In the spring of 2018, the Tibetan Nuns Project put out a call for help with funding critical repairs to the septic system at Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute in northern India.
We’re happy to report back that, thanks to our generous supporters, this big repair project was completed just in time before the torrential monsoon rains which started at the end of June.
Here’s a video made by Venerable Delek Yangdron and the Nuns’ Media Team of the monsoon rains at the end of July 2018.
Dolma Ling Nunnery was built 20 years ago and is home to about 200 nuns and 20 staff members. Unfortunately, there are no main sewer lines or sewage treatment in the area of the nunnery so the nuns must rely on a system of septic tanks throughout the large campus to manage all the toilet and bathroom grey water.
Two of the tank installations began leaking and required urgent attention. A very heavy monsoon in the summer of 2017 caused the mortar in the retaining walls to break down. The problem became really apparent In November 2017, when the nunnery was hosting the annual inter-nunnery debate called the Jang Gonchoe. With hundreds of nuns from 8 nunneries attending this month-long event, the population of Dolma Ling doubled.
Thank you for improving the life of the nuns and their neighbors. We know that funding septic systems is not the most exciting project, but we want you to know that, by supporting this project, you’ve made an enormous difference on the day-to-day life at the nunnery. Moreover, you’ve safeguarded the health of the nuns and their neighbors. Without a well-functioning septic system, there was the very real danger of outbreaks of disease such as dysentery, cholera, typhoid, and hepatitis.
We are delighted to share these photos of the project:
Thanks to your generous support, we were able to replace the stone retaining walls with new reinforced water-resistant concrete walls starting from a depth at least one meter below the existing bottom of the wall to prevent seepage. These walls are likely to have a lifespan of over 50 years.
All done! Here’s a photo of the completed top of the project before everything was tidied up.
It was a big job to do the repairs and the work was urgent. While the septic tanks themselves were sound, the walls which retain the overflow soakage area from the tanks were seeping. Of course, this was very distressing for the nuns, staff, and the nunnery’s neighbors.
A hygienic environment must be maintained around the nunnery. Without a functioning septic system, there is the very real danger of outbreaks of disease such as dysentery, cholera, typhoid, and hepatitis.
The nunnery relies completely on septic tanks and septic fields to deal with sewage and grey water. Also, because this area experiences one of the heaviest monsoons in India, the torrential rains put huge stress on the septic system, causing the tanks to overflow.
The fact that the nunnery is built on a hillside, further complicates matters. When the land becomes saturated, both the nunnery and neighboring village homes are affected, causing distress to everyone.
Thank you so much!