SARBHANG

Posted on 18 February 2009

Thimphu, February 18, 2009: Agriculture Minister Dr. Pema Gyamtsho completed his tour to south-eastern district last week with the view to get first hand information on living standards and agricultural practices of the farmers. 

On February 10, he visited Changchey village in Goseling geog under Tsirang district and talked with local shopkeepers about the policy of the RNR Sector which emphasizes on the need to increase production, enhanced accessibility and improved marketing of the agricultural products so as to improve local economy. 

He asked the farmers to increase production for sale and raise pigs, jersey cows rearing, fish and poultry farming and assured technical assistance from the government.

On his way to Sarpang district, the minister talked with Berti Community Group in Zhemgang, which is funded by East Central Region Agriculture Development Project (ECR-ADP) since November 2007.

The Berti project, planned with a financial assistance from City Council and the Protestant and Catholic Congregation of Adiswil/Zurich, was jointly developed by the Dzongkhag RNR sector, Zhemgang and the ECR-ADP with technical support from Helvetas for improving the agriculture and livestock sector. 

In Wangdue Phodrang district Minister visited Phobjekha, Jigme Singye Wangchuk National Park and Gangtey and inquired about status of black necked crane in Phobjekha.

In Gelephu under Sarpang district he visited Gelephu Entry Gate on February 9, met with BAFRA official at the gate and visited the bird flu controlling initiatives. 

The minister also traveled to Dekiling geog of the district the same day and met people in Bhur where he asked people to invest their energy in agricultural production. He also visited Tsirang district to see the agricultural activities.

30 March, 2009 - Bishnu Maya Subba considered herself lucky when she sold 50 decimals of land for Nu 35000 in 1992. 

Today, the 56-year-old mother of five in Tsirang is full of regrets as her neighbours are selling land at double the price. Land prices skyrocketed right under her nose. The same plot of land in Kilkhorthang, located about 500 metres away from Tsirang town towards Thimphu, could have fetched her about Nu 1.7 million this year.

Tsirang town, which is considered remote and disturbed until recently, is experiencing a land selling and buying frenzy.

According to a businesswoman in Tsirang, more land was sold and bought in the last few years than ever before. “Civil servants and businessmen, as far as from Thimphu and Paro, come here to invest in land,” she said. “Locals, who owned about six acres of land a decade ago, now have only about an acre today.”

Tsirang is noted for its gentle slopes and favourable climate, which encouraged more people to buy land. Speculation on the upcoming Gelephu airport also attributed to the real estate boom.

The high demand for land resulted in an instant rise in price of land. “A decimal of land, which cost Nu 10000 in 2004, costs Nu 35000 today,” said Bishnu Maya. A retired civil servant in Tsirang, Sangay Phuntsho, 60, told Kuensel that the news of an upcoming airport in Gelephu, about 50 km away from Tsirang, also escalated land prices, as most people felt that owning land in Tsirang would be a valuable asset.

Sangay Phuntsho reasoned that many felt business would boom in Tsirang since Gelephu is hot, and most people would prefer to stay in pleasanter climes. “As news of the Gelephu airport spread, Tsirang land price shot up from Nu 10,000 to Nu 25,000 a decimal,” he said, adding that when the government reconsidered the decision, it came down to Nu 18000.

Though downgraded to a domestic terminal by the cabinet, the upcoming Gelephu airport seemed to affect the price of land again as more people have joined the land-buying spree.

The distance from Tsirang proper determines the trend in the land price. A decimal of land in the 1.5 sq km municipal area costs about Nu 35,000 to Nu 40,000, whereas land outside the municipal area would cost Nu 25,000 to Nu 30,000. About six kilometres away, in Dajay, towards Gelephu and Gosaling, en route to Thimphu, a decimal of land costs between Nu 10000 and Nu 15000.

In Tshokana, the furthest settlement to the south, land is cheaper with a decimal costing between Nu 3000 and Nu 5000. According to a farmer in Majawa, 10 km away from town, many people are interested in buying land in his village too.

While landowners said that they sold land to repay loans and finance their children’s education, there are others like Uttam Basnet, 38, who took advantage of the pressure on housing in town. Uttam Basnet sold about two acres and constructed a three-storied building to rent out.

The main customers are either businessmen looking for future commercial prospects or a growing group of middle-income level civil servants. “Land is a fixed asset and its price rises every year,” said a civil servant planning to sell his car and invest in land.

By Tashi Dema

t_dyel@kuensel.com.bt

April 5: In a hit and run case, a 14-year-old boy has been killed and two others critically injured at Bhur in Gelephu. 

The deceased and one of the boys who were injured in the accident are from a neighbouring village in Assam, India. They had come to Bhur to herd their cows.

The other injured boy is from Bhur in Gelephu. 

They were hit by a speeding Santro car at around 4:30 pm this evening.

The injured have been referred to the Gelephu Regional Referral hospital.

An eyewitness said the three boys were seen playing on the roadside before the accident. 

The driver was arrested at Chhokhorling under Dekeling geog.

April 5: In Gelephu, a three-year-old boy was hit by an arrow on his calf yesterday. According to our reporter Sonam Rinchen the arrow pierced through his calf. He was later treated at the Gelephu hospital. 

The boy was accompanying his father to the Bank of Bhutan when the incident happened. The bank is located near the public ground where an archery tournament is underway. 

