A paved road is long overdue for the people commuting between Nganglam town and Pelzomthang Checkpoint. The 2-km stretch of road near the Pagadrang is left unpaved due to lack of budget. However, the Department of Roads (DoR) is now going to start with the rigid pavement of the road from next month and is expected to complete by May this year.
The rigid pavement is constructed with cement concrete slabs on a prepared sub-base of granular material.
The remaining unpaved stretch of road gets muddy in summer and dusty in winter.
Commuters say most of the heavy vehicles plying along the potholes filled road get damaged and need constant repairing.
“We face severe problem in summer and by this time, although the condition is not like in summer, it is dusty. We have been requesting them for maintenance, where it is needed,” said Kintu, the Head of Transportation and Logistic Unit of Dungsam Cement Corporation Limited.
However, the Department of Roads in Nanglam said remaining 2 kilometres would be paved with concrete very soon. The construction work had been awarded to a contractor and the department said that the contractor is collecting the raw material to the site.
Kintu added, “they were doing routine maintenance but with newly paved road, we are hoping the problems will be solved.”
After the DoR cemented 900 meters near DCCL on trial in 2015, around 8 km road towards Integrated checkpoint is constructed with rigid concrete pavement so far.
The government will be providing a fund of Nu 40 M to complete the 2-km rigid pavement works.
However, again 600 meters will remain unpaved. The officials are expecting to get the budget for 600 meters road in the next financial year.
Thinley Dorji, Pema Gatshel
