Planning for Utilities and Services is crucial for both the future development envisioned in the town and to ensure better living conditions. This section on the Proposed Town Sanitation and Utilities system takes into account various proposed and on-going infrastructure development projects within the town, apart from the projects proposed as a part of the Structure Plan. The proposals are related to the population accommodation capacity of the town and the proposed Urban Villages / Urban Neighborhoods. One of the main objectives of the proposed town sanitation and utilities system in Gelephu is to encourage community participation at all relevant areas and at all relevant levels, which will ease the maintenance and management aspects of the proposals.

It must be noted that the selection of appropriate utilities mechanism, and their design, should be done by qualified public health engineers. In this section a conceptual network of these systems are envisioned which will help the public engineers towards designing them in the future. The aim here is to reserve the network rights-of-way and to facilitate preliminary cost estimation process. The actual designs and costs estimation will be carried out by public health engineers engaged for the specific task, who shall interact with the stake holders of Gelephu.

 5.13.1 Water Supply System

Gelephu town presently accommodates a population of 12,398. This population is spread out over an area of approximately 5.85 sq km. The town at present could be characterized as an agglomeration of scattered pockets of residential settlements, each with varying population and density patterns. Due to the lack of accurate information regarding the current status of water supply in the town, the report on pre-feasibility study conducted by the Department of Urban Development and Housing during January, 2003 has been taken as the base for the calculation purpose. At places, where available information is not clear, the findings from the ground verification are used.

Intense development in Gelephu is currently concentrated in and around the town core area. It is these areas that account for about 30% of the whole population followed by the areas adjacent to the town core, which take up another 20% of the total current population within the municipal limit. Owing to the scattered pattern of settlement, the water supply system existing within the town limits, functions technically under two main categories. These includes the main town water supply network which caters to the water supply needs of the town core and the surrounding areas and the rural water supply scheme which serves few outlying areas within the current municipal limit. While the water supplied through the town water supply network is treated through the infiltration gallery located at the source, the rural water supply schemes provide raw water without any treatment.

5.13.1.1Current Consumption Patterns

As per the records maintained by the GMC and the pre-feasibility study, the current daily supply of water averages close to 2700 cum/d (Cu m per day) excluding industrial demands. Assessment of the water supply records supplied by GMC (Gelephu Municipal Corporation) for the year 2003 indicates that the daily per capita consumptions of water range from 150 liters/capita/day to about 180 liters/capita/day.These figures account for the water consumption recorded on the town water supply Network only. There are no clear usable records on the water consumption patterns through the rural water supply schemes in the outlying areas. Hence, these figures might vary slightly if approximate estimates of the consumption in the outlying areas are considered for calculations. Analysis on the water consumption patterns for domestic and non - domestic uses, under different component categories, during 2002-2003, highlights that the water consumption for domestic uses accounts to 60%-70% of the total water consumption. The Institutional campuses accounts for 5%-10% while the commercial establishments’ accounts for 10%-15% of the total water consumption. With reference to the above calculations, the water demand for the future is forecasted by assuming that the proportion of domestic to non - domestic consumption within the town will be 70% - 30% respectively.

5.13.1.2 Water Requirement forecast

The water requirement for the future development is calculated based on an assessment of the total population that could be accommodated within each of the proposed Urban Village / Urban Neighborhood as per the appropriate density levels established for each precinct.As per the growth strategy envisioned for the town in the Gelephu Structure Plan, each of the Urban Village / Urban Neighborhood areas, which forms the basic unit of planning in the town, would be made up, of a Village Square (UV-1), an Urban Village Core (UV-2), an Urban Village Periphery area (UV-3) and areas falling under the Urban Village Enclave (UV-4), Institutions (I-1), and other Precincts.

The population accommodation of each Urban Village / Urban Neighborhood is calculated by considering the total area of the proposed precincts allowed for residential use multiplied with their respective residential developable area co-efficient assumed for each precinct. The net residential developable area thus calculated for each precinct is equated with the total net residential developable area of the town in terms of its percentile proportion. The resultant equation is directly proportional to the population accommodation of the precinct with respect to the total projected population of the town. Thus, the population accommodation in each Urban Village / Urban Neighborhood is calculated (refer to table no 5.5 to 5.9 for details).

