Hydropower Project may be one of the biggest income generators to the country, but the construction of hydropower plants also comes with a cost to the people living along the river basin. the 2,560-megawatt Sunkosh Hydropower Project has not yet commenced but its plan is already affecting the farmers in Samarchhu Chiwog under Tsenda-Gang Gewog in Dagana.
Villages of Piping, Doomla, Doban, Gumti and Gareti are located along the Sunkosh River basins. People in the chiwog grow betel nuts and export to India. Betel Nuts are the source of income for these farmers.
But their betel nut trees were planted some two decades ago and farmers say it is now time for them to replace the trees before they stop fruiting.
However, farmers are asked to halt plantation of the betel nut trees.
“We have been informed that our place will be occupied by Sunkosh Hydropower Project once the project gets finalized. We were asked not to plant cash crop trees like betel nut trees and litchi trees because we were told that we have to shift from here to a new place. They told us the present area will be used for constructing homes for the project officials,” said Bimal Subba, a farmer in Samarchhu under Tsenda-Gang Gewog.
Another farmer, Phat Bdr. Subba said, “the project will be beneficial to the community and the nation. But we have to shift to another place leaving all fruiting cash crops. We may get some compensation but it might take years to settle ourselves in the new place.”
The Tsenda-Gang Gup, Bal Bahadur Rana said that officials from the Economic Affairs Ministry informed the people living along the river basins to halt development activities and planting of permanent cash crop trees. People had a meeting with officials before last year.
However, the gewog administration had approved plantation of betel nut trees.
“People in the chiwog have been enquiring us about the commencement of the Sunkosh Hydropower Project. They say to plant betel nut trees in their lands. Since there is no clear-cut direction on the project, we have asked them to plant betel nut trees,” said the Gup.
The chiwog has over 60 households but some are miles away from the Sunkosh River.
Pema Tshewang, Dagana
