9-kilometre long farm road uplifts lives of people in Bhutan’s Yuejug village

Thimphu [Bhutan], February 26 (ANI): The completion of a nine-kilometre-long farm road has uplifted the lives of people in Bhutan’s Yuejug village. The village is one of the most remote villages in Singye Gewog, The Bhutan Live reported.

According to The Bhutan Live, access to a farm road contributes to generating increased agricultural income and easing the marketing of agricultural produce, thereby enhancing the quality of rural life. Yuejug village, located about 20 kilometres from Bhutan’s Sarpang district, has remained cut off in the absence of a road. But with the completion of the first cutting, the people said their lives have become convenient and easier

Orange is one of the main sources of income for the people in the village. And access to a farm road is expected to open up economic opportunities and provide easy access to the market, according to The Bhutan Live.

Nainda Bdr Khural, a resident of Yuejug, said: “With the arrival of the road, it has become convenient for us. In the past, we had a hard time incurring more expenses and fetching less amount for oranges. But now we hope the arrival of the road would help us fetch a better price.”

Another resident Gukul Sing Chhetri, said: “We are very happy and hope it will be convenient for us. We had to carry rations on our backs from town in the past. But not anymore with access to a farm road.”

“We had a hard time in the past because we grew varieties of vegetables but were not able to sell in the absence of a road and access to the market. We had to feed them to our cattle. Now our vegetables will not go to waste,” said Guma Maya Dahal.

“It used to take around three and half hours to reach Sarpang town on foot and would take four and half hours to return to our village. But now it takes a little more than half an hour,” said Ram Badhur, as quoted by The Bhutan Live.

Singye Gup said the first cutting of the 6.5-kilometre farm road from Labtsakha chiwog was constructed in 2021 at Nu 2 M. The remaining 2.5 kilometres to Yuejug village which began in December last year was completed recently. It was constructed spending Nu 750,000.

The Gup added that although there are only two households in Yuejug village, access to a farm road might encourage other thram holders to return to the village for settlement, according to The Bhutan Live.

About all the remote villages of twelve gewogs in the district now have access to a farm road. Sarpang has constructed more than 90 farm roads so far.