September 3: Paddy fields in Ula village under Rubesa Geog in Wangduephodrang have been lying fallow due to lack of water. Our reporter, Sonam Tobgyel, who visited the remote village this week, said that it has been almost a decade since the villagers gave up paddy cultivation.

“We have been waiting for years for water supply. We have been given false hopes, I think we will have to spend our whole life waiting,” said Ugyen Dem, a farmer.

Another farmer from the same village, Jambay Dorji said: “Our Tshogpa told us that the matter has been reported to the concerned authorities, but nothing is happening.”

With nothing to harvest from the fields, people of Ula village have to buy everything. “We have to buy everything and with not much cash, it a problem. We rear livestock for our living,” said Ugyen Dem.

The Rubesa Gup, Dophu, said lack of fund had been the biggest constraint. He said a water source has been identified at Pangza, which is about seven kilometres from the village. “But about a kilometre has to pass through a rocky cliff,” he added.

The Geog Engineer said the budget allocated for the construction of irrigation channel comes to about Nu. 1,30,000. “It is too less. It will cost nothing less than Nu. 10 million.”

Until enough funds are provided, there is nothing much the people of Ula village can do but to continue keeping their fields fallow.