The Dungchhilo-Telung farm road in Pema Gatshel’s Dechhenling Gewog was closed for three years because heavy rains washed away parts of it. Heavy monsoon rains eroded the road’s foundation in multiple places due to unstable soil. But now, after facing many challenges, the road was finally reopened last month.
With the completion of the realignment work, the farm road is benefiting the local community and people who use it.
Safety measures have been implemented, enhancing the travel experience for everyone who depends on the road.
“In the past, the base of the road was washed away. Now the road has been realigned and we are hoping it will be stable from now on,” said Choni Dorji, a resident of Dungchhilo.
“Before, we had to take everything through Nganglam from Telung, which was costly. But now with the road open, it’s much closer, even when we are transporting oranges and other goods. Transportation costs have reduced a lot,” said Jigme Loday, Kholomri-Dungchhilo Tshogpa.
“Nowadays, we rely on the road for everything. We can bring timber, stones and sand to build houses and even transport oranges right from our doorstep. It is helping us out,” said Thinley Tempa, also a resident.
According to the Gewog administration, limited funds hampered the road alignment.
“Since our gewog has a limited budget, we couldn’t award the contract as planned. Instead, we asked the district for help and are grateful for their machinery support. We are happy to see this progress,” said Jimba Phuntsho, Dechhenling Gup.
Residents shared their concerns about the time their farm road was closed.
“As the road was closed for three years, we suffered a lot. We carried oranges and other goods on our backs and sometimes hired labourers,” said Choni Dorji.
“We had a difficult time when the road was cut off. The drains weren’t cleared well. So, when it rained, the water eroded our land and washed it away,” said Thinley Tempa.
The 11-kilometre Dungchhilo-Telung farm road was constructed in 2016.
It shortens the distance to Monggar Hospital and other eastern districts for around 100 households in Dechhenling Gewog.
Thinley Dorji, Pema Gatshel
Edited by Sonam Pem
