal for construction of a garbage segregation chamber at Lachen is also in the pipeline. [from PRABIN KHALING]