Without proper highway stopovers, roadside sheds and vendors provide much-needed breaks for motorists to buy goods or use toilets. It is a win-win situation for both vendors and motorists. One such place is the Sunkosh tri-junction along the Tsirang-Wangdue Phodrang highway. But it comes at a cost. Pema Tshewang sends us this report from Tsirang.
Hundreds of vehicles pass through this tri-junction every day. Located over 20 kilometres from Tsirang, the place attracts travellers for a reason.
Fresh fruits and vegetables. The age-old trade continues to thrive here.
The area is also a popular pick-up and drop-off point for relatives and friends.
But its popularity comes at a price. The area is littered with waste.
From pet bottles and plastics to discarded clothes, wastes continue to pile up. Although a dustbin has been placed at the site, it is overflowing and insufficient to handle the volume of waste. The absence of public toilets has further worsened the situation, forcing some visitors to resort to open defecation.
“We don’t sell items wrapped in plastic. We sell only fruits and vegetables, and customers take them along. It is the travellers who throw waste and make the area dirty,” said Jigme Wangmo, a vendor.
“We dispose of our waste in the dustbin. But travellers keep on throwing garbage. We clean the area during the day, but it becomes the same the next day. We request travellers, but some still litter while we are busy doing business,” said Tandin Wangmo, a vendor from Tsangkha Gewog, Dagana.
“Teachers and students of Damphu Central School came and cleaned the area. They also sensitised vegetable vendors and commuters on waste management. But within a few days, the area became dirty,” Lachi Maya Rai, a vendor from Tsirang Toed Gewog, Tsirang.
The site falls under Tshoglingkhar gewog. The local leader said they clean the area three times a year, but monitoring illegal dumping remains a challenge as the site is far from the gewog. They plan to clean the area on Sunday.
However, that is not going to solve the problem. The area needs better management, stronger coordination among authorities, and more responsible behaviour from travellers and visitors.
Pema Tshewang, Tsirang
