Not long ago, it was howling dogs in the streets that would keep the residents awake. And as the country is gripped by rapid modernisation, noise from the construction works joined the dogs to punish the residents. Paro town is no different. But the residents there will soon find some peace because the Dzongkhag Tshogdu decided to regulate the construction timing.
Noisy activities on a construction site like cement cutting and electric planers keep the residents awake late at night. Sometimes it would be very early in the morning. And with the construction works in full swing, residents find it difficult to get a decent rest.
“We would be grateful if the authorities monitor the timing of the construction works here. We could barely sleep and the noise disturbs our children who are studying. If it’s monitored it will give us the much-needed rest after a tiring day and our children can also concentrate on their studies,” said Pema Jamtsho, in Paro.
“The construction noise gets really irritating when we have a guest. The sound of machines keeps us awake the whole night. We would appreciate it if we could get to sleep peacefully,” added Tshering Lham, also in Paro.
Today there are more than 10 buildings under construction in Paro town. Some have just begun while some are nearing completion. The issue was discussed in the Dzongkhag Tshogdu on Tuesday and the House decided to implement strict timing.
“It is not just a business settlement in Paro, we also have residential. And when there is noise pollution from construction sites people cannot rest peacefully at night. This is our main focus. But we have kept it flexible acknowledging the construction work nature. There are some works that must be completed within a day and for such, we have made it compulsory for the owner to seek approval from the relevant agencies,” said Tshering Dorji, the Paro DT Chairperson.
As per this arrangement, construction works will only be allowed to start from 7 in the morning. It has to stop by 10 pm.
According to the DT Chairperson, the timing will be applied to all ongoing construction works in the town. He said construction owners will also be made aware of the rule when they apply for construction approval. The Dzongkhag Administration will carry out the overall monitoring.
Some of the construction owners welcomed the move. They said the timing set by the DT is convenient enough.
“Earlier we also used to do overtime up to 10-11 pm. That was before the lockdown and pandemic crisis. Now as my construction is nearing completion we don’t have many laborious works. With noises from construction, it is not convenient to rest at night or sleep. I reside in the town only so I understand and children are the most disturbed,” said Lhamo, a Construction Owner in Paro.
Meanwhile, members of the House discussed imposing similar regulations on nearby small towns in the district. However, as of now, it will only be piloted in Tshongdue town. Residents of other towns can pray for the success of this regulation if they also want to sleep undisturbed.
Namgay Wangchuk, Paro
Edited by Sonam
