More than three decades of the irrigation water crisis have finally come to an end for the farmers of two gewogs in Trashigang and Trashi Yangtse. The irrigation water project which began in December last year was inaugurated on Monday.
Farmers in Dargyeling-Kharthung chiwog in Yangnyer Gewog of Trashigang and Jamkhar Gewog of Trashi Yangtse have been struggling without reliable irrigation water for decades. While they have a reliable water source from Godari and Khangdari stream, they couldn’t harness it without a proper irrigation channel.
About 18 acres of land in these villages are fallow today because of the water shortage. The inauguration of the new irrigation channel has brought hope for the farmers to revive the fallow fields.
“Some of our farmers have started growing potatoes now, and from the gewog side, we have kept some budget and distributed onion seeds too. They have started clearing the bushes and they are planning to grow onions,” said Sonam Jamtsho, the Dargyeling- Kharthung Tshogpa in Yangnyer Gewog.
“We have enough water at the source but a flood in the past washed away our channel. Unlike these skilled people, we were unable to restore the channel. That’s why some left the land fallow. Now we got an irrigation channel, so by the next year, I am thinking to revive the fallow land,” said Kencho Wangdi, a farmer in Jamkhar Gewog.
“We had a water problem for a long time, but now with this new irrigation channel, it is no more. We are thankful to His Majesty. We will always pray for his Majesty’s long life,” added Pema, in Yangnyer Gewog.
The happy farmers showed their gratitude to the DeSuups in their own traditional way by offering their farm produce at the inauguration.
The 3.5-kilometre irrigation project was supposed to complete within six months. Due to the COVID and monsoon season, it was extended by four more months. However, the cost of the project was brought down to Nu 15.5 M from the estimated Nu 21.4 M. more than 60 DeSuups executed the project.
More than 150 households in the two districts will reap the benefit of this water project.
Sonam Darjay, Trashigang
Edited by Sonam