The consumption pattern in each of the proposed precincts of an Urban Village / Urban Neighborhood is expected to be different with respect to the population density and allowable uses. But, for the purpose of arriving at standard parameters for calculating the demand in all the Urban Village / Urban Neighborhood areas, the earlier quoted domestic to non-domestic water consumption proportion of 70% - 30%, has been considered, with an addition of 10%-15% to the total requirement (domestic and non - domestic) to account for possible network losses.

To forecast the total water requirement of the town in the future following standards were adopted.

Table 5.14: Water requirement Standards

Source: Urban Development Plan Formulation and Implementation (UDPFI) Guidelines, Institute of Town Planners, India and report on pre-feasibility study conducted by the Department of Urban Development and Housing during January, 2003.

The primary objective of the water supply system proposed for Gelephu is to ensure an efficient and regular supply of potable water for all the areas within the municipal limits. Other objectives include:

5.11.1.3 Strategies for Action

As mentioned earlier, provision of a new water supply network in Gelephu town is under conceptualization (with DANIDA funding as per EUSPS action plan -2003). As per the pre-feasibility study, the Mao Chhu is identified as the primary source of water for the town, under this new water supply scheme. Tapping of water from the up-stream of the Mao Chhu should be considered, as an alternative to the present water tapping site, considering the possibility of pollution in the future and the high risk of flooding at the present site. Though detailed design of this new water-supply scheme, and its distribution system, has not yet been started under this programme, it is assumed that the water supply distribution system will be gravity based one.

Distribution Strategy as per the Urban Village / Urban Neighborhood Precinct Characteristics

As per the envisaged growth structure for the town, each Urban Village / Urban Neighborhood would consist of a Village Square (UV-1), which would form the commercial, and amenities hub, an Urban Village Core area (UV-2), which would be the high-density housing areas and the Urban Village Periphery (UV-3), which would be a medium to lower density residential area (and other permitted uses as per the Precinct and Zoning Plan).

Considering this framework of each Urban Village / Urban Neighborhood, it is proposed that the Village Square (UV-1) and the Urban Village Core (UV-2) area be equipped with a storage reservoir, to enable a pressure driven Water Supply System in these areas. The Water Supply network in these areas would be run and maintained by the pumping station provided in each Square. As these areas carry higher densities of residential use, retail commerce and amenities of the Urban Village / Urban Neighborhood area, the basic provision of firefighting facilities in the form of “Fire - Hydrants” could also be incorporated if the network pressure is constantly maintained.

Networks based on simple gravity-flow mechanisms would service the Urban Village Periphery (UV-3) areas. A network of trunk infrastructure is proposed to be laid out covering the key areas of the Urban Village Periphery, from where branch lines would be let out as and when required.

Hence, the trunk infrastructure leading from the main reservoir to the Village Square, the Urban Village Core, and the Urban Village Periphery areas would have to be established separately, to facilitate easy operation and maintenance.

It is proposed that the billing system should also differ as per the declared precinct schedule of plots. The Village Square (UV-1) and the Urban Village Core (UV-2) areas could be differentially priced from the Urban Village Periphery (UV-3) areas, owing to the grade of service provided being different. As per the above recommendations for instance, an institutional campus if established in the Urban Village Core zone would be differentially priced from one, established in the Urban Village Periphery zone. The billing would be as per the metered consumption levels of each plot or registered units.

Actual network plan for the Village Square, the Urban Core and the Urban Village Periphery areas, as per the different systems of supply proposed would have to be worked out in detail separately.

Proposed Water Supply Network

The water supply network proposed for Gelephu town would work in two tiers. These include

Town Level Water Supply Network

The town water supply network would primarily consist of the two water sources i.e. the Mao Chhu source and the Pelrithang source, with their respective treatment plants. This will have a combined capacity of 10,000 cum/d and the transmition lines connecting the treatment plant and the storage reservoir of the Urban Village / Urban Neighborhood. Space for an extra 5,000 cum/d capacity will be reserved in the treatment plan considering the un-expected emergency needs of the future. The existing treatment plants located at the sources is proposed to be up-graded with modern treatment mechanisms to cater to the growing needs of water supply in the town. It is also proposed that the treatment plants should be equipped with water storage reservoirs, from where potable water would be pumped to the water reservoirs located at each Urban Village / Urban Neighborhoods. The water storage reservoirs proposed at the treatment plants would also be uses as a back-up source for water supply in the town when ever required.

