Samdingkha in Punakha’s Toewang Gewog is gradually emerging as a commercial hub serving residents of both Chhubu and Toewang Gewogs. It also caters to visitors heading to nearby religious sites and the Chhubu Hot Spring. But as activity grows, residents say basic infrastructure has not kept pace, raising concerns over safety, parking and road conditions.
What started with a single shop in 1980 has now grown into around 15 shops. The location sits at a key junction, making it a convenient stop for daily shopping and services. But with growth has come concern.
The roads are in poor condition, with worn-out black top, potholes and waterlogging during the monsoon.
Dust is a major issue in winter, affecting residents and crops. There are also no proper parking spaces, raising safety concerns for both vehicles and pedestrians.
Residents say the settlement now needs proper planning and basic infrastructure to match its growing population.
“It gets worse during the rainy season. Even vehicles struggle to pass through, and the area often turns muddy and waterlogged, almost like living inside a river. Our school is also nearby, so it becomes difficult for children to travel safely to and from classes,” said Tsagay, a resident of Dawakha Chiwog, Toewang Gewog, Punakha.
“We have to keep our outdoor lights on whenever we leave home because of safety concerns. This place is a key junction for people travelling to the hot spring and many park their vehicles here. As a result, unfamiliar people are often seen moving around at night. There was talk about installing streetlights but nothing has been done so far. We would be grateful if streetlights could be installed,” said Pem, a resident of Samdingkha, Toewang Gewog, Punakha.
“There are currently not many people here. But during winter, different people come to this place as many development works take shape. This also brings several challenges. Therefore, we need police personnel stationed here on duty. We have even discussed in the Dzongkhag Tshogdu about providing accommodation for them,” said Ugyen Karma, Toewang Gup, Punakha.
Being located close to the Phochhu, residents also raised concerns about the safety risks from possible natural disasters. They say previous efforts like the tree plantation and fencing along the river have not been effective.
“Our main request is to ensure the area is safe and secure. We have raised the issue earlier as well and are once again submitting it to the gewog today. We have also submitted repeated requests to our constituency representatives,” said Serpo, a resident of Samdingkha, Toewang, Punakha.
“It is high time for the gewog and the district administrations to seriously discuss safety measures. We have already raised and requested the construction of a river mitigation wall along this river during the 7th Dzongkhag Tshogdu. We are emphasising that this should go hand in hand with the area’s development. Once the budget is approved, we plan to take up both the area development works and the river protection wall together,” said Ugyen Karma, Toewang Gup, Punakha.
Meanwhile, the district administration recently spent about Nu 1 M to improve the drinking water supply in the area.
Officials said plans are being considered to propose a budget to develop a standard parking lot, footpaths and streetlights in the next financial year. However, there are currently no plans to upgrade Samdingkha into a Yenlag Thromde.
Changa Dorji, Punakha
Edited by Sonam Pem
