Almost all the villages in Pema Gatshel have been connected by a farm road. And the people have been reaping its benefits. But for the people of Laishingri village in Dechhenling Gewog, it’s been a long wait. And the wait continues.
With insufficient land for cultivation, residents of Laishingri have been cultivating maize in Tingzirbi for a very long time. They walk for more than two hours to cultivate and look after the crop.
“The elderly cannot walk and work here. We don’t have enough land to cultivate in our village. We own small land here but we have to walk to cultivate. So, we would be grateful if the farm road is constructed,” said Tshundu, a resident of Laishingri.
“We don’t have a road here. We have to carry our agricultural produce on a horse and walk for more than two hours to reach our village. It’s very inconvenient and difficult,” said Tashi Jamtsho, another resident.
“This is the only land we have for farming. So, once we harvest the agricultural produce, we must take it to our village. And for someone like me who doesn’t own a horse, we have to carry the harvest on our backs. Therefore, we would be grateful if we have a farm road soon,” said Karma Wangdi.
But as per the gewog administration, constructing a farm road will have to be deferred for a year or more. This is because the gewog has already prioritised other developmental activities.
“With other activities planned accordingly, it doesn’t look possible to start the farm road construction any sooner. We have prioritised other activities depending on the budget. However, residents of Tingzirbi will be connected with a road like Domling soon,” said Dechhenling Gup, Jimba Phuntsho.
During this time of the year, more than 10 households of Laishingri village at Tingzirbi stay for a month or two cultivating and looking after their maize and soya bean fields. When the harvest is ready, they take it back to their village by walking on foot again.
Until a farm road is constructed, all that the residents can do is anticipate and carry on with the current practice.
Thinley Dorji, Pema Gatshel
Edited by Sonam Pem
