Ensuring sustainable agriculture has remained a distant dream for the six households of Kuendrelthang and Lungsilsa chiwogs under Lhamoi Dzingkha Gewog in Dagana for years now. Every monsoon, the river erosion erodes some portion of their farmlands. Now, the households are seeking interventions from the concerned authorities before they bear irreparable losses.
The Sunkosh River ideally flows between bordering settlements of India and Lhamoi Dzingkha Gewog.
However, during the downpour season, the river changes its course and washes away agricultural fields along the banks.
The fields belong to six households. The issue has been persistent since 2007 and so far, more than three acres of land were eroded.
Therefore, the agitated farmers dreading river erosion are asking for preventive measures such as the river protection walls at the earliest.
“I am 100 per cent sure that the river will erode our farmlands in the next one to two years if the relevant authorities don’t help us to construct river protection walls. And then in the next few years, our entire homes and fields will be wiped out,” said one of the farmers in Kuendrelthang chiwog, Purna Bdr Mukhia.
Others’ conditions are similar.
“When my family first reached here around two decades ago, these areas belonged to the state and were covered with thick forests. But after a few years later, the river eroded the entire state land. Then, it gradually eroded some portions of my paddy fields,” added another farmer from Kuendrelthang chiwog, Sangay Dorji.
“I resettled here in 2004 with five acres of land. But during one of the surveys in 2011, surveyors told me that I don’t own five acres of land. Only after that, did I come to know the river has washed away over a half acre of my land,” shared Lozang Dema, also from Kuendrelthang chiwog.
Residents said the river bank protection works were carried out once a few years ago, which is futile now. However, the local authorities are unlikely to initiate such measures anytime soon since they don’t have funds.
The gewog officials said the lack of budget was raised twice in the Dzongkhag Tshogdue. But, their efforts came to the nought.
“The previous river protection wall was washed away the river. If the river changes its course towards Kuendrelthang chiwog, there is a risk of affecting the entire chiwog. We would be grateful if the government could grant us some budget to construct river protection walls,” told the Lhamoi Dzingkha Gup, Surja Bdr Limbo.
The people of the two chiwogs said the construction of the river protection walls was pledged by the politicians during the past election campaigns.
However, nothing has been materialised so far. Meanwhile, the six affected households are waiting for land substitutes. The process has been withheld due to the pandemic.
In 2017, the Lhamoi Dzingkha Dungkhag Administration reviewed their land holdings following a directive from the land commission.
Pema Tshewang, Dagana
Edited by Pema Lhaden
