Neten Dorji

Trashigang— With the construction of an 11-kilometre farm road, the days of hardships are over for people of Ngambinang village in Yangner, Trashigang.  

The farm road which starts from Gongthung and skirts a gentle stream before reaching the village’s base was completed in 2021. Despite its narrow width of approximately three meters, the gewog administration has invested a sum of Nu 0.85 million. 

Situated far away from key centres such as the gewog, schools, and basic health units, Ngambinang’s remote location has posed considerable challenges for the villagers, especially during medical emergencies. They faced arduous challenges in transporting patients during the monsoon season, navigating treacherous slopes and muddy pathways. 

Yeshi Wangdi, a 61-year-old resident of Ngambinang, vividly recalls the days when he would embark on a gruelling journey, carrying belongings on his back while walking for more than three hours to Gongthung and Yangner. 

“Life has undergone a remarkable transformation with the advent of farm roads,” he says, adding that with the convenience of farm road connectivity, rural lives have become significantly more manageable.  

 Potato cultivation is a primary source of income. But, with the advent of the farm road, villagers can now engage in commercial-scale cultivation of potatoes and vegetables, expanding their business prospects.

Tashi Tshomo, a mother of three, elaborates on the impact of farm road connectivity in bolstering agricultural income and streamlining the marketing of produce. 

“In the past, we faced difficulties attempting to sell our diverse range of vegetables, without the roads,” she explains. “Regrettably, we often resorted to feeding our harvest to our livestock. However, with the farm road, our vegetables no longer go to waste.”

Tashi Gyeltshen, another villager, recounts the challenging days of travelling to the gewog centre in the absence of a proper road. The journey to Yangner used to consume an exhausting three and a half hours, with an additional four and a half hours required for the return trip to the village.

The farm road has significantly reduced this travel time to a little more than half an hour.

The impact of farm road connectivity extends far beyond mere convenience; it has brought about a palpable upliftment in the overall well-being of the village. 

Durung-Ngambinang Chiwog Representative Sherub Tenzin highlights the positive outcomes of constructing farm roads, as it has encouraged farmers to remain in the village. He affirms, “The farm road has played a pivotal role in enabling farmers to transport perishable vegetables to the market on time. “