With the gewog centre (GC) road inaugurated in Yangneer, Trashigang, travel time to Trashigang has been reduced by almost an hour and a half.

The 18.22km GC road from Chazam to Yangnyer would initially take about two and half hours to reach Trashigang from Yangneer when the road was bumpy and filled with potholes.

Yangneer gup, Duptho, said that the road condition was worse during monsoon. “About four lives were lost because patients couldn’t reach Trashigang hospital on time.”

The gup said that with the GC road blacktopped, residents owning vehicles could also save the maintenance cost for the vehicles. “Taxi drivers refuse to ply the road and would charge double fare when we request.”

Having the road blacktopped, farmers could also earn income by selling farm produces.

Gup Duptho also said that goongtong issues in the gewog would also be addressed with a blacktopped road in place. “We are observing a few people returning to the village and taking up farming.”

Meanwhile, of the 27 GC roads to be completed in Trashigang, Trashiyangtse and parts of Mongar, the Department of Road (DoR) regional office in Trashigang has completed blacktopping 13 GC roads (171.93km).

DoR officials say that about 76 percent of the GC blacktopping works have been completed since it began in 2015.

They say the remaining 83.73km roads in seven gewogs are beingblacktopped and DoR engineers said that all works would be completed by June next year.

Officials, however, say that blacktopping of the road in Tongzhang gewog, Trashiyangtse, was cancelled because of the Khonlongchu project. The GC road in Narang in Drametse, Mongar, was also not being blacktopped since the whole road needs realignment.

DoR engineers said that works at some of the on-going sites were held for almost a month because of continuous rainfall. “The blacktopping works are expected to complete on time,” an engineer said.

The blacktopping works of Trashigang and Trashiyangtse and four gewogs of Mongar are being done with Nu 680.298 million budget.

Younten Tshedup 

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