Flood: Heavy rain occurred in Chokhortoe, Chokhor gewog in Bumthang, causing streams to swell and affect three villages: Ngalhakhang, Dramphel, and Samthang, on August 9.

Samthang suffered a flash flood that washed away cowsheds, temporary kitchens, and damaged a power tiller. The village’s farm road was rendered unusable.

The stream near Dramphel village washed away a part of the bridge abutment built on the Dramphel-Ngalhakhang farm road.

Locals said it rained heavily for about an hour and streams started to flood at around 2pm.

Chimi Dorji, 43 from Ngalhakhang said his cowshed and power tiller were washed away. He found the power tiller a few metres away lodged between logs. His vegetable gardens and fodder fields were submerged by the flood.

“There are some huge logs and rocks that people can’t even move,” he said, adding that  government assistance may be required to repair the farm road.

Yeshi Dema, 49, from Ngalhakhang said 308 hazelnut saplings, which were kept in a storage near her house were lost in addition to her vegetable gardens and fencing. “The stream carried huge trees from way up and it also washed away the willow trees that were standing right near my house,” she said.

Yeshi Dema is worried about how to clear the debris around her house.

Another villager, Tshultrim, 57 from Ngalhakhang said the stream nearly washed away his house. He said neighbours helped to pile up rocks to divert the stream. “The stream would have washed away my house if they did not help,” he said.

Locals said that the last time the streams had swollen was in the 1970s.

Nima Wangdi | Chokhortoe