This time around, 12 families of Jangchhubling in Chhudzom Gewog in Sarpang transplanted paddy late than usual. This is due to the ongoing construction of the irrigation water supply. They started transplanting paddy in their 25 acres of fields beginning this month, which has been delayed by two weeks.
Usually, paddy transplantation season begins in mid-June and ends by the mid of this month.
The construction of the irrigation water supply, which began this April, was temporarily halted for the farmers to transplant paddy saplings.
Besides delayed transplantation, farmers are disappointed about the small size of a single irrigation pipe, which hinders sufficient distribution of water for their rice fields.
So, they are suggesting that the concerned officials replace the existing pipe with a bigger size or install additional pipes.
The irrigation source is located almost two kilometres from the rice fields.
“Installing double pipes will be enough to water our farms. This small-sized pipe is not enough to soak our fields. Due to this, we are not able to reap maximum benefits of the new irrigation facilities,” said one of the farmers in Jangchhubling Village, Baki Ram Humagai.
Other farmers also cited familiar problems.
“The irrigation pipes were connected near our fields on 1st of this month. However, the size of the pipe is small, so it doesn’t cover all our farms, added another paddy grower, Rabilal Khandhal.
The two households have stopped transplanting paddy since their fields are right at the end, where the water does not reach easily.
“It was sufficient when we had access from our old water supply system. This time it is late to transplant our paddy due to a shortage of water supply. This could be due to the small size of the pipe,” reasoned Loknath Dungana, who is also a rice farmer in Jangchhubling Village.
The Chhudzom Gup, Bishnu Prasad Rai, clarified that the district administration used a pipe size of 225 millimetres (mm), which is an appropriate size to have enough flow of water for the farms.
“I feel most of these paddy fields are mixed soil and sand particles, which absorb a lot of water and hence those fields at the end remain without water.”
The district engineer said they will address the issue once the construction of the irrigation facilities resumes.
The project is being executed at a cost of Nu 8.2 M under the small development fund.
It is expected to be complete by next month.
Karma Wangdi, Sarpang
Edited by Pema Lhaden
