Agriculture: The new Taklai irrigation channel that was inaugurated in April this year has not been of much help to the people of Chuzargang and Sershong gewogs in Sarpang because of blockage at the source.

As a temporary measure, gewog officials said water was diverted to the fields. Farmers say that the water is not enough for cultivation.

Sershong Mangmi Ugyen Tshering said the target of harvesting paddy twice a year will not be possible if the problem arises repeatedly.

The chairman of the water committee, Kuenzang, said that there is frequent blockage at the source during monsoon.

“We are not able to do anything,” he said.

However, the project consultant engineer said that the problem of blockage should not happen as per the design. “An investigation team will arrive in September when the monsoon season is over. We will then be able to track down the real problem.”

He said that people are responsible for the maintenance of the facility.

The irrigation channel, which is the largest in the country, was formally handed over to the government by the Japanese government on April 15.

Japan funded the project with 1.51 billion Japanese Yen to rehabilitate Taklai irrigation system, which was completely damaged by a flash flood in 2004 and 2010.

Taklai irrigation channel was first commissioned in 1998.

Yeshey Dema, Tsirang

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