A children’s park has become a necessity for the residents of Trashigang town. Today, most of the children remain at home, glued to their mobile phones and televisions. While some parents take them outside to restaurants and shops, they have to constantly worry about the children getting hit by vehicles in the congested town area.
The old children’s park in the town was damaged by a flood in 2018. Since then, no maintenance work has been carried out, and the park has become unsafe for children. Despite the risks, a few children continue to play here.
However, most shopkeepers and hoteliers keep their children at home which has resulted in the child getting hooked on mobile phones. Sometimes, they let them play outside the shops while they are at work but that too is worrying.
“When I keep my children at home, they spend most of their time on their mobile phones. But when I ask them to play outside, they do not have a proper playground to go to. As a result, they end up playing near the road, and I am worried because there are many vehicles passing by,” said Ran Maya Ghalley, a parent.
“We need a playground situated in a secure area. We had one in the past, but it was damaged by a flood and it was never restored. I run a hotel and have no one to take care of my children. So, my children have to stay with me, but when we are busy with customers, they go outside, and it is risky because vehicles might hit them,” said Chimi Dema, another parent.
But the parents may have to continue living with this fear because the district administration says it does not have the budget to construct a new park.
According to the Trashigang Dzongda, they are considering Phomshing, which is two kilometres away from town, as an ideal location for such a facility once they have the money.
Trashigang town has a population of around 3,000 people.
Sonam Darjay, Trashigang
Edited by Tshering Zam
