The team to tame Thorthormi
16 July, 2009 - For the next three months, Sangay Tenzin, a Thimphu taxi driver, will live on dry vegetables, dal and rice and spend most of the time in knee-deep ice-cold water. He will leave for Lunana soon as a part of the Thorthormi mitigation operation team. The thought of the climb to Lunana, the harsh weather and strenuous labour, Sangay says, sends chills down his spine, but the 5-foot 4-inch bachelor is not deterred. He is all set for Operation Thorthormi.
About 340 men, who passed the physical test required to register for the Lunana project, will meet at Goen Damji on July 28. They will proceed to Lunana to manually lower the Thorthormi lake. These men will excavate key spots around the lake for three months to reduce the threat of glacial lake outburst floods.
This lake-lowering team includes farmers, taxi drivers, unemployed youth and some, who left their jobs or took extraordinary leave, drawn by the prospects of the money. They will be paid Nu 15,000 a month, excluding the Nu 6,000 for the 10-day trip. The department of geology and mines is also providing insurance of Nu 108,000 for each of the 340 or so men.
The money is good but, as the men prepare for the trip, there is both excitement and anxiety. “If I can earn Nu 45,000 in 3 months, it is equivalent to 15 months of my present salary,” says Kinley, who works as a daily wage earner in a private company. “It is risky, but I think it’s worth the risk,” says the recently married young man, adding that his wife is still worried.
“We can’t really live off dal and dry chillies for three months, so I’ll take some dried vegetables, shakam and sikam (dried meat),” says Tshewang Rinzin, a villager from Seyphu, Wangduephodrang, who had already worked at Lunana in 2008. “My main concern is the availability of food at Lunana.”
Those, who have been to the Lunana glaciers, say that firewood is scarce and sometimes it takes up to four hours just to cook a meal, depending on the availability of wood. “Many newcomers had to skip meals because they didn’t have fuel,” says Tshewang.
DGM provides basic rations when the labourers reach Lunana. Aside from food, the project also supplies each worker with a pair of shoes, a sleeping bag, raincoat and a pair of gloves.
At Lunana, these men will work from 8 am to 4 pm at the lake, which is an hour away from the base camp, Thanza. “It’s hard waking up in the morning in cold weather, and the water is even colder. It’s a hassle trying to bathe, we do it once every few weeks because we either don’t have firewood or pots to heat water,” said Sangay.
But it’s not all work, says Sangay. “Sometimes we play degor and khuru after work.” By the end of October, these men will come back with concrete plans and money. “We’re ready and well prepared. I’ll return with the money and buy a bigger car to better my taxi business,” said Sangay.
Tshewang is planning to repair his house in Seyphu with the money.
