The road widening works along Chuserbu-Tekizampa highway in Wangduephodrang has been suspended. The suspension comes after private parties involved in the widening works failed to renew the environmental clearance. The road widening works started in March last year.
The Department of Roads is monitoring the works. But the actual works are being carried out by several private parties on voluntary basis. All the costs are borne by the private parties. In return, they have been given permission to use the boulders extracted during the widening works.
The private parties, however, failed to complete the works within the validity of the environmental clearance issued due to budget constraint and “other pertinent reasons” as they put in.
The Roads Department says it did apply for renewal of environmental clearance a month before the expiry date. But the clearance could not be processed within the stipulated time because not all required documents were submitted.
Following this, the National Environment Commission (NEC) called for the suspension of the work.
The Department of Roads has, however, submitted the required documents including clearance from the gewogs to the Dzongkhag Environment Division.
But the Dzongkhag Environment Division has asked the private parties to carry out several works at the site before proceeding to apply for environment clearance from NEC. The works include identifying a dumping yard and cleaning the streams, which have been dirtied because of widening works.
