The Nu.4 million worth irrigation channel in Radhi Gewog under Trashigang Dzongkhag was to make the dreams of farmers come true. Built between Yudhiri to Jomodungsa, the four-kilometer irrigation channel was expected to enable farmers to cultivate even during winter. It was also expected to solve water problem.
But even before they could get the taste of their dream, the project was deemed doomed. The flawed alignment of the irrigation channel– which was steep-inclined– pushed the water back to its source.
The farmers and the gewog administration are blaming the Dzongkhag Engineers for not doing their job well.
“We had no problem for our gewog’s side. Our job was to mobilize workforce and we did that. Since people knew the benefit, they willingly contributed the labour,” said Radhi Gup, Jigmi Namgyal. He also said the District engineer was requested by the Former Speaker to supervise the work.
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The District Engineer, Chador Phuntsho, said despite being understaffed and the project being a non-planned activity, they helped the gewog in constructing the irrigation canal in every possible way. He added the main problem is unstable land, where some of the pipes have been laid. “After the former Speaker and Gewog requested us we have done the survey and the alignment of the pipes, even though it did not fall under the planned activities. I also went personally and the geog engineer also provided full support.”
A team from RNRC, Wengkhar recently inspected the irrigation channels. They found some problem with the intake and the alignment of the pipes. It is estimated to cost another Nu.2.4 million, for the realignment. But there is no budget for the realignment works.
The irrigation channel, if successful, would have benefited farmers of three chiwogs at this time of the year. It was expected to irrigate around a thousand acres of wetland. “We worked hard thinking that it will benefit us. But we still have shortage of water to irrigate our paddy field. The irrigation channel would have benefited us,” said Tashi, a farmer.
This is the second irrigation channel to fail in the gewog. An irrigation channel funded by International Fund for Agriculture Development in the early 90’s also failed. The ruins of the failed irrigation channels are still visible today.
For the time being, famers are still using an old irrigation channel built in the early 80’s.
