Monsoon is just around the corner. So are the worries of residents living in areas where road connectivity is prone to damage from heavy downpours. Tshokorling and Karmaling residents of Phuentshothang Gewog in Samdrup Jongkhar are among the communities that are never left unaffected by worsening road conditions every summer. Their farm road which is already in bad shape becomes inaccessible for months every monsoon affecting daily commute.
The road surface is rough, uneven and bumpy. Let alone small vehicles, even bolero pickup trucks can hardly drive over this road.
Residents say the road becomes unusable as it gets washed away by swelling streams during the summer leaving the two villages cut off from the rest of the places for months.
“During summer, it is difficult even for the bolero pickup truck to use the road. Three streams along this road swell and wash away the road during the rainy season. As a result, even heavy vehicles can’t use the road. We face problems in travelling during the summer leaving us cut off for up to four months,” said Prem Singh Basnet, a resident of Phuentshothang Gewog.
“We need culvert bridges in the areas along the stretch overflowing with streams as we cannot use the road when the streams swell. The stream might look small right now, but it is a trouble during emergencies when we have to go to hospital,” said Mon Bahadur Tiwari, another resident of Phuentshothang Gewog.
“During the dry season, at least bolero pickup trucks can use the road even if smaller vehicles cannot ply. But during summer, even bolero pickup trucks cannot use the road. It will be helpful if the government can maintain our road,” said DurgaChhetri, also a resident of Phuentsothang Gewog.
The farm road which stretches more than two kilometers was constructed in 2015 for about 14 households in Karmaling and Tshokorling villages.
According to Phuntshothang Gewog Gup, the farm road was maintained in 2021. However, heavy rainfall last year damaged the road. The gup added that the gewog administration is mobilising funds to maintain the road.
Kinley Wangchuk, Samdrup Jongkhar
Edited by Phub Gyem
