Where there is no electricity, solar lighting has come as a great boon to rural communities. It allows rural families to extend their workday into the evening hours. Many villages where solar lights are installed see an increase in their economic activity levels.
In a small settlement called Pam under Daksa Geog in Mongar Kheng region the installation of solar lighting has given the villagers a new lease of life. It is one of the remot and backward villages in Mongar Dzongkhag. The village is three-four days walk from Mongar.
Until recent months, this village has remained in complete darkness. Now, under the UNDP-GNH project all the 17 households have been provided with solar lighting. This has helped the people to extend their work into the late evening hours. The farmers say that they can not only keep themselves clean but also helped conserve the environment. Now, they don’t have to cut down trees for lighting their homes.
The solar lighting has benefited the women a lot. According to Sonam Pelzom, they can now do their domestic chores in the evening. She also gets time to weave in the evening.
As the villagers of Pam are extremely happy with their new life, four households of Gorthongla, under the same Tshowog have been deprived of the facility. They say that they have apprised the Geog authorities time and again but to no avail.
However, the Daksa Gup, Ugyen Dorji, said that Gorthongla has been left behind as there are plans to electrify the village in the 10th Five Year Plan.
It is a blessing in disguise for the people of this village. But, for now they will carry on with their routine life while their immediate neighbors have got a new lease of life.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Where there is no road….
Orange is one of the main cash crops for the people of Daksa Geog under Werringla Dungkhag, Mongar. However, a lack of motor-able road has been the bottleneck for the people of this Geog to market their oranges.
In a small settlement called Pam in Daksa, visitors are greeted with baskets of fresh, juicy oranges. The visitors can also pluck as many oranges from the trees.
Even at this time of the year oranges can still be seen on the trees. Some lie on the ground to rot. Only the households which have able bodied male or other means like mules can take their oranges to sell, which is about two and half days walk to the nearest motor-able road in Nanglam.
“It is sad that such quality, organic oranges are being wasted here,” said one of the visitors.
Yeshi Namgay, 64, says he can no longer walk with load of oranges on his back. As a result, his oranges are either left to rot or given to cattle. “Those who could take to Nanglam fetched very good price this year. They got about Nu. 170-180 per Pon (80 organes make a Pon),” said Yeshi.
Similar stories are also shared by the people of Jurmi, Gongdu and Silambi. These villages are the remotest and most backward in Mongar.
The Werringla Dungpa, Rabgay Tobden, said that although there is plan to construct motor-able road in the Geog it might take some time. “For Daksa Geog, we need a take-off point. Unless the Nanglam-Gyelposhing Highway is complete there is no way that we can construct farm road,” he said.
The villagers of this remote and backward village will have to wait for sometime before they will be able to market their ‘fresh, juicy’ oranges.
In a small settlement called Pam in Daksa, visitors are greeted with baskets of fresh, juicy oranges. The visitors can also pluck as many oranges from the trees.
Even at this time of the year oranges can still be seen on the trees. Some lie on the ground to rot. Only the households which have able bodied male or other means like mules can take their oranges to sell, which is about two and half days walk to the nearest motor-able road in Nanglam.
“It is sad that such quality, organic oranges are being wasted here,” said one of the visitors.
Yeshi Namgay, 64, says he can no longer walk with load of oranges on his back. As a result, his oranges are either left to rot or given to cattle. “Those who could take to Nanglam fetched very good price this year. They got about Nu. 170-180 per Pon (80 organes make a Pon),” said Yeshi.
Similar stories are also shared by the people of Jurmi, Gongdu and Silambi. These villages are the remotest and most backward in Mongar.
The Werringla Dungpa, Rabgay Tobden, said that although there is plan to construct motor-able road in the Geog it might take some time. “For Daksa Geog, we need a take-off point. Unless the Nanglam-Gyelposhing Highway is complete there is no way that we can construct farm road,” he said.
The villagers of this remote and backward village will have to wait for sometime before they will be able to market their ‘fresh, juicy’ oranges.
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