It was only around a few months ago that commuters looked forward to a smooth ride along the Changchey road in Tsirang. The dzongkhag administration blacktopped the road in March. But today, the road appears as if it was never blacktopped. The road has developed several potholes and is covered in mud at several locations.
According to the commuters, the onset of the monsoon has deteriorated the road’s condition.
“The road is badly damaged. It is risky for the commuters. We even have to push our vehicles along some stretches. But we have no choice. Despite the poor condition we have to use the road,” said Samten Tshering from Tsirang Toed Gewog.
“We found that the blacktopping works along some stretch weren’t done properly. Potholes are along those stretch. Besides vehicles from within the locality, quite a number of heavy vehicles ferrying construction materials also use this road. This could also be the reason for the road damage,” added Krishna Bdr. Burathoki from Gosarling Gewog.
The motorists also attribute the deteriorating road condition to poor drainage system along the road.
“We also found that a stretch of the road was blacktopped while it was raining. We even raised our concerns about the durability of the blacktop. As doubted the road condition started deteriorating after few months,” said Samten Tshering.
“The problem is with drainage system. In some areas, the drains aren’t aligned properly. The drains are uneven and this has caused storm water to flow easily on the road,” added Dewan Subba from Gosarling Gewog.
Currently, the road is being restored. The chief district engineer who was also the site engineer for the blacktopping project said the majority of the damages are along marshy areas. He added the entire damages will be repaired by the concerned construction company. The company has two more months to complete the contract duration.
The 10-kilometre road connects the people of seven gewogs in Tsirang to the dzongkhag administration.
Pema Tshewang, Tsirang
