The 25-kilometre Kengkhar Gewog Centre Road was in a deplorable condition until the gewog started maintenance works in August of last year. Maintenance works on some 10-kilometre stretch of the road is complete and people are already elated. The road maintenance not only reduced travel time but also minimised the expenses incurred on vehicle repair.
The Kengkhar GC road starts from Zimzorong along the Gyalpozhing-Nganglam National Highway.
The road is narrow and it passes through cliffs. To make it worse, the GC road is filled with potholes and covered in bushes. These make travelling along the road risky.
Today, there are about eight workers clearing drains and cutting down bushes along the road. The workers said it took them around two months just to clear the bushes. Workers are also removing gravel and boulders and filling the potholes with concrete.
Yeshi Jamtsho, a commuter said, ‘‘If the road is not maintained properly, our vehicles get damaged frequently. Vehicle maintenance expenses become too high. We have to take our vehicles to workshops after travelling on the pothole-filled road.’’
“The road passes through the cliff and we have to travel in fear. Currently, the workers are carrying out the maintenance work. The road is clean without bushes. It is convenient,” said Changala, a resident.
The Department of Surface Transport handed over the GC road to the gewog three years ago and since then, the gewog has been receiving 30,000 ngultrum per kilometre every year for maintenance.
The gewog used the amount from the first two years to build retaining walls. And last year, the gewog decided to carry out road improvement works.
Kengkhar Gup Pema Chodup said, ‘‘We have employed labourers on a muster roll in August. After recruiting them, they are working hard to carry out the maintenance work. We have been monitoring the work progress. Therefore, the road condition is much better compared to the past.’’
The road benefits about 520 households in Kengkhar Gewog and some villages in Jurme Gewog.
Karma Wangdi, Monggar
Edited by Sangay Chezom
