A bridge connecting Ganglapong in Monggar with Autsho town in Lhuentse was washed away by flash floods yesterday evening. The incident has cut off around 75 households, making it difficult for them to access basic services and essential supplies.
For residents of Ganglapong Toed and Ganglapong Maed in Tsamang Gewog, a routine trip to buy groceries has suddenly become much more difficult.
The Bailey bridge, built around 2019, was washed away in the flood.
It was the only road link connecting the villages to Lhuentse’s Autsho town, where residents regularly buy groceries and other daily necessities. Until the bridge is restored, residents will have to rely on an old footpath.
Tsamang Gup Sonam Phuntsho said, “When I spoke with the village Tshogpas on the phone, they said that the old footpath that once connected the two areas is no longer in a usable condition after years of limited use. Until it is restored, people from Ganglapong Toed and Ganglapong Mead will have difficulty travelling to Autsho, where they depend on shops for groceries and other essential supplies.”
According to the Gup, heavy rainfall began at around 5:30 PM, and the flood occurred between 7:30 and 8 PM.
He said local authorities immediately alerted the Monggar District Administration, residents of Autsho town, and officials at the Dorjilung and Kurichhu hydropower projects.
No casualties have been reported.
According to the National Centre for Hydrology and Meteorology, the flash flood was likely caused by heavy rainfall in the watershed, which may have led to a partial breach of the existing Tsatichhu landslide dam, formed in 2003.
A landslide dam forms when a landslide blocks a river, causing water to build up behind it and form a temporary lake. If that natural barrier breaks, the trapped water rushes downstream, leading to sudden flooding.
While the centre continues to assess the exact cause of the flooding, local authorities are exploring ways to restore the road link and reconnect the affected communities.
Namgay Wangdi and Namgay Wangchuk, Monggar
Edited by Sangay Chezom
