Residents in Bumthang say that the bad road condition in Bumthang town and those leading towards the town is affecting their daily commute. While the Nangar-Chamkhar road had been resurfaced, some stretches still remain damaged. Similarly, the road leading to the district court has been in dire condition for a couple of years now. Residents say that maintaining these roads would benefit them.
The road, which heads towards the district court is riddled with potholes. Blacktop has come off in almost the entire length of the road. Besides, it is too narrow and becomes jammed when heavy vehicles come across other cars on the way.
The other road leading to the district court via Jakar village is also in a similar state. Residents say it gets even worse during summer. They added that although the road had been blacktopped before, the blacktop lasted only about a year.
Similarly, some parts of the Nangar-Chamkhar road which was once a part of the primary national highway before the East-West highway was constructed is also in bad condition. Due to its narrowness, it becomes difficult for vehicles to give way, when they meet head-on along the road.
“The road is not just filled with potholes but it is also very dusty. The potholes are quite deep and this could damage the cars from beneath,” said Kuenzang Namgay, a resident from Chhumey.
“Since I drive a taxi, when I have passengers with me, it is inconvenient to drive fast on this road due to the potholes. Additionally, the roads are narrow, so if they can be widened, it would benefit us,” said Sangay Choden, a taxi driver.
“It is inconvenient for the commuters as the road is very narrow. If it is widened, it would benefit both tourists and the local residents,” said Kinley Tshering, a resident of Chamkhar.
“As Chamkhar is the main town in Bumthang, if the roads can be improved and upgraded to a double-lane highway, we would be very grateful,” said Karma Dema, another resident.
However, the Chief Engineer of the Department of Surface Transport’s regional office in Trongsa, Ugyen Dorji said that although resurfacing work for the remaining Nangar-Chamkhar stretch was scheduled to begin a few months ago, they had to defer it as they could not get enough diesel from the fuel station. He added that the office is now ready to start the work soon and it would be completed by the end of next month.
Meanwhile, Bumthang Dzongda Ratna Bahadur Gurung said the road leading to the courts would also be maintained once budget allocation works are complete.
Tashi Yangden, Bumthang
Edited by Kipchu