Owing to the horizontal spread of the town, there would be a need for an intermediate water storage reservoir, located between the water treatment plant and the storage reservoirs located in each Urban Village / Urban Neighborhood. This will help in making the system economical by reducing the need for a high horse power pumping system at the treatment plants. This will also help in easing the maintenance and management aspects of the proposed water supply network.

The existing water storage reservoir located to the west of the Match Factory is proposed to be up-graded with additional storage capacity and proposed to be used as the intermediate water storage reservoir. From this storage reservoir potable water would be supplied to all the Urban Villages / Urban Neighborhoods located to the west of the existing Gelephu-Trongsa highway.

Local Area Level Networks

As mentioned earlier the second tier of the proposed water supply network will function at the Urban Village / Urban Neighborhood level, supplying water from the storage reservoir located in the Urban Village to the individual plots. These local area level networks will form the primary distribution system of the proposed water supply network.

A typical local area level network will consist of an under ground water reservoir, of 1,500 cum capacity, to store the treated potable water transmitted from the storage reservoirs of the treatment plant, before letting it into the distribution network, a main water reservoir, of minimum capacity equal to half the total water requirement of the Urban Village / Urban Neighborhood (preferably elevated from the ground to a suitable height, which will facilitate gravity based water supply system within the Urban Village as well as maintain the pressure of water supply at designated precincts, considering the flat terrain of the town) located at the centre of the Urban Village / Urban Neighborhood, a pumping station of a suitable capacity to pump water from the under ground reservoir to the main water reservoir, trunk infrastructure from the main water reservoir to the Village Squares, the Urban Village Core and, the Urban Village Periphery areas and, branch networks within the Village Square, Urban Village Core and the Urban Village Periphery areas to carry water to individual plots and campuses.

The treated water from the treatment plant would be let into the main water reservoir, via under ground storage reservoir, for preliminary storage. Water from the main water reservoir would be supplied to the Urban Village Periphery areas through the network of trunk infrastructure, where the branch lines would supply water to individual plots through Gravity Flow Mechanisms.

In cases of the Urban Core, the Urban Hub, Village Squares and Urban Village Core precincts, it is proposed to establish a pressurized water distribution system, owing to the population density it caters to and the development opportunities cleared in these areas with respect to the development control regulations proposed for these precincts. An additional pumping system could be established as a part of the main pumping station, to maintain the pressure of water supply in these areas, from the main water reservoir of the Urban Village. The distribution network is proposed to be of Galvanized Iron /Ductile Iron pipes. Though, the proposals outlined in the discussion, suggests a conceptual frame work of water supply for the town, it is necessary that the system should be designed by qualified water supply engineers for its requirements, storage capacities and distribution system, considering the distribution timing to various parts of the local area, and the respective population served.

5.13.1.4 Broad Proposals for Actions

5.13.1.5 Fire Fighting Facilities

To satisfy and safeguard the fire fighting requirements of the town, it is proposed that each of the Urban Village / Urban Neighborhood areas be equipped with a reservoir of approximately 6.7cum (6700 liters) capacity. This recommendation has been adopted from the recommendations of the Draft Planning Standards for Urban Settlements in Bhutan, (by Department of Urban Development and Housing, MoC, 1999) which recommend a reservoir capacity of 30,000 gallons (approximately 6666.7 liters, as per the conversion of One Gallon being taken equal to 4.56 liters).

It is proposed that this reservoir be established within the Village Squares and Urban Hub to satisfy the fire safety requirements. It is proposed that from the storage reservoir a pressurized network of Water Supply be established to enable the setting up of on-street “Fire-Hydrants” within the Urban Hub, Village Square, the high-density development areas surrounding the Village Square, and in institutional development areas, at an interval of 120 meters. It is proposed that the Urban Village Periphery precinct and other proposed precinct areas be served by fire engines. A fire engine station is proposed as a part of the Urban Hub located with in the Royal Bhutan Police campus to cater to this need. Apart from this each Village Square will have reserved space for fire engine station.

It is also proposed that, a “local area volunteer fire-fighting force”, be created within each Urban Village / Urban Neighborhoods, which will carry out preventive inspections of each house annually, run community functional education classes on fire prevention, and fire fighting, recommend the types and placement locations of extinguishers and train selected youth in rapid action fire fighting.

5.13.2 Sewerage Management System

As mentioned earlier, there is no sewerage system under operation in the town. Requirement of the domestic waste waster treatment in the town is met with private septic tanks.

