A major land rehabilitation programme is being implemented in Radhi Gewog- often referred to as the rice bowl of the East. The programme in Trashigang is to safeguard paddy fields from the risks posed by development activities, such as farm road construction.
The paddy fields are the economic backbone for the people of the Gewog. Almost every household cultivate paddy producing maximum rice production in the Dzongkhag.
But all most all the paddy fields in Radhi Gewog are located in steep terrain with a network of streams. The natural courses these streams follow have been disrupted due to farm road construction, in the recent years.
The unnatural occurrence has triggered flash flood in the past. Some farmers have lost their land to landslides.
To mitigate the threat, walls and causeway are being constructed at the landslide and flash flood prone areas, under Gamri Watershed Management Project.
“The construction of the causeway will help the farmers since the stream will flow in one direction swiftly and this will help prevent landslides,” said Radhi Gewog’s Forest Officer, Gyembo Tshewang.
Farmers, who are also actively involved in the land and watershed management project, welcomed the initiative. Farmers said the initiative is timely and would help them protect their paddy fields.
A farmer, Tshering Phuntsho, said even the water shortage during the time of cultivation will be solved.
The gewog will also initiate sugarcane plantation, bamboo and orchard development as part of the Gamri Watershed Management Project plan to curb land degradation. The rehabilitation works were initiated with fund from Global Environment Fund.
