Farmers of Lhayuel in Sarpang will no longer have to depend on rain or make do with the scarce water supply in the village for irrigation. They now have a new irrigation channel which the Information and Communications Minister, DN Dhungyel inaugurated recently.
People waited for five years to avail themselves of the irrigation facility. Roadblocks during summer hampered timely transportation of raw materials till the village. Works got further delayed in absence of an access road to the water source.
Now that the project is complete, it will benefit 125 households of the village in Chhudzom Gewog. “The irrigation channel will help irrigate 600 acres of both dry and wet lands. Farmers will no longer have to depend on the traditional irrigations systems such as small irrigation channel or rain,” said Nawang, the Programme Director of Agriculture Research & Development Centre, Gelegphu.
At the inaugural, Minister DN Dhungyel encouraged farmers to make the most of the facility by venturing into mass and commercial farming of various crops. Today, most farmers in Lhayuel depend on Cardamom for income.
“If farmers fail to work hard work then it’s of no use the government providing assistance. Farmers should take the lead role. The government, dzongkhag and gewog administrations are there just to give the required support,” told the minister to the villagers.
With a reliable water supply for irrigation, farmers are equally hopeful. “With access to such a facility, we hope to improve our farming practices. Earlier, it was difficult,” said one of the villagers, Devi Charan Bhandhari.
The 7.6- kilometre long irrigation channel was constructed at a cost of almost Nu 56 M. The Government of India funded the project.
