Our Weekend Fight

According to some media reports, the incessant rain the nation received for more than a week had been worse since 2007. Across the nation, the incessant downpour wreaked havoc especially in they're really southern regions. Many roads and bridges were reported to be damaged. Sarpang town was hit worse with flood water entering the town. Even His Majesty the King paid his royal visit to investigate the flooded places and provided consolation and hope to those hit worse in Sarpang Dzongkhag. The people realized the royal concern with His majesty visiting the affected places such as Doti River and Amochu in Phuntsholing. The Dantak workers and army personals deployed by HM felt motivated to speed up their work of constructing bailey bridge at Kamji to connect Phuntsholing-Thimphu highway. With Phuntsholing-Thimphu highway disconnected for about a week, some imported vegetables and things were reported ‘becoming expensive’ in Thimphu. I have read about some volunteers ferrying oxygen cylinders on their shoulders at the Kamji block feeling the pains of those patients at National Referral Hospital in Thimphu. Similar disasters were felt all across the nation.
     In the school we felt lucky for no report of any disaster in the community although we received similar torrential downpours that other places received. The children were bombarded with their safety taking into account of the probable disasters accompanying peak monsoon. We could carry out our classes without having to brave any sort of disasters. However, we experienced difficulty in commuting from one place to another with mud splattering our cloths and legs. We dearly longed for internal footpaths to come up in near future. Unlike other officers, teachers have to move from class to class and hence without concrete footpaths, it is difficult for us to maintain our cleanliness. Finally we had to resort to slippers which proved no better than shoes. And gumboots would have been better if we were allowed by our official etiquette although they are very similar in design of our ceremonial boots ‘tshoglhams’. During the last Lower Kheng principals Meet, we were advised not to allow even trainers and sneakers during office hours. Sometimes when disasters wreak havoc, it is difficult to comply by our official etiquette. May be bare foot would be more safe solution to prevent our shoes from splattering mud time and again without going against our official etiquette.
     The puddle formed behind the new academic block has been concern for us. We are concerned that the puddle would weaken the foundation of the building and cause a major disaster in the future. So for that today we were involved in drying the puddle by taking out the water through drains. Last year sir karma had initiated to get rid of the puddle with the help of his club’s children. However the recent incessant rain formed the puddle again, perhaps bigger than last year’s. we dug gravel sand brought by the water from the road and tried to level the ground. As our work progressed, we discovered a couple of water streaming out at a side of the ground. we thought that they were the waters of our kitchen and tap that had been sipped into the ground. but sir Karma heard that the water has been there naturally since long time back. Later an elderly woman who was passing by confirmed that the water occurs naturally in 5th and 6th month every year. We had to resort to meander the water towards the road to avoid future disaster by any means. The teachers and bigger boys dug the gravel sands and put them in sacks. Smaller children picked up the sacks and filled the puddle. But we couldn’t fill the puddle and level the ground despite our restless effort of about 1 and half hours in the sun. We could drain out only some water through high drains we dug and lower a bit of volume of water in the puddle. In the end we were all plastered with mud and dirt. The group which were deployed in clearing the drain below our playground which was built as sort of mitigation work to avoid landslide were tried equally. The children were advised to bathe, wash their clothes and change the dress right away. After that we refreshed ourselves with cool mango and orange juice followed by a movie as promised before the commencement of our work.
     I am very happy for the support and effort my team have for me in any kind of work I dream for the school. I pray for them to be blessed more than the sweats they shed for the wellbeing of the children.