The current population of Gelephu town is expected to rise by more than sixty thousand people by 2025. In accordance to this estimation, a sewerage load of about 7 to 8 MLD is expected by 2025. Though, private and community-based septic tanks can provide intermediate solutions, considering the immense future growth potentials of the town, the related population accommodation, the soil characteristics of the region and other aspects related to maintenance, septic tanks cannot be advocated as a permanent solution for sewerage management in the town. Gelephu town will thus have to plan for a town wide sewer network and treatment facility to meet the current as well as future requirements.

Proposed trunk water supply network system

Understanding these crucial factors, the Royal Government of Bhutan has placed the installation and development of an established sewerage network within the Gelephu town, on the highest priority among all the development projects that are under conceptualization through DANIDA, funded EUSPS scheme. In the first phase of the scheme, the existing Gelephu town core and its immediate surroundings is proposed to be covered under the sewerage network. This will be extended to other parts of the town in a phased manner in the future. The treatment plant is proposed to be located along the Mao Chhu bank, near the International Boundary and would be based on a biological treatment system, consisting of oxidation and aeration ponds.

5.13.2.1 Strategies for Action

An efficient sewerage and wastewater disposal system is of critical importance with respect to maintaining high standards of health and hygiene in the town. The sewerage system proposed for Gelephu town aims at the provision of such a facility in a cost effective and organized manner, by establishing a hierarchical distribution of sewer networks in the urban landscape. The aim here is to regulate the diameter of the sewerage pipes, which is the most costly entity of the system, by establishing a distinct hierarchy in the collection system catering to it’s optimally needs.

Coverage of the sewerage system as per Urban Village / Urban Neighborhood Precinct Characteristics  

The proposed Precinct schedule prescribes the uses allowed in various designated areas within the town. It is proposed that the requirement for a particular type of sewerage system in each of the proposed precincts should be ascertained based on the activities allowed, the respective population accommodation and the density of development allowed in the precinct. This apart from making the system viable in terms of its economic returns will also ensure the self-sustainability of the waste disposal system. This means that different precincts will have different sewerage and wastewater disposal systems. The classification of the precinct is as follows.

Precincts, which need to be provided with a sewerage network and to be connected to the treatment facility:

Urban Village Square (UV-1), Urban Village – Core (UV-2), Urban Village – Periphery (UV-3), Urban Village – Enclave (UV-4), Urban Core (UC-1), Institutions (I-1), Royal Boulevard (I-2), Multi mode transit hub (SE-2), Dry port (SE-3) and Service centers and industries (SE-4).

Precincts, which can be served by private, or community-based septic tanks:

Green Space System (E-5 &E-6), Agricultural Environments (E-3) and Flood prone area (E-4).

Proposed Sewer Network

The proposed sewer network for Gelephu would consist of following hierarchy of sewers:

The proposed Main Trunk Sewers, and the Trunk Sewers, would primarily run along the proposed green buffers of the natural storm water drains and at unavoidable conditions along the primary roads with respect to the topographic conditions, collecting the waste water and sewerage from the primary local area sewers, to the treatment plant. This system will thus take the advantage of the existing topographical conditions of the town, which converges towards these natural storm water drains. All the sewers networks of the town will be accommodated on the special service ducts proposed to be constructed underneath of both the on-street and off-street footpaths. No sewer will run under the road carriageway, which hinders traffic flow during maintenance.

Though the existing topography of the town allows for a gravity based sewerage network, considering the predominant slope percentage of the town’s landscape, a pumping station on the Main Trunk may be required at some place to avoid unviable depths required to maintain sufficient gradients. Determination of the requirements for a pumping station, its capacity and exact location will have to be carried out based on a detailed slope analysis studies and physical surveys of the Main Trunk sewer path.

Treatment Plant

As mentioned earlier, the treatment plant, designed as a part of the on-going sewerage network project in the town funded by DANIDA, is proposed to be located along the Mao Chhu bed near to the Bhutan-India International boundary. The topography of the town also favors the location with its slope direction converging towards this place. However, taking into account the expected sewerage load and its future implications, a detailed study needs to be carried out to decide upon the location and the treatment system of new treatment plant. The following set of guidelines can, be of assistance:

It is suggested to have the new plant based on treatment technology capable of handling large sewerage loads. Though the technology under conceptualization, composed of aeration ponds and flocculation ponds, is an ideal option considering its minimal operational and maintenance expenditure, it is a land intensive one. The climatic conditions of the town and the average rainfall the region receives every year makes this option less viable. At the same time, it is necessary that the proposed treatment plant should be based on a technology, which is cost- effective, maintenance easy and permits an expandable modular design of treatment plant. This will enable town to expand the plant capacity based on requirements, rather than making heavy initial capital investment. Considering these factors it is suggested that the option of utilizing semi-mechanized technology should be explored while designing the new treatment plant.

