Chencho Dema 

Punakha—For more than a decade and half, the 400 residents of Peythari chiwog in Kabjisa gewog, Punakha have grudgingly used the narrow unpaved six-kilometre farm road that connects their village to the main road leading to Punakha town.

During dry season, loose gravels and dust make driving on the road difficult. And during monsoon, the road turns into a slippery labyrinth of mud – treacherous, and a driver’s nightmare.

The agrarian community of Peythari primarily grows rice and vegetables. Peythari has 89 acres of paddy field. The road is a crucial lifeline for this farming community.

Only sturdy motor vehicles can navigate this stretch of bad road. Taxis refuse to ferry passengers to the village, or charge a premium rate, due to the bad conditions of the road.

Sonam Yuden, Tshogpa of Peythari, said that even Bolero pickup trucks are not able to navigate the road during monsoon.

The longtime wish of the 45 households of Peythari chiwog to blacktop the road is finally coming true.

The Punakha Dzongkhag Administration has prioritised blacktopping of this connectivity road under the Small Development Project (SDP) initiative in the 13th Plan. Nu 34 million has been allocated for the road.

Sonam Dorji, Kabjisa Gup who is also the Chairperson of Punakha Dzongkhag Tshogde, said that the entire SDP budget for the gewog over the five-year period has been allocated to this road after consultations with the tshogpas of other chiwogs.

The residents of Peythari are elated. Many said that the road will boost their village economy and cut down travel time and cost.

Pem Tshering, a 43-year-old farmer, said that the residents are eagerly waiting for the road to be blacktopped. “Once it is done, we will not only be able to frequently go to the market to sell our farm produce but people will also be able to visit our village,” he said.

Another resident, Pema Dorji, 42, said that the community will be able to sell their organic produce to the high-end hotels located nearby.

Three high-end hotels – Uma, Six Senses, and AndBeyond River lodge are located in the vicinity of the village.

“I was able to sell my organic strawberries for Nu 1,000 a kilo to a hotel during my first harvest. With better road conditions, access to market won’t be a challenge anymore,” Pema Dorji added.

Farmers are hoping to collaborate with these hotels by supplying organic produce and supporting farm-to-table concepts.

Sonam Yuden, Tshogpa of Peythari, said that the news of the blacktopping of the road has already inspired the community to cultivate more vegetables. “We also have six organic farmers who began their ventures last year, and all of them are excited about the opportunities.”

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