Residents of Dhamdhum in Samtse have been living with dust problems caused by unpaved road, dry weather and heavy traffic for quite some time. With no solution in sight, residents are worried about their health as the pollution only increases with time.
The Dhamdhum road sees hundreds of heavy vehicles on a daily basis. Mining trucks and vehicles carrying goods to and from Phuentshogling use the unpaved road causing a dust storm. Every time a heavy vehicle passes by, clouds of dust are formed and it engulfs everything in its path. For any traveller, the area looks uninhabitable.
But just below the road, Mon Maya Biswa runs a small shop. The 57-year-old spends most of her time removing dust in her shop. She says she has been doing this for a very long time now.
And just when she has finished cleaning everything, she hears the sound of trucks from outside. Within seconds, her shop is covered in dust, yet again.
She claims the dust from speeding trucks is not only making her surroundings dirty but has also started to make people sick.
“I cannot risk keeping any of the windows and doors of my shop to remain open as dust will enter my home within a short time. Moreover, we are constantly getting sick due to dust problems. We mostly become ill with a cold,” she said.
This has also discouraged her to grow vegetables like her neighbours.
“Most of the time, the road remains dry and very dusty. And when a heavy vehicle passes by, it generates a lot of dust. I could not grow spinach and other vegetables as it’s of no use. The dust damages all our produce,” she added.
And with the winter season just around the corner, the situation is only expected to worsen with time.
“It is not much of a problem during monsoon season as the road remains wet and moist most of the time. However, we are worried about the winter season,” said Kumar Kami, in Dhamdum.
Most residents along the Dhamdum highway and the nearby residents suggest improving the condition of the road or deploying more water sprinkler trucks. For now, a private firm has helped the residents with a water sprinkler truck, which they say is insufficient.
“It would be better if the road is blacktopped as soon as possible. The other solution to the problem would be increasing the frequency of sprinkling water on the road. It will be better if the water sprinkler truck is made to sprinkle more water now,” added Ugyen Sha, in Dhamdum.
However, the road is not going to improve anytime soon. The residents, therefore, have to continue living with the dust hoping it doesn’t cause some health hazards. The Department of Roads says there is no plans to blacktop the stretch due to a lack of funds.
Passang Dorji, Samtse
Edited by Sonam