Deciding upon the technology to be used in the proposed treatment plant will be based on comparative analysis of candidate technologies, with respect to local environmental considerations; as well as on the techno - economic feasibility studies.

5.13.3 Solid Waste Collection and Disposal System  

Gelephu, being envisioned as a Growth Centre and a Special Economic Development Zone, demands an effective solid waste collection and disposal system to cater to the future growing needs of the town. As mentioned earlier an approximately 5.32 tones of solid waste is collected every day by Gelephu Municipal Corporation, which is likely to increase every year with growing population. At present the town core area, which is the commercial hub of the town, generates 70% of the total solid waste collected. The vegetable market generates considerable amount of solid waste every week. The current pattern and composition of the waste generated in the town would rapidly change once the town starts growing, which needs due consideration in the future.

There is no accurate data available regarding the current solid waste generated in the town. Hence, the volume of solid waste that would be generated in the future is calculated by considering the outcomes of the pre-feasibility studies carried by the Department of Urban Development and Housing in the town during January 2003. The study suggests that an amount of 0.4 kilograms of solid waste is generated per person per day, 2.0 kilograms of solid waste is generated per every commercial establishment per day and 1.5 kilogram is generated per every hospital bed. Under the above mentioned assumptions the volume of solid waste, which would be generated in the town by 2025 is estimated to be at a range of 30-35 tones per day. Unless a proper collection and disposal mechanism is devised, the Gelephu town by the structure plan time will be surrounded by solid waste dumping sites to manage the estimated amount for the solid waste generated every day by the projected population. All the river beds of the town and its surroundings will be filled with solid waste, resulting in flooding inside the town. The open spaces of the town will act as garbage sites. To avoid such a situation it is necessary to manage the generated solid waste very efficiently.

Gelephu, being a society of strong community relationships, provides great flexibility to propose the system of segregating the waste at the source. The primary objective of the proposed solid waste collection and disposal system is to minimize the volume of solid waste disposed on to the disposal site, by the following methods.

There must be an urban region approach to the solid waste problem, taking all the nearby settlements and industrial estates together.

5.13.3.1 Solid Waste Types and Its Management  

Segregating the waste at the source will greatly help in minimizing the volume of solid waste disposed at the disposal site. Solid waste can be segregated into the following types:

Reusable and Recyclable Solid Waste includes, paper and paper products, all plastic products, glass bottles and metallic products like tin and aluminum. Most of these wastes cannot be treated or disintegrated. These wastes shall be segregated at the source and can be sent to the proposed Waste Recycling Plant.

Each Urban Village Square will be provided with a Recyclable and Reusable Waste Collection Store, which can accommodate a volume of six tones of waste with a clearance interval of ten days (assuming that each Urban Village and other precincts supported by a Village Square will generate not more than 5-6 tones of solid waste per day and consideration that not more than 50% of the wastes generated will be recyclable and reusable wastes) These wastes will be disposed to proposed Waste Recycling Plant by Gelephu Municipal Corporation as per the specified interval.

Solid wastes, which can be incinerated includes non-reusable and recyclable wastes and other wastes, which cannot be treated or decomposed by natural methods but which can be incinerated . The proposed solid waste treatment and disposal site will be provided with an electric incinerator to dispose these wastes.

Other rubbish includes all organic wastes like food products and other decayed wastes which can be treated by vermiculture, simple composting or by other natural treatment methods. Construction and other solid waste will also fall in this category of waste.

5.13.3.2 Solid Waste Collection System for Various Precincts

Self- Management System  

This proposed system aims at managing the solid waste at source level and decentralization of the solid waste management, thus bringing total public participation in handling the solid waste generated by them. This process includes self-collection, segregation and disposal of the solid waste generated by the respective premises.The solid waste has to be segregated into three types: 1. Solid waste that can be reused and recycled; 2. Solid waste that can be incinerated; and, 3. Other rubbish that cannot be incinerated or recycled.

