Resting places along the Panbang-Gongphu-Tingtibi highway in Zhemgang have become a dump yard for travellers. People leaving behind waste have become a challenge for roadside workers. The Department of Surface Transport’s Regional Office in Tingtibi is calling for better civic responsibility from road users.
Waste are littered on either side of the Panbang-Gongphu-Tingtibi highway.
Popular spots like the twin waterfall and canopies along the highway see waste littered every day.
The spots, once built as a resting place for travellers are slowly turning into a dump yard.
Zhemgang is promoted as an eco-tourism destination, however, with waste lying all over the roadsides, it is not helping the district’s cause.
“Given the eco-tourism hotspot in Zhemgang, the Regional DoST office usually engages staff and workers to collect wastes along the highways at the end of every month. This is done regularly during road maintenance works. With the increase in the number of commercial vehicles plying along the highway, waste are thrown rampantly,” said C.B. Mongar, Chief Engineer of the Department of Surface Transport in Tingtibi.
The regional department of surface transport office in Tingitbi has put up waste bins and other road site amenities at the resting places.
However, the office reported incidences of damaged waste bins, and the bins left unused by commuters.
The Chief Engineer added that “the regional office could not impose any fines till date because we never find them throwing. The waste is generated from moving vehicles or passengers on move and they just consume and throw it. So, these incidences show that every citizen should have civic sense and should act dedicatedly to keep our environment clean and aesthetically pleasing.”
The regional office says people caught dumping waste along the highway will be dealt with according to the law and stricter penalties will be imposed.
The Department of Environment and Climate Change revised the penalties for dumping or releasing wastes in the environment towards the end of last year. First-time offenders will be fined Nu 5,000. The penalty is doubled for the second offence and tripled for the third offence.
Pema Samdrup, Zhemgang
Edited by Sherub Dorji
