Villagers in Bumthang are starting to benefit from the dzongkhag administration’s land reclamation initiative that has been underway since March this year.
One such project at Thomed Village in Chhumig Gewog has transformed a long abandoned arable land into a 15-acre buckwheat cultivation farmland.
For the past 15 years or so, the land had been left fallow due to lack of a farm road and a motorable bridge. Villagers had also moved to a new settlement at Beethang, which is along the Thimphu-Bumthang National Highway.
Villager Lhamo Yangchen said that they were unable to cultivate their fields due to lack of a farm road, tractors and electric fences. “One time we had to leave the fields unseeded even after all the tilling works were over due to constant wild boar attacks. However, we got all the required facilities and services this year. We are really thankful and we want to make sure that the supports we have got don’t go to waste,” she said.
Another villager, Pema, said that with the help of Dzongkhag and Gewog officials they now have a bridge, a farm road and excavation works on their fallow land were done for free. “Our old village is on a hilltop and we had to use horses to carry our rations and other goods there. Those who didn’t have horses had to carry the goods on their backs. We gradually settled along the highway which has become our new village now,” said Pema.
The redevelopment work has also been timely for villagers like Sangay Choden who used to earn their living from the sale of Yathra fabrics. “As yarns are not available in the market, our income has been affected so much. Some of us have now started cultivating in the fallow land,” she said.
Meanwhile the old village of Thomed, which is located on a hilltop about 15 minutes walk from the highway is almost reduced to ruins with fallow fields. With most of the people settled in Beethang, there are only about two to three households that still live here.
Villager Passang Dema said that a farm road to the old village would help them start cultivating the fields again. “The fields at the old village have now become fallow and trees have grown all over the place,” she said.
Villager Sangay Choden said that if the old village is connected with a farm road, some of them could resettle there in the future.
Meanwhile, reclamation works will also be carried out in other areas of the Gewog.
Chummig Gup Jampel said that the next phase will be at Gyaltsa Chiwog where 10 acres of fallow land have been identified for reclamation. “And then we will carry out similar works at Pharbe under Zung_Ngae Chiwog in about another 15 acres,” said the Gup.
The Bumthang Dzongkhag administration has identified 100 acres of uncultivated land for reclamation in Chhumig, Chhoekhor and Ura Gewogs as part of the district’s response plan for mitigating the effects of COVID-19 on food supply.
Kipchu