The reusable and recyclable waste from the general waste collected will be segregated within the premises and stored in the proposed recyclable and reusable waste collection store located at every Urban Village / Urban Neighborhoods, by hiring GMC trained persons. The solid wastes which can be incinerated will be segregated and stored separately within the premises and will be transported to the incineration plant located in the disposal site with the help of GMC trucks. Other rubbish, which cannot be incinerated or recycled, will be dumped into the 3 cu m capacity steel containers located in the respective campuses, which will be transported to the Solid Waste Treatment and Disposal Site by GMC trucks at regular interval.

This system can be implemented in all major institutional campuses, government offices, government and group housing colonies, corporate organizations, all proposed Endowment Precincts (existing RBP, RBA campuses) and the Environmental Precincts (river and natural storm water drain green belts maintained by the above mentioned institutions and GMC). This system is partially in operation in the Hospital campus, were their own incinerator is used to dispose the hazardous wastes.

The local administration body or campus maintenance division, of the respective campuses will be responsible for managing the solid waste. These campuses shall hire GMC trained workers or GMC can train their workers in the process of collection, segregation and storage of the solid wastes. The installation and maintenance cost of the proposed incinerator at the disposal site can be shared proportionately between the campuses that will be utilizing the facilities. Inspectors or Vigilance Officers from the proposed GMC’s Solid Waste Monitoring and Vigilance team, including vigilance officers from RBP and RBA can inspect and monitor the management of solid waste in these premises. This system can later be implemented in all residential areas of proposed Urban Villages after establishment of the Urban Village / Urban Neighborhood Local Administration Bodies, where the community will be responsible for carrying out the collection and segregation process.

Door-To-Door Manual Collection System by GMC Trained Workers

This system is similar to the system currently followed by GMC in some parts of the Town Core area. The GMC workers will collect the waste from each residential and commercial unit and dispose it into a three cubic meters capacity steel containers, located at regular intervals along the primary solid waste collection truck movement route, within the collection area. These containers will be provided with closing lids. This in turn will be collected by GMC trucks and transported to the disposal site. The residents of the respective area will pay service charges to the workers, who will also take the responsibility of segregating the recyclable and reusable waste before dumping other rubbish, into the waste dumping containers. The medium- and low-density residential development areas, located within the Urban Village / Urban Neighborhood, will be provided with community bins, at regular intervals and at strategic points, where each household will dispose their waste. These bins will be cleaned by the GMC trained workers and the rubbish will be dumped in the steel containers after the segregation of the collected solid waste.

The recyclable and reusable waste collected will be stored in the proposed waste collection store located at the respective Urban Village / Urban Neighborhoods. The wastes, which can be incinerated, will be incinerated at electric incinerators located at Solid Waste Treatment and Disposal Sites.

These workers will be trained by the GMC and hired ( by paying service charges ) by the residential communities of the Urban Villages / Urban Neighborhoods. They can also act as caretakers of the proposed waste collection stores located in the Urban Village / Urban Neighborhood. This system will become more efficient if the households take the initiative in segregating the waste within the household itself. The door-to-door manual collection system is more hygienic and efficient in terms of shoveling time saved in emptying the concrete litterbins.

This system will be followed in the proposed Urban Village Precincts. The charges for collection and disposal of solid waste shall be directly related to the total floor area of the building and the plot area. GMC inspectors/Vigilance Officers can inspect and monitor, the management of solid waste in these areas.

Direct 'Truck-away' Collection System

 Truck-away collection can be defined as a shop-to-shop solid waste collection route followed by the GMC’s pressure dumper. This system is currently in operation in the Losal Lam, Jangchub Lam and Norkil Lam areas of the present Town Core. These areas generate 60% of the total solid waste collected by GMC. In the existing system the shopkeepers directly dump the solid waste into the trailer maintained by GMC for the transportation purpose.

The proposed system is similar to the existing system apart from the additional responsibility for the shopkeepers to segregate the recyclable and reusable wastes before disposing the wastes, and the proposal for the use of pressure dumpers to transport the collected solid wastes. The recyclable and reusable waste shall be stored in the proposed waste collection store of the respective Urban Village / Urban Neighborhoods. The proposed pressure dumpers will collect only wastes, which can be incinerated, and other organic rubbish. GMC can charge the shopkeepers for the service provided based on the total floor area of the commercial establishment.

This system can be extended to the proposed Town Core Precinct, proposed Urban Hub, proposed Village Squares, proposed Urban Corridor and all other commercial stretches.