Residents are now asking whether people should be allowed to play archery in the public ground. Many people pass by the ground to visit the bank which is located nearby.

They said while archery should be promoted as the national game, measures must be put in place to ensure that nobody is injured or worse still killed by a stray arrow. 

There have been similar incidents in the past. A DCM truck and a pool vehicle have also been hit by arrow. 

Written by M.B. Subba, Gelephu    

April 06, 2009: An eleven year boy was killed on the spot and two other boys of approximately the same age suffered major injuries when a santro car heading towards Tsirang hit them at Bhur in Sarpang.

The deceased, Sujan Subba from Tukrey, India was playing with the two other boys at the roadside on a mound of sand at 5 pm, when the car hit them, according to eyewitness. The two injured have been admitted in Gelephu hospital.

Rewaj Basnet from Bhur suffered serious injury on his head and his left leg has been fractured. He is a class 3 student in Bhur primary school. Kul Bahadur Basnet from Tukrey did not suffer external injuries but was unconscious while being taken to the hospital.

“I was looking after cows when I suddenly heard that my son was hit by a car,” said Tulsi Devi Basnet, mother of Rewaj Basnet.

The parents of the two Indian children work in Bhur according to relative of the deceased. Tukrey village lies near Bhur. According to residents, children from Tukrey come to play in Bhur.

The driver with the car has been detained by Gelephu police.  Details of the incident from the police are awaited.

Written by M.B. Subba, Gelephu    

April 07, 2009: One week after the meat ban has been lifted; consumers in Gelephu are facing the shortage of meat.

Customers are seen around the meat shops every day, standing in long queues. But the customers who come late are frustrated as the meat in the counters is exhausted as early as ten in the morning.

People from far flung places like Umling and Norbuling come to Gelephu buy meat especially during the week ends, but most of them fail to get anything.

“I came to Gelephu mainly to buy meat but all the shops are closed,” said Tshering from Norbuling.

Most of the meat vendors are from neighbouring town of Dadghari. The say the demand for meat in Gelephu has suddenly increased and they have not been able to match up with the supply. 

“I had sizeable amount of mutton.  I sold them within one and half hours,” said a vendor, Vinod.  The current rate of mutton is Nu 165 for a kilogram.

The demand for pork according to vendors is the highest.  They say that farmers in Dadghari and neighbouring places have increased the price of pigs. A kilogram of pork costs Nu 105 at Gelephu.

Shortage of meat has increased the demand for fish. A vendor said he used to sell about 50 kilograms of fish every day earlier, and it has increased by 30 percent in the recent times. 

“Customers always demand for pork and chicken. Fish, it seems is the last alternative,” he said.

Written by M.B. Subba, Gelephu    

April 04, 2009:With the start of the dry season, residents of Sarpangtar are facing   the same problem all over again; acute shortage of drinking water.

Kamikhola stream, the only source of water for the residents is drying up due to lack of rainfall. Residents are seen fetching water from Sarpang river and from lower Kamikhola stream for drinking and cooking.

It is not too difficult to fetch water from the stream for those who have vehicles. But others have to carry on their backs or pay Nu.50  for a round trip by  taxi to fetch water from the stream.  There are long line of people  by the stream.  I go to the Sarpang river as the rush for water is comparatively low,” said D Tamang.

They walk about two kilometres to Sarpang river and Kamikhola stream for washing their clothes and taking bath. “We carry water in jerry cans for drinking and for kitchen use but we have to go to Sarpang river for washing clothes,” said a resident Tshomo.

“My children quarrel and fight for their share of drinking water at home,” Tshomo added.

Residents also complain that they have to engage their children in the morning and evening to fetch water at a time when they should be occupied in their studies and home work. “Instead of doing our home work we have to fetch water from the stream, it’s irritating,” said Chador Wangmo, a class VII student of Sarpang lower secondary high school.

Residents worry about outbreak of diseases as the stream water could be contaminated. They say the authorities must find an early solution before the crisis goes out of hand.

The west-end part of the town is the hardest-hit where the families of the Royal Bhutan Army and the police are living.

The lower part of the town receives water for half an hour a day in the morning; residents complain that it is hardly enough for drinking purpose.

The situation is expected to worsen if the dry season extends further. If it does not rain soon, there is a growing fear that the source might completely dry up due to over exploitation of the ground water, a resident said.

Landlords have been affected as tenants have started vacating houses and flats due to lack of water. 

Meanwhile the dzongkhag administration is in the process of solving the problem as soon as possible.

The dzongkhag engineer, Sangay Dorji said that the construction of a new water scheme from Hilley geog has been awarded to a local contractor. “We have received the letter of acceptance and the budget will be finalized to start works of the project,’ he said. He did not specifically mention when the work would start but said that it would be carried out soon.

While the residents in the main area of Sarpangtar may get a breather with the completion of the new scheme, the problem of the residents around Sarpangtar will not be addressed. “This scheme will not serve households and villages around the town as water supply schemes for villages are the responsibility of the local government,” the DE said.

Sarpang town, which is located near the river, is not extremely hard hit by the water shortage.   . “We go to the river to wash clothes,” said a town resident. According to the DE, a separate scheme for the town is in the pipe line. 

The drinking water supply scheme from Loring to Sarpantar was completed  in 2007, but the pipelines were  washed away at several points  by flash floods,  a few days after it was inaugurated.