After over two years in temporary shelters, 12 families from Martang village in Samdrup Jongkhar’s Dewathang Gewog are preparing to move into new permanent homes. Construction is underway at their new settlement in Gakiling, bringing hope for a safer and more secure future. In 2022, heavy rainfall severely damaged their homes, forcing them into makeshift shelters.
Tshewang, a 72-year-old villager now living in a temporary hut, recalls how her house developed a large crack in the walls during the 2022 heavy rains. Houses in the village developed cracks as the land started to sink following the heavy rain. The damage forced the families into a temporary shelter where they now endure harsh weather. They face challenges like the lack of a proper toilet and continuous water supply.
Many families, including Tshewang’s, eagerly await their new homes. Following the damage caused by the rainfall, the district and gewog administrations identified Gakiling as a safer location and began allocating land for all 30 households from Martang. Construction of new homes is now underway.
Tshewang said, “With heavy rain, we almost lost our lives; floods surrounded my house. We are grateful to His Majesty for providing land in a safer settlement. We are happy to get land, it is safer.”
“We are very happy to have new land here. The land in Martang was unstable, and this location is much more convenient,” said Sonam Lhendrup, another villager from Martang.
In a few weeks, the new settlement will get electricity. But the villagers hope that the gewog administration will construct a road within the settlement and also provide a water supply.
Shacha Zangpo, a villager said, “For the water supply, tendering is ongoing and electricity connection work is also underway. Regarding the road construction, we are hopeful that the local leaders will facilitate the construction as soon as possible.”
“The gewog administration told us to first construct the houses, so we are constructing houses and hoping that the gewog administration will coordinate with the contractor to provide us with water and road,” added Tshewang.
“We are grateful for the land to build houses and hope the gewog administration will soon provide water and roads,” said Sangay Wangdi, a villager.
Meanwhile, Dewathang Gup Karma Dema said that while a four-kilometre road to the Gakiling settlement has been completed, three kilometres of internal roads remain unfinished.
The gewog administration has proposed a budget of Nu 19M under the Small Development Project’s first phase. This includes GSB surfacing of the four-kilometre road, along with drainage and wall construction. If approved, the remaining three kilometres will also be completed under the project.
Gup Karma Dema added that work on water supply will begin soon.
With resettlement efforts underway, Gakiling has brought not just land, but renewed hope for better opportunities and stability for the people of Martang.
Kinley Wangchuk
Edited by Sangay Chezom
