Some two-hour walk from the nearest road, the journey to Taphel village of Bumdeling gewog in Trashi Yangtse is a long and arduous voyage. The absence of a road connecting the village to the rest of the district has made it difficult for the people to access health services and markets for their farm produce.
The road to Taphel comes to an end at Chheng village. With around 85 households residing there, Taphel is considered one of the secluded villages in the district.
The village does not even have health facilities. The only means for the villagers to avail themselves of the health services is to visit the Primary Health Care Centre at Bumdeling. However, to reach the centre, people have to walk for two hours to Chheng and then travel 12 kilometres by vehicle.
At times, villagers have to carry patients on locally made stretches and the people shared that some patients lost their lives on the way to the health centre.
Karma Cheki, a resident of Taphel said, “It is difficult when someone falls sick since the hospital is far. We have to carry on stretchers or someone has to carry the patients.”
“When someone is sick we usually carry on back to the hospital. But when we don’t have men here, it becomes difficult for us,” said Thinley Tshomo, a resident.
The village with fertile land grows the popular chilli called Urka Bangla, vegetables and varieties of cereals every year. However, despite bountiful harvests, their farm produce can only reach as far as the road point.
That is because hiring a vehicle and taking farm produce to Trashi Yangtse results in prices soaring and it becomes difficult to sell them.
“Although we grow vegetables and especially the popular chilli, we cannot take them to other places. We have been facing problems without road connectivity,” said Sonam Dhendup, a resident.
The people of Taphel village are hoping the new government to connect the village with a road soon.
Ngawang Tenzin, Trashiyangste
Edited by Sangay Chezom
