A road promised, a road postponed, and now, at last, a road being paved. Residents of Drubchhugang Chiwog in Tsirang’s Tsholingkhar Gewog will finally see their farm road blacktopped by November. The project was approved under the first phase of the High Impact Community Development Project in the current Five-Year Plan. However, the work was deprioritised and pushed back, leaving the residents dissatisfied.
Works to blacktop the farm road passing through Drubchhugang Chiwog began in March, bringing renewed hope to the residents, who once felt dejected. Last year, the project was pushed behind, and the government had prioritised a farm road for another chiwog instead.
Currently, granular sub-base layering and drainage works are underway. Although delayed by almost a year, residents are simply relieved that the work has finally begun.
“We were disappointed when the road was not prioritised earlier. But now, we are happy. The project has finally started, and with more budget. Everyone is satisfied with the work’s progress,” said L.B Tamang, Resident, Drubchhugang, Tsholingkhar Gewog, Tsirang.
The road itself is not new. It was built in 2009, and for close to 17 years, it has carried the community’s produce unpaved.
Most households of Drubchhugang live off agriculture and livestock. According to its Tshogpa, farmers in the chiwog grow around five to six pick-up truckloads of vegetables annually.
“We have 36 dairy farmers who supply milk to Tsirang Gonor Thuenkey Detshen. We also have a piggery and poultry. These days, with an integrated irrigation system, most farmers are engaged in vegetable farming,” said Krishna Lal Dhakal, Drubchhugang Tshogpa, Tsholingkhar Gewog, Tsirang.
The improved road also comes at a time of rapid settlement growth in the chiwog. Tshogpa Krishna said the number of households increased from 97 to 140 households in just five years, with many more families planning to build houses in the chiwog.
The Tsholingkhar gewog administration is spending more than Nu 23 M on the improvement works.
Meanwhile, if the November deadline holds, Drubchhugang’s growing season will end this year on a paved road. And the true measure of this project will not be its total distance, but what moves along it: milk, vegetables, and the families still arriving.
Pema Tshewang, Tsirang
Edited by Sonam Wangdi
