The Nganglam-Panbang highway is riddled with potholes. The highway is mainly used by the people of Norboogang Gewog in Nganglam.
They say the road needs maintenance.
“It is filled with potholes,” Samdrup Dorji from the gewog said.
“It causes damage to our vehicles and also increases the risk of accidents.”
Another resident, Sonam Phuntsho, said the condition of road worsens during monsoon.
“The taxis charge high. Sometimes, we end up paying Nu 150 for a trip that actually costs only Nu 20. Forget small cars, even heavy vehicles struggle,” he said.
The road is an important trade link for the people of Norboogang. They use it to transport their cash crops like ginger and orange.
“The Department of Roads (DoR) fills up the potholes but they reappear,” Ugyen Dorji, the Gup of Norboogang Gewog, said.
The Principal Engineer of DoR Nganglam Sub-Divison, P L Puri, said they have proposed a budget of Nu 100 M for resurfacing of the road in the 2018-2019 Financial Year.
“If we get the budget, we will resurface the road. This time, we are looking resurfacing the road with DBM and asphalt layers so that it lasts longer,” P L Puri said
He added the budget might get released soon as the government is aware of the condition of the highway.
The construction of the Nganglam-Panbang highway was completed in December 2015.
