The people of Shermung Gewog in Monggar are holding the Ngatshang Gewog administration accountable for damaging their gewog centre road. They claimed that some stretch of the GC road worsened after the Ngatshang Gewog administration constructed two farm roads above the GC road. The farm roads were constructed in 2016.
With the road developing potholes and the blacktop wearing off, the 18-kilometre GC road of Shermung Gewog is in dire of maintenance work.
The Department of Roads blacktopped the road in 2015. It was then handed over to the gewog administration a few years ago.
The stretch that lies between the workshop area at Yadi and Nyamaed worsened after the farm road construction.
“The gewog centre road used to be good in the past. But after Ngatshang Gewog constructed farm roads and an irrigation canal along the gewog centre road, the drain water started flooding the road. And because of this, the road condition has become worse,” said Dorji Wangdi, a bus driver.
“During monsoon, it is difficult for the small cars to ply on the GC road. However, for heavy vehicles, it is not a major problem. During the rainy days, landslides and boulders slide and hit the chest of the small cars,” said Kuenga, a taxi driver.
“For the maintenance of one kilometre, we just received Nu 30,000 from the government which is not sufficient,” said Dorji, Shermung Gup.
The local leaders of both the gewogs met recently to discuss the maintenance of the GC road.
“The Ngatshang Gup admitted that some stretch of Shermung Gewog centre road was damaged due to the construction of farm roads in Ngatshang Gewog. So, she has agreed to maintain it in the financial year 2022-2023,” added Shermung Gup.
Meanwhile, Ngatshang Gup Ugyen Yangzom said the gewog has allocated a certain budget in the coming financial year for the drain construction along the GC road. She added that the poor drainage system as a result of the farm road construction causes surface runoff that damages the GC road.
However, she said there is not enough budget to maintain the entire stretch. The GC road benefits about 700 households of Shermung and Balam Gewogs.
Sonam Tshering, Monggar
Edited by Sonam Pem
