Tsamang Gewog in Monggar has been cut off from the rest of the places for the last four days following several roadblocks along the gewog centre road. Flash floods and landslides triggered by heavy rain on Monday night washed away the gewog centre road in more than five different locations. The gewog administration carried out the clearing works by deploying machines since Tuesday but they could not complete it due to the occurrence of continuous landslides.
A few cars are stranded along the gewog centre road since Tuesday. Due to the roadblock, commuters now have to walk for about two hours to reach the gewog centre or the national highway while travelling to Monggar and other places. According to residents, an elderly man from Banjar who died a few days ago had to be cremated in the village due to the roadblock.
“Due to continuous rainfall for the past few days, the road got blocked along several locations caused by landslides. The gewog administration tried to clear the debris for the last three days but they could not complete it due to frequent landslides. The commuters cannot drive on the gewog centre road. If the road remains blocked, it will be trouble for the residents if anyone falls sick or die. Moreover, we won’t be able to transport essentials or reach the farm produce to the market,” said Yeshi Thinley, a resident of Thuenmong Tokari.
“It will benefit us if the gewog and district administration clear the roadblocks soon. Though we don’t have abundant farm produce to sell in the market, people are facing difficulty in reaching the sick people to the hospital due to roadblocks,” said Yeshi Gyeltshen, a resident of Thuenmong Tokari.
The heavy downpour on Monday also washed away a water source of Thuenmong village causing an acute drinking water shortage for 23 households in the village
“The gewog officials including Gup, Mangmi and Tshogpa visited the site to clear the roadblocks but the additional landslides have washed away the base of the road again. They said they are working hard to clear the blocks soon but it is going to take a longer time. It has been four days now without drinking water since the water source got damaged by landslides,” said Yeshi Lhadon, a resident of Thuenmong Tokari.
Some residents of Tsamang Gewog claim that the landslides were caused due to construction of a farm road to Leksebi village between Tsamang and Yongkola. The gewog administration constructed a more than three-kilometre farm road to Leksebi in June this year which is located above the gewog centre road.
“We haven’t experienced many landslides in the past years. The roads used to get blocked near the stream but we haven’t seen any blocks near the water prayer wheel. So, I suspect the landslides were caused due to recently constructed farm road above the gewog centre road,” said Yeshi Thinley, a resident of Thuenmong Tokari.
The gewog administration however denied the claims.
In the meantime, three machines are deployed to restore the damaged GC road today. It is expected to open to small cars by tomorrow.
The District Disaster Focal Person and Gewog Engineer visited the site for the inspection. The Gewog Engineer estimates that the restoration works will likely cost Nu 3 M.
Sonam Tshering, Monggar
Edited by Phub Gyem
