Drakteng Gewog, Trongsa

Drakteng Gewog, Trongsa

Drakteng Gewog under Trongsa district is located towards the south covering an area of about 84.8Km² and is the smallest Gewog iin trongsa dzongkhag. It has 445 numbers of household and 5 chiwogs. According to the PHCB-2012, the Gewog have a population of 3817. The Gewog shares boundary with Nubi Gewog to the north, Tangsibji to the west, partially with Bumthang Dzongkhag to the East and Langthil and Korphu towards the south and southeast. This Gewog enjoys a warm climate with sandy loam soil type, with an altitude ranging from about 1100 meters to 2000 meters above sea level.

The gewog has 1 Gewog Administration Office, 3 pry schools, 1 middle secondary school, and 1 higher secondary school. The Institute of Language and Cultural Studies (ILCS) is also  located under this gewog at Taktse. The gewog also has a grade 1 BHU, 3 ORCs, CIC and RNR centre.   

Drakteng Gewog is of historical importance particularly in the early part of the 20th century when Kuengarabten Dzong was the winter Royal Palace of His Majesty the Second King of Bhutan. The Dzong is currently used as a monastic school by Trongsa Rabdey. 

The Trongsa-Gelephu highway passes through the Gewog, which serves as a main economic artery. The Gewog has five farm roads and two approach roads, which are connected from the highway to the villages playing a vital role in marketing the surplus farm products. Mangdechhu Hydro-power Project Authority (MHPA) is also piloted under the gewog which is the source of employment for the youth and villagers of the gewog.  

The villagers of this Gewog have a long tradition of sharecropping the wetland which is mostly owned by people outside the Gewog. Paddy, maize, mustard, rice and wheat are some of the major crops grown in the Gewog. Almost all type of vegetables are grown and villagers from this Gewog are mostly found in Trongsa Sunday market selling their surplus vegetables since they are near and are connected by Trongsa-Gelephu highway.

 Kuenzang Rigzeen
GAO, Drakten;Trongsa