For the residents of Rongchhuthang Chiwog in Samdrup Jongkhar, the monsoon once meant isolation. When the Golanthi River swelled, it cut the village off from the nearest school, market, and hospital; sometimes for days. Now, a newly built motorable bridge has changed that, giving residents safe, year-round access in and out of their community.
For years, life in Rongchuthang of Langchenphu gewog was ruled by the river running along the chiwog.
23 households sit across the river, and in the monsoon, a single spell of rain could leave them stranded.
“It was difficult to get across, especially during emergencies. We had to wait for the river to subside,” said Bishnu Maya, a resident of Rongchhuthang, Langchenphu Gewog.
“When it rains continuously, we are stranded. The river swells and cuts off the village from the rest of the gewog,” said Chandra Maya, another resident of Rongchhuthang.
The uncertainty has now eased with the new bridge. Project DANTAK completed its construction in June.
“We are overjoyed to have the new bridge. It has made life easier. We can get across whenever we want to, be it during an emergency or while travelling to the town,” said Sheri Bahadur Thapa, also a resident of Rongchhuthang.
For some, the bridge is not only about getting out. It is about what their farms can now send to market.
“Now, we can grow more areca nuts because we have a reliable road and a bridge. We can also supply milk and cheese without any problem,” said Indrawati, a resident of Rongchhuthang.
Project DANTAK spent a total of Nu 53 M to construct the bridge and protection walls underneath it, reinforcing the structure’s reliability and helping secure year-round access to Rongchhuthang.
Kinley Wangchuk, Samdrup Jongkhar
Edited by Sonam Wangdi
