In Zhemgang, some paddy growers in Nangkor Gewog are worried that they will not be able to transplant paddy this year due to less rainfall. The farmers of some villages said that the water level from the water sources has decreased, causing concern. One of the villages that is facing an acute water shortage is Namjur village. The villagers have yet to begin paddy transplantation.
Farmers of Namjur village have prepared their fields for paddy transplantation. But they are waiting for rainfall.
In the meantime, they are irrigating their fields using a nearby stream. However, farmers said the water level has decreased and it is not enough.
In the past, by this time of the year, farmers in the village complete the transplantation works.
“We are not able to irrigate the fields. In the past, paddy transplantation works are completed by this time. Now many fields will be left fallow. Only three of us are transplanting paddy and we are facing water shortage. It took almost two weeks to irrigate two paddy fields,” said Sangay, a farmer.
“The irrigation water is drying up and this time, the paddy transplantation got delayed. Otherwise, we would complete the works by the fourth month of the Bhutanese calendar. But now it is the fifth month,” said Tsewang Dorji, another farmer.
People said if the situation continues, they will have no choice but to leave the fields fallow. Villagers are also planning to request support from the Gewog administration to access water from other sources.
There are five households in Namjur village and farmers cultivate paddy on more than seven acres of land.
Pema Samdrup, Zhemgang
Edited by Tshering Zam
