A smooth, comfortable ride home still remains a far-fetched dream for Tachey residents of Dagana’s Laja Gewog. Residents continue to struggle with bumpy and risky roads, initially constructed for transporting transmission line materials. Despite serving as the lifeline of the village for years, the six-kilometre road has not been upgraded. Residents say its poor condition poses a high risk to commuters.
The road from Kompa Chiwog to Thasa Chiwog is laid with granular sub-base. However, the challenge starts from Thasa from where the unpaved stretch begins. The road is narrow with several sharp turns and steep terrains, making travel extremely difficult and unsafe for commuters.
Currently, only bolero pickup trucks and two-wheelers can access Tachey village.
Without a granular sub-base, huge boulders can be seen embedded in the middle of the road, posing safety concerns. There have been incidents where vehicles got damaged by these boulders.
Residents say that despite repeated requests, the Laja Gewog Administration has not initiated laying of granular sub-base, besides carrying out minor repairs and restoration during the monsoon.
“We were once happy when we heard that the gewog administration had allocated a budget to lay granular sub-base. Later, when we enquired about the chiwog tshogpa, he told us that the budget was prioritised for another development work. The road condition is slightly better during winter, but during the rainy season, it becomes extremely difficult, especially when we have to travel during emergencies such as a visit to hospitals,” said Kelzang, Resident, Tachey, Thasa Chiwog, Laja Gewog, Dagana.
“We have been requesting from the gewog administration, but the road still remains in poor condition due to budget constraints. We would be grateful if the road could at least be laid with granular sub-base,” said Khandu, Caretaker, Tha Namkhai Dzong, Laja Gewog, Dagana.
The road also connects Tha Namkhai Dzong, also known as the Frontier Sky Fortress, a revered sacred site among Bhutanese pilgrims. However, visitors must either hire a bolero pickup truck or walk from Thasa, as small vehicles cannot access the site.
The site, considered sacred, features a religious bell hanging from a cliff that resembles a dzong. It is believed that Guru Rinpoche sanctified the site in the 8th century. According to the caretaker, the number of visitors has been increasing in recent years, calling for better road conditions for the safety of visitors.
“Pilgrims visit the sacred site besides government officials, including Lam, ministers, and other officials. They face extreme difficulty on the way due to the poor road condition,” said Khandu, Caretaker, Tha Namkhai Dzong, Laja Gewog, Dagana.
Meanwhile, Laja Gup told BBS that laying of GSB for the road was included in the 13th Five-Year Plan following repeated requests from residents. However, the gup said the plan could not materialise as the estimated cost exceeded Nu 10 M.
The gup added that the gewog administration plans to realign the entire stretch of the road in the future as part of the proposed Balung-Taksha bypass project, which is expected to begin within this year.
Tachey, one of the most remote villages in Dagana, currently has eight households with a population of about 45.
Pema Tshewang, Dagana
Edited by Phub Gyem
