Early this week, in one of the villages under the Norgaygang Gewog under Samtse Dzongkhag, a technology was changing lives of people. A 980 metre goods-ropeway, a gift from Tarayana Foundation, has now come to the villagers who have lived their entire life carrying goods on their backs.
Her Majesty the Queen Mother, Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck- also the patron of Tarayana Foundation- during her recent visit to villages under the Samtse Dzongkhag inaugurated the ropeway.
The Thikha-Changju Gravity Goods Ropeway will benefit more than 400 people of Changju Chiwog. The Nu.3 million ropeway was funded by the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme.
Gopal Gurung, 70, said the ropeway will now cut short the three hours walk to his village. “We used to carry goods on horseback from Bindu (Indian town) and now with the ropeway, we can send goods to our village and comfortably walk home.”
Chand Bahadur, a villager who was helping load his goods to Changlu that day, said the ropeway will help save money. A kilogram of load will now cost them only Nu.1. Earlier people used to pay Nu.5 for a kilogram of load. “It was difficult especially for elderly people. Now all we have to do is load the goods from Thikha and then you can collect the goods at Changju.”
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The ropeway can carry 25 kilograms upward to Changju. It has a capacity to carry 130 kilograms downward. The ropeway reaches the goods in about a minute time.
The Tarayana Field Officer, Sonam Jamtsho said the proposal initially came from Changju Community. Since roads were not feasible, Tarayana Foundation came with the ropeway idea which was not only technically cheaper and faster, but also environment friendly.
Two caretakers have been stationed at the ropeway with a monthly salary of Nu.3,000 and mobile voucher allowance of Nu.200.
The Gravity Goods Ropeway was technically designed and installed by a Nepal based consultant firm, Practical Action.
