Nim Dorji | Trongsa

Phumzur village in Trongsa is near the famous Kup Drak that Guru Rinpoche blessed in the eighth century, but the residents have not been blessed with modern amenities.

Considered the farthest and remotest village in Langthel, the indigenous Monpa community lacks farm road and electricity connectivity.

Villagers, who walk for hours to reach the nearest road, said only one elected representative visited the village until now.

A farmer, Sonam Tshering said that even during the election time, they have to walk to Jangbi to listen to their candidates. “We were told that the village would be connected with road.”

He said after the election, they do not see their representatives. “If our village is connected with a motorable road, our Members of Parliament might visit us.”

Villagers said even dzongkhag officials do not visit their village much.

Today, people go to Jangbi to buy essentials.

Without road and electricity, villagers said they cannot earn any income from fruits and vegetables they grow.

They also said if they have a farm road, they would not have to carry patients to the nearest basic health unit (BHU) in Jangbi.

A villager, Doelang, shared incidents of how they struggled to reach the patient to the nearest road. “Some even die on the way.”

He said expecting mothers have to walk for more than three hours to get an antenatal check-up at Jangbi.

The villagers claim that the only health service they avail in the village is the monthly immunization of the child at the outreach clinic.

Some villagers said Phumzur is the only village without basic amenities when the nearby villages have everything.

But farmers are hopeful.

With a construction of 5.2km farm road begun in April this year, farmers are happy. “We could use farm mechanisation once the road is connected,” a villager, Bago, said.

Langthel Gup Sonam Dhendup said the road construction was delayed, as they couldn’t get approval since the area fell under a protected area. “Now the formation cutting is complete for more than 3km.”

He said they requested the agriculture ministry to construct a bridge over Rimdichhu. “The gewog has allocated around Nu 1.9M for the road construction of Phumzur.”

Edited by Tashi Dema