With no irrigation water for paddy fields the farmers of Norgaygang Gewog in Samtse are slowing giving up paddy cultivation. Instead they are planting cardamom.
Vishnu Gurung said the water they get is not enough for paddy cultivation. They depend mostly on monsoon, which is late and inadequate resulting in low returns. “Due to lack of irrigation water for paddy cultivation, most of us started switching to cardamom plantation in our wet land for our livelihood,” she added.
“We do not have river nearby our village. There is no place to get proper irrigation water. It is not possible to get irrigation water by an individual because the river is around 15 kilometres away from our place and it can be done only by the government,” said Kharka Gurung, local resident.
The Gewog Administration Officer, Cheku Wangchuk, said planting of cardamom and other crops on the wetland is not allowed. “Cardamom plantation on wetland is not allowed as per the land act but people have started planting cardamom and other crops where there is no enough irrigation water,” he said.
He said they have plans to get water from Kamikhola, which is about 15 kilometres from the Gewog. Once this is done, the problem is expected to be solved.
Norgaygang Gewog has about 245 acres of wetland.
