Two villages of Doongmin and Daangling under Umling Gewog in Sarpang have seven hundred acres of paddy field. Until now farmers had to depend on monsoon for irrigation. Since the rain water was not enough, farmers said it affected the yield. However, this problem will be addressed once the irrigation channel to the two villages funded by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests is complete this year.
“If there is continuous flow of water it will be helpful,” says Phuntsho Namgay, a resident of Doongmin Village.
Apart from cultivating paddy during the summer, farmers are hoping to be able to cultivate vegetables during the winter months with the help of the irrigation water.
“Not just the paddy, if we get continuous supply of water from the irrigation channel, we would like to cultivate vegetables on a large scale. We are interested and will do it,” says Samdrup, Tshogpa, Doongmin.
The irrigation channel costing Nu. 3 million will enable 120 households in the two villages under Umling Gewogs to irrigate seven hundred acres of paddy fields.