Precincts Managed by the Gelephu Municipal Corporation

 Though most of the proposed precincts come under the above mentioned collection systems some precincts like proposed and existing public open spaces, parking spaces, roads and footpaths shall be directly managed by GMC. GMC workers will handle the collection, segregation, and disposal of solid wastes in these areas.

Options for Solid Waste Management in other Sectors

5.13.3.3 Solid Waste Treatment and Disposal Site and Waste Recycling Plant

Identification of an effective solid waste treatment and disposal option is a vital part of the solid waste management system proposed in the town, especially given present practice of the solid waste disposal. Though, identification of an appropriate disposal site involves multi-disciplinary investigation with respect to the ecological, geological and other aspects, and falls beyond the scope of the structure plan, it is proposed that the site be located on the hill slopes situated to the north of the town.

The proposed solid waste treatment and disposal site will mainly consist of three parts. This includes a land fill site, for the disposal of the wastes that can neither be incinerated or recycled or decomposed, an electric incinerators, for the disposal of the wastes that can be incinerated and organic waste decomposition sites, for the disposal of organic and decomposable wastes. The recyclable and reusable waste recycling plant is proposed to be located as a part of the proposed industrial estate, which could be used by the future industries also.

Criteria for Locating Solid Waste Treatment and Disposal Sites

Care should be taken that the disposal sites are located away from any human settlement or activity. The environmental determinants like slope stability, geology, ground water and wind direction of the region/zone should be studied and analyzed before implementation. Study for identifying the solid waste disposal sites should consider the following criterion;

5.13.3.4 Proposal for Monitoring of Solid Waste Collection and Disposal Activities

Monitoring the solid waste collection and disposal activities is crucial for the proper functioning of the proposed system. It is proposed that the GMC Solid Waste Management Division should have a Solid Waste Monitoring and Vigilance team to inspect and monitor the activity of solid waste management in the proposed precincts. Officials of Dungkhag administration, RBP, and RBA can be part of the team to keep vigilance on illegal solid waste disposal. School students can be educated and trained to promote awareness among public about solid waste management and can also be part of the vigilance team to keep their town clean.

Disposal of solid wastes on natural storm water drains, on rivers, road sides, forests, vacant sites, open spaces, public spaces and other remote areas shall be considered as illegal and can be penalized.

All the above mentioned systems aims to minimize and manage the volume of solid waste collected at the disposal site. Introduction of strict monitoring system, introduction of public participation and de-centralization of the solid waste management, will minimize the responsibilities and ease the management.

5.13.4 Storm Water Management and Drainage System

Gelephu is situated at an average altitude of 375 M above mean sea level. The topography of the town is predominantly flat with slope range less than 5 degrees lowering towards the Mao Chhu. The town receives an average annual rainfall of about 5000 mm, which is one of the highest in the entire Kingdom. The issue of storm water drainage becomes very crucial, given the above mentioned factors, together with the climatic condition of the region, which is warm and humid during most of the months.

At present, an established storm water drainage system exists only in the Gelephu Town Core. This is a combined system; carrying both storm water run off as well as household wastewater. The extended municipal limit is provided with rudimentary storm water drainage network in the form of constructed storm water drains. These drains are scattered in the town’s landscape and have been implemented considering only the immediate needs. The natural storm water drains which form a dominant part of the natural landscape of the town, helps in carrying the surface rain water runoff to the river. These natural drains caters to a substantial proportion of total surface run off, ranging between 30% and 60% based on the level of blockage. At places these natural drains are partially lined, which to a major extent reduces their carrying capacity.

As mentioned earlier, blockage in the storm water drainage system is one of the commonly noticed problems, which needs special consideration. There are certain areas in the town facing chronic or acute problems of flooding and stagnation of water, particularly during the monsoon months. Stagnation of water decomposes the garbage left in the open and gives rise to unhygienic conditions. The condition needs immediate attention, given the malaria prone nature of the region. There are other areas in the town that do not face such a drastic problem at the present situation, but the conditions may deteriorate fast if adequate provisions for storm water drainage are not provided immediately. These areas are predominantly the ones, which have been subjected to development in recent past.

