Farm roads serve as a lifeline for villagers in rural areas. In Wangdue Phodrang’s Bjagphu Chiwog, where farmers cultivate vegetables year-round, the road is crucial for transporting their produce to market. However, its condition has deteriorated over the years, making transportation increasingly difficult. Concerned villagers are now calling for urgent improvements.
Starting from the Wangdue-Tsirang Highway junction, the 10-kilometer stretch is riddled with potholes, making the travel rough and uncomfortable.
Locals say the road poses risks, especially during summer when it becomes slippery due to mud.
The road constructed in 2011.
Maintenance works were carried out including soling along some stretches, but the condition of the road keeps worsening.
The chiwog is among the highest producers of vegetables in Wangdue Phodrang. People believe that a well-maintained road would further encourage them to focus more on agriculture.
Phub Wangchuk, Bjagphu Tshogpa said “The road becomes inaccessible when it rains. We have to start travelling early in the morning at around 2 to 3 AM. Otherwise, we won’t find a place to sell our vegetables in town. We hope to focus more on vegetable cultivation if the road is improved. All kinds of vehicles use this road, leading to the formation of potholes.”
Kuchung, a resident said “The government has supported us and we would be even more grateful if it could be further improved.”
“We face problems, especially during the monsoon when it rains. Driving on this road is risky,” said Chador Gyeltshen, a resident.
Meanwhile, the gewog administration said that the road condition in the chiwog is not as bad as in other chiwogs.
The office added that it facilitates maintenance works whenever the road condition worsens.
Karma Wangdi, Ruebisa Gup said that the budget under the Small Development Project for this financial year has already been allocated for road construction in other chiwogs.
However, he said a budget has been allocated to blacktop the road in Bjagphu Chiwog in the 13thFive-Year Plan.
“It is important for us to prioritise work based on its importance. However, it is not that the road is not in our plan. We have included the blacktopping of the road in the 13th Five-Year Plan. The current challenges exist because we had to prioritise other essential projects in different chiwogs, as we have six chiwogs in total. Since the budget was allocated to the most urgent projects, it may seem like Bjagphu Chiwog is having poor road conditions.”
The chiwog consists of approximately 30 households. If the road is approved for blacktopping, it is expected to further enhance the villagers’ livelihoods.
Changa Dorji, Wangdue Phodrang
Edited by Tshering Zam
