After remaining almost isolated in the absence of a bridge over Harrachhu, the people of Rookha Samthang and Lawa_Lamga Chiwogs of Athang Gewog in Wangdue Phodrang are finally connected.
The newly built bridge over Harrachhu was inaugurated yesterday. Her Majesty the Queen Mother Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck graced the inauguration ceremony.
Health Minister Tandin Wangchuk, Indian Ambassador Jaideep Sarkar and senior officials from the Punatsangchhu Hydroelectric Project Authority (PHPA) and the Construction Development Corporation Limited (CDCL) were also there.
In her address to the public gathered for the opening ceremony, Her Majesty urged the people to take up commercial farming and dairy farming now that the bridge is here. Her Majesty also interacted with the public and later granted tokha to them.
The two chiwogs of Rukha Samthang and Lawa Lamga are home to 73 households. Earlier, without a bridge, the farmers in the village could not do much. Taking farm produce to the market was hard, so commercial farming wasn’t given much thought.
But now the arrival of the bridge is set to change this. “I am sure it will boost farming in the chiwogs,’ said Athang Gup Khandu. “This will go a long way in helping the villages become self sufficient.”
“Without a bridge, it was quite sad,” said Kencho, a villager from Rukha. “There was no motivation to work hard. We had no avenues to earn income. But now, it will be different and we will work hard.”
Constructed over a period of one and a half year, the bridge cost Nu 49 m. It was funded by PHPA, while the construction works were carried out by the CDCL.
