Paddy cultivation is all about rain and water. Where there is not enough water, farmers rely on rainfall. When the rain fails to supplement the lack of water, farmers turn to the deities to seek divine intervention. Farmers of Nyimshong_Tongling and Kyidloong_Somshing chiwogs in Gangzur, Lhuntse are doing the same.
In the hope of getting rains, some farmers even travelled around the village carrying religious books, the Kanjur, on their back for the last two days.
“If we are not able to do paddy transplantation this time, we will have nothing to eat next year. Our lands were left fallow. Some farmers completed paddy plantation but the paddy saplings are dying due to the drought. In the past, we used to receive rain during paddy plantation but didn’t experience rain yet. So, to appease the local deities, we are carrying religious books on our back and travelling around the village,” said Karma from Gangzur, Lhuentse.
Nyimshong_Tongling chiwog is hit hard by drought this time. Despite no rain, some farmers managed to do paddy transplantation with small amount of water flowing from the irrigation channel. However, some farmers kept their land fallow expecting rain. And some farmers said that it has been more than a decade since they experienced the first drought in their village.
“ There are two irrigation water sources in our village. But the amount is too less and looks like it comes from only one source. Nyimshong village is facing acute water problem while Somshing village doesn’t face that much. In the past, we didn’t encounter such a problem. However, it has now been a few years that we are facing irrigation water problem,” added Tshogyel Lhamo also from Gangzur, Lhuentse.
With the hope to get rain, farmers of Kyidloong_Somshing and Nyimshong_Tongling chiwogs conducted two days religious event to appease the local deities. Like in the past, they received religious books from Jangchubling temple and travelled around the village. After keeping those religious books at Thimyul Nagtshang for a night, they returned it yesterday. Though that event brought little rain in the village yesterday, it could not benefit the farmers in better ways.
“We are expecting rain by carrying religious books and travelling around the village. By doing such practice, we used to get rain in the past. So, we are again expecting the rain this time as well,” Rinchen Yangzom also from the same gewog, said.
“We used to get rain in the past for paddy transplantation but we are facing lots of water problem this time. Both Tshogpa and gewog administration discussed to conduct religious activity by carrying religious books on our back and travel around. Water at the source is also drying and it has caused paddy fields to dry as well. Moreover, paddy saplings are also withering due to the drought,” added Karma Chophel.
Gangzur Mangmi, Tshewang Thinley said that only thirty per cent of the villages in the two chiwogs finished paddy plantation and rest are still waiting for rain.
“We proposed a budget to maintain the irrigation channel in the 12th five-year-plan. So we will prioritize it during the second year of the 12th five-year plan. The water source is also drying up. And we are also experiencing abnormal heat this time and it has affected the farmers,” the Mangmi said.
According to the forecast made by the National Center for Hydrology and Meteorology yesterday, due to active monsoon, more rainfall is expected over the country in the coming days. And moderate to heavy rain is expected within two days over the isolated places of southern and eastern parts of the country. Unless there is heavy rain, farmers of the two chiwogs in Gangzur have no other options.
