More than a decade after it was first conceived, the Phuentshogling Township Development Project (PTDP) kicked off on Monday with the conduct of salang tendrel or the ground breaking ceremony for the first package in the Zone A of the project.
Previously known as the Amochhu Land Reclamation and Township Project, the PTDP is the biggest urban development project ever to be undertaken in the country.
The delay in the commencement of the project is being attributed to challenges related to funding.
A total of 1146 acres of land will be reclaimed. The new township will comprise residential areas, commercial and recreational spaces among others.
The works will be carried out zone wise. There are a total of five zones.
The development works in Zone A will be carried out in three phases over the course of about five years. More than US$ 60M will be spent in Zone A, which will cover an area spanning over 160 acres.
The works in the first package of Zone A include river training works, landscaping, embankment works and bank filling.
The Construction Development Corporation Limited (CDCL) is the implementing agency. It has awarded the first package of Zone A to AFCONS Infrastructure Limited (AIL), an India company.
“Every year, there is a flood here. The project will firstly protect the town from flood,” Phuntsho Gyeltshen, the CEO of CDCL, said.
The works under the second package in Zone A will include construction of roads and sewerage, and setting up of power and telecommunication facilities. But the works for second and third package would be tendered out only after the completion of the first package.
The CDCL says the border town has reached its topographical limits for expansion and the project would create more space for expansion.
The township development project will solve housing crunch in the border town, which has been growing by the year. It will also promote growth of more trade and businesses and create job opportunities.
The 18-year project is jointly funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the government at a 70-30 ratio.
