Voluntary Artists' Studio, Thimphu

How did I feel on the 3rd day of the River Survey (Walk the river)

Written by
Lilly Yangchen

We (the VAST members) went for the river survey, in order to know more about garbage, to see the cleanliness of the river of Thimphu Dzongkhag, to see the condition of the river and to keep ourselves busy and have fun.

We started this program from 2nd of July and on the first day, we went to Tango and from there we went to Beogana taking photos of garbage which were thrown near/beside the river, road, etc. and picking up all the garbage. The garbage which we saw most of the time were plastic bottles. When we finished the work, I felt quite happy and proud of myself.

On the second day, we started our work from Beogana to Pangrizampa Bridge. We visited many holy chortens, villages and old houses (buildings). On this day, we did not pick the garbage but we took pictures and interviewed some of the villagers. The second day was not that much interesting when compared to the previous day.

The most interesting day was on the third day of the river survey. If I say honestly, it was the most unforgettable, most adventurous and the most dangerous or the toughest day I experienced in my life.

We started our journey from the Dechencholing Bridge to the Coronation Park. On this day, lots of things happened. The first one was getting inside the cold and wide river; the second was the cliff-climbing. Nobody can feel or say how I felt while climbing the cliff. The soil was muddy because of the rain and at first I thought it was impossible for me to climb the cliff which was very dangerous as well as very steep.

But later, I felt confident and after lots of difficulties and falling down from the cliff many times (more than 5 times) I changed and made the impossible thing possible, I climbed it.

One more interesting thing which happened to me was I made lots of new friends.

That was why, this day was the most unforgettable, most adventurous and the most difficult day I have ever experienced in my life. On this day, I felt very angry and wished to curse my bad luck or unlucky day but on the other hand I was feeling very happy and thought of telling my adventures to my friends after returning to the school.

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How did I feel on the 4th day of the River Survey (Walk the river)

Tandin Chofel

Today we gathered in VAST at around 8:30 a.m. After waiting for our friends we started our journey and we went to Changigi Bridge where we had stopped our walk yesterday (6/7/09). As we were 15 in a group, Aue Dorji distributed mineral water to everybody. As we moved on we saw garbage thrown below the bridge, we took pictures and moved on. Asha led the way and we followed. We moved by the river and we reached a point where there was no way. Then we climbed up the mountain. There we saw an old path, a cliff and Asha explained to us about it. After walking towards the path we saw the path going to the river and we went near the river. This time we were near by the river and every one in the group played in the river and walked in the river.

The adults had to take care of the small children. Most of the adults went in the river. It was so dirty that we couldn’t see the path. We sank deeper and deeper as we walked, so we decided to take the safer path. We went up and moved by the houses where we saw people throwing garbage in the river.

Everybody was tired so we rested near the river. We saw plastic bottles being carried away by the river. There were many. After resting for sometime we moved on by the river. As we walked on the colour of the river changed because of the workshop’s garbage. We played by the river for sometime and then we moved on. When we reached the sewerage tanks, the smell nearly killed us but we moved on. We saw how they cleaned the dirty water and made it clean. At the end of the sewerage tank we took a water sample.

Asha was waiting for us with refreshment. We drank juice and rested for sometime and then we went to a restaurant in Olakha and later we went home.

- Written by Dorji Gayltshen

It was 10 AM, the sky was grey and it was drizzling. The air was cool and calm. We got out of the bus at the Dechencholing bridge. Dorji said 123…, and makes a head count. After the head count we started to walk down the Thimchu, full of energy for the day.

We collected the first water sample of the day just below the bridge and labeled them. Everyone was walking so fast, like the river, with joy on their face and curiosity in the mind to see what they will find for the day.

As we moved along the river we found out that plastics and rags make the branches of bushes more colorful like a flag. The riverbank has plastic for ornament.

The Taba picnic spot on the left bank of Thimchu was littered with chip packets, beer bottles and water bottles, probably left behind by picnickers. Plants were competing unsuccessfully for a better space for growth. Some people were pitching tents, camping and thus adding more to the liter.

As we moved further down the Thimchu, we climbed uphill and downhill so steep and sometime very marshy. The day was a lot livelier than the previous day, more colorful and more laughter, as some of our friends slipped into the marsh and got wet. While some giggled, others were downright serious – serious from the observing the state of our river.

The further we walked downstream, the more rags, plastics, human feces and charcoal floating on the banks of the Thimchu and rags hanging on the branches too. We collected water samples at different locations to test in a lab.

Finally at about 5 in the evening, as everybody was resting in the shade, tired and satisfied, little Thukten cried “we have reached our destination. LUNGTEN ZAMPA!”

This is our third day of the River Survey and everybody is having a blast.