Six-km mule track to benefit 120 households

Neten Dorji | Trashiyangtse

With the construction of a new six- kilometer mule track for Jangphutse and Manam-chemkhar chiwogs, villagers of two chiwog in Toedtsho gewog are looking forward to a better life.

Trashiyangtse dzongkhag supported the construction with Nu 0.26 million (M) from dzongkhag development grant that would benefit more than 120 households in two chiwogs.

The mule track is the only route that connects the chiwog. It takes more than three hours, on foot, to reach the chiwogs from the nearest motor road.

“The shorter distance could increase our profits from potato we send to Samdrupjongkhar,” said a villager, Thukten Lhaden. Villagers also export across the border to Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh.

Jangphutse – Thangdoong tshogpa, Tawpo said distance can be reduced by about two hours to reach his chiwogs from the gewog centre.  “Once the new mule track is complete, horses can also carry more loads.”

He said the distance and the track becomes a problem when people falls seriously ill in the village as they have to carry the patients on stretchers for more than two hours downhill. “Evacuating patient is difficult during monsoon because we have to carry the patient down steep slopes.”

The two new mule track, 1.5 metres wide are from Pemashing to Jangphutse Police outpost and one from Ngalagang Bridge to Manam – Chemkhar village. Local contractors are carrying out construction.

Villagers claim that Jangphutse has fertile land and everything is grown there. However, without roads, it is a challenge in reaching their produce to the market.

“Once the mule tracks are completed, it would ease the burden on farmers. Carrying machineries like power tillers is challenging. Since we cannot transport it easily through the narrow mule track, ”said Dorji, a Jangphutse farmer.

Another villager said the travel time to the gewog centre and hospital would be reduced drastically. “The new mule track would take less than two hours on foot to reach the gewog centre,” he said. “Not only will it help us but also it could help civil servant who are visiting our village.”

Toetsho gup, Dechen Wangdi said with support from dzongkhag development grant, the gewog administration is monitoring the project. “After completion of this mule track, we are also planning to institute pony services to Jangphutse.”

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