As paddy cultivation season approaches, it is normally a time of struggle for Jangphutse farmers under Toedtsho Gewog in Trashi Yangtse. The people there have been facing an acute shortage of irrigation water for several decades. But this will not be the case anymore. A new irrigation channel is under construction, which is expected to solve their water woes for good.
Farmers of Jangphutse village have been depending on this small stream to irrigate their fields for a very long time.
Apart from the small size of the stream, water leaks out at several points along the irrigation channel which is the main cause of the shortage.
Although the channel was connected with a new water supply from another source about five years ago, people say the water still remains insufficient for everyone.
“We don’t have enough irrigation water for all, sometimes we have to go to the source to carry out repairs, and this takes a lot of time. But now we are hoping things will get better once the new irrigation system is complete,” said Tshering Dorji, a farmer from Jangphutse.
“I stopped working on a few of my fields because of the water shortage, and also because of the wild boar problem. Most of the people gave up working in the fields; I am the only one to do it,@ said Sumchu Wangmo, another Jangphutse farmer.
“We are hoping the new irrigation system will solve the irrigation water crisis, and that we won’t have to frequently travel to carry out maintenance works on it as in the past,” said Tawpo.
All this is expected to be addressed once the new 3-kilometre-long irrigation channel is completed.
Half of the channel will be cemented and the other half will be piped.
Construction works started in February and are expected to be complete by next month. Janphutse farmers normally start their farming work in May.
The new irrigation channel is being constructed at a cost of Nu 2.3 M with funding from the Gewog budget.
The irrigation channel will benefit more than 40 households owning over 5 acres of wetland.
Sonam Darjay, Tashi Yangtse
Edited by Yeshi Gyaltshen
