People driving along the Gebtey-Lango farm road are unhappy with the road’s condition. Used by three gewogs, it is one of the most used roads. Most parts of the road are riddled with potholes. And with the beginning of the rainy season, people are worried that the road condition could pose a risk and damage their vehicles.
It is a troublesome drive for vehicles using the road daily. People said the condition of the road remains the same throughout the year. More than 10 kilometres, the stretch was blacktopped some ten years ago.
But with an increasing number of vehicles using the road, the road’s condition worsened about five years ago. With the hike in fuel price, people say the bad road condition adds fuel to the fire.
“It is disappointing to drive slowly to avoid the potholes and bad road condition. And with the fuel hike, driving along this stretch only increases the fuel consumption,” said Tshering Dorji, a driver from Nemjo.
“We put up the matter to the relevant authorities regarding the issue. We were assured that the road would be blacktopped after the road leading towards the hospital is blacktopped. But the plan has still not materialised. We don’t know what’s happening. We heard that it’s been included in the next plan. The road is our only way of connecting with other parts of the district. It benefits three gewogs,” said Chencho Dem, also from Nemjo.
“It is inconvenient for people like driving small cars. The potholes are so big that it hits the vehicle’s lower part. In addition, it becomes difficult to drive during the rainy season,” said Dorji Yangzom, a resident of Satsham.
“The fuel price is already high and the road condition on this stretch is bad. And due to this, the fuel consumption is high,” said Gopal Biswa, a taxi driver.
“Due to the bad road, it is not easy to find a taxi for a reasonable rate. They charge us high saying that the road is not good,” said Deki Wangmo, a resident of Nemjo.
Despite the urgency, the plan to blacktop the stretch was not prioritised.
“In the last Dzongkhag Tshogdu, we deliberated on the road issue as per people’s request. We got a positive response. However, it was not prioritised in the last financial year of the 12th Five-Year Plan. So, the three Gups decided to submit a letter to the dzongkhag again on the issue as the budget for the current financial year is yet to come. We are hopeful that the road will be maintained in this financial year,” said Lunyi Gup, Jamtsho.
The people of Lunyi, Lango and Wangchang will have to continue the bumpy rides until the plan to blacktop the road gets materialised.
Namgay Wangchuk, Paro
Edited by Sonam Pem
