This time of the year, Reotala along the Trongsa-Zhemgang highway in Langthil Gewog will be making headlines for landslides and constant traffic shutdown but not anymore. Thanks to the vigilance of the Department of Roads (DoR), the road remains open to traffic all the time.
In the past, falling boulders, landslides and roadblocks for weeks were frequent at Reotala. This affected people of Trongsa, Zhemgang and Gelegphu. DoR has been clearing the boulders from the landslide prone area preventing any danger of rock-fall.
“In the past, we used to worry with falling boulders, landslides and slippery road but now we do not fear much as we can travel any time,” Rinchen Dorji, Langthil Gewog, Trongsa, said.
“These days we do not see much soil erosions. Ofcourse the DoR is also working hard but if a proper drain could be constructed, people will be benefited. We regularly have to travel via this road.” Namgay Tshering, a Teacher in the same gewog added.
The construction of the drainage system will begin soon after clearing the trees from the landslides area. The officials from the DoR say clearing the trees grown at the peak of these sites is expected to prevent erosions and landslides hereafter at the site.
“One reason why landslides occur here is due to the loosened soil. The bigger trees suffer constant battering by the winds; leading to the loosening of the structure of the soil at the root of these trees. So water enters into the roots creating soil erosion and landslides at the site. Hence we will cut the big trees and keep the small ones,” SonamDorji, Engineer, DoR, Pangzur, Trongsa, said.
“The boulders above the road are about to fall, we will begin clearing it from tomorrow as we have now deployed two machines at the site. So if we start making the area like a terrace, we will not face much difficulty in future even if it falls down on the road,” he added.
Reotala is about eighty kilometres from Trongsa towards Zhemgang.
