The people of the Tshetena village under Kabisa Gewog in Punakha are not happy with the condition of their seven-kilometre farm road constructed during the fiscal year of 2009-2010 in their community.
About Nu 1 M was spent by the Royal Government of Bhutan to construct the farm road which benefits not only about fifteen households of Tshetena village but also the people of Wakhuna and upper Damchi village as well.
But with the monsoon season at the door, locals are worried that the conditions of their farm road will become worst. They said farm road is useful only during dry seasons and remains underutilized almost the whole summer due to rainwater and poor drainage system.
According to the locals, people walk from the main road, carrying their goods on their backs throughout the whole summer every year.
BBS found the road conditions have already started deteriorating; the road runs through risky bumpy potholes and in rugged areas posing high threats to the road users.
“No vehicle can ply on this farm road due to bad condition. It becomes worst especially when it rains. During that time, we have to call all our children to push our vehicles from the mud. It gives us lots of problems,” Dorji from Sirigang_Wakhuna, said.
“Vehicles can come only in winter to our place. In summer, the road becomes worst where even people can hardly walk on it. Vehicles usually drop our goods till the road point and then we have to carry from there after finding some helpers,” Draw, from the same village said.
Villagers also added that with poor road condition it becomes impossible for them to take their farm produce to the markets.
The problem intensifies when someone gets sick. The patient is carried by families and neighbours like in olden days, walking through difficult terrains to get to the nearest medical help.
“We have great hope with the present government to help us to solve this issue,” Tashi Gyeltshen from the same village added.
However, according to the Gewog Administration, the maintenance works for the farm road are carried out timely. More than Nu 2 M was spent for maintenance works during the fiscal year of 2017-18, but could not solve the entire problem.
“We have allocated Nu. 2.5 M from the Royal Government of Bhutan and Nu.1.5 M from the Small Development Plan in the 12th Five Year Plan. So, we are hoping that maintenance works will be carried out during the 3rd year of the 12th Plan,” Tshering Penjor, the Kabisa Gup, said.
He also said that the Gewog administration is trying to set up a road user group in the community to take care of their farm road within community themselves as some of the communities are doing well with this policy today.