It is proposed that a comprehensive storm water management system should be designed and implemented in the town on a priority basis. The natural surface storm water drainage pattern existing in the town’s landscape (created as a result of its topographical conditions), should be protected to allow for a smooth out-flow of the storm water from the town. For this reason, primary and dominant natural storm water drains in the town are identified and are proposed with Surface Storm Water Drain Protection Zone, as a part of the Proposed Natural Environment Protection and Enhancement Zone described in the earlier part of the chapter. These natural drains will form the primary storm water drainage network proposed for the town.

The secondary storm-water drainage network will run underneath the on-street footpaths. A typical drain laid under the footpath, will have vertical grills, at appropriate intervals, as part of the level-difference between the footpath and the carriageway. This arrangement is suitable to prevent blocking of the drains due to garbage and other waste being accumulated on the horizontal grills.

These secondary drains will open out into the natural storm water drains that will connect to the Mao Chhu and Dung Khola at appropriate locations. The confluent part of the natural storm water drain and the river will be provided with storm water drain purification ponds. These storm water drain purification ponds will filter and purify the organic and suspended particles, carried by the surface run-off, before joining these water bodies. These ponds will also act as a recreational feature along the river and stream side green belt.

5.13.4.1 Rain Water Harvesting

As described earlier, reducing the amount and speed of surface run-off is one of the prime objectives of the proposed storm water management system. Suitable measures towards achieving the above mentioned objective would reduce the risks created by flash floods in the town and in the region to a major extent.

The aspect of efficient management of rain water needs clear guidelines and immediate attention in the town. Rain water harvesting should be encouraged and given high priority in the region. Appropriate methods oriented towards harvesting the rain water need to be studied further and implemented. Public awareness and participation should be sought in this aspect. Rain water harvesting should be made mandatory both at plot level, by means of rain water harvesting ponds and at town level, by means of percolation wells. This, apart from reducing the surface runoff, to a maximum extent, will also help in helping in increasing the ground water table of the town, through percolation, thus reducing the demand for potable water within the town.

The proportion of rainwater percolated into the ground, depends primarily on the factors of soil retention, tree cover, and disturbance to natural drainage pattern in the areas of the town. To reduce the surface water run off, mountain slopes surrounding the town should be protected from deforestation and soil erosion. Measures proposed as a part of the Proposed Natural Environment Protection and Enhancement Zone described in the earlier part of the chapter should be followed strictly.

Developmental Control Regulations is an effective tool to reduce the extent of paved areas and ground coverage in a plot. Care has been taken in the proposed Developmental Control Regulations to ensure such control, which will help in percolation of water into the ground at plot level.

However, to address the problem of excessive surface water run off, conservation measures should be taken up in “Watershed Regions” of the river, streams and springs in the Gelephu region. Necessary measures towards achieving such a control would include formulation of a legislation to protect the bio-diversity, ensuring prohibitive measures for activities affecting bio-diversity in the watershed areas and ensuring EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) mandatory for all proposed activities in this region. These measures would lead to the conservation of bio-diversity. Sustainable use of resources would ensure resource availability for the future and would reduce chances of environmental hazards.

5.13.5 Street Lighting Facilities

 As mentioned earlier the Gelephu Municipal Corporation provides the street lighting facilities and looks after the maintenance. Mainly due to the lack of finances and inadequate human resources, not all the roads of Gelephu have street lighting facility currently.  

The primary objective of proposals devised for the street lighting system in the town is to facilitate the provision of lighting on all the roads of the transportation network, as well as access roads serving to the residential quarters in the future.

Towards achieving the objective, the Gelephu Municipal Corporation could explore alternative options, which facilitate service provision through community participation. As an example for this method, citizens of one locality can contribute towards installation of streetlights in their area and the corporation can provide incentives by waiving the water charges for a stipulated time period. Other similar schemes can be designed, which essentially encourage the citizens to contribute towards the installation of facilities of immediate help to them, by extending certain incentives to create win-win scenarios. This approach will effectively bypass the resource constraints issue and facilitate rapid provision of infrastructure. This method will well suit for providing facilities to the roads leading to residential quarters and to the ones running through housing colonies.

Implementation of the Local Area Plans will also facilitate provision of street lighting as well as other services in an equitable way. Tackling the issue of infrastructure provision at the local level, through local area planning, ensures rapid implementation also. All the roads being newly constructed or developed will have provision for adequate street lighting. It is proposed to install street lighting facilities on the major roads (primary and secondary) of extended areas on the priority basis. Road hierarchy proposed in the Transportation Plan can be used for prioritization of this work.

Table 5.15: Details of the Proposed Street Lighting System in the Town