The Regional Agricultural Marketing and Cooperatives office and Chhaling Gewog Administration in Monggar are repairing the Gangola Market Shed which was damaged by monsoon, last year. The renovation works which started last month are expected to be complete by June, this year.
Developing cracks on the floor and its surroundings, the old market shed located at the junction of the Monggar and Lhuentse highway, forced the local vendors to move out. Today, vendors are selling their farm produces from a temporary shed built just opposite to the old market shed.
“The market shed was not safe for us when it rained. But now, with the beginning of the renovation works, we are happy. Once complete, we can also sell our farm produce by staying inside the shed. In the current temporary shed, the rain gets inside and there are also chances of the roof being blown away by windstorms,” said Karma Yuden, one of the vendors.
“The market shed was in danger since the soil below the shed has been sliding down causing cracks to the shed. So, with the support from the government, the market shed is undergoing maintenance and it is going to help us once the work is complete. It is not so convenient to sell vegetables inside the current temporary shed,” added Dorji Wangmo, another vendor.
The office of the Regional Agricultural Marketing and Cooperative and Chhaling gewog each contributed Nu 600,000 for the maintenance of the market shed.
Given the idle location, every day, more than fifteen vendors from Chhaling gewog come as early as five in the morning to sell their farm produces in the area. And on average, in a day, they manage to make around two thousand ngultrums by selling their agriculture products.
The market shed was constructed by the Regional Agricultural Marketing and Cooperatives in 2008. However, it was later expanded by the Office of the Gyaltshab in Gyalpozhing, in 2015.
Sonam Tshering, Monggar
