Geling gewog centre at Chanachen village in Chukha will now be connected with a motorable road.

The formation cutting for the 7.2km gewog centre (GC) road is expected to complete in two weeks.

Chanachen is located across Wangchhu from the Chukha hydropower dam site area. Five other chiwogs are completely disconnected from the gewog office.

Without a proper link to the gewog centre, Geling gup and his team functions from rented apartments in Tsimasham.

Geling gup Phub Dorji said that the gewog office was identified at Chanachen prior to 2016.

“It is difficult to function from there,” he said. “And most villages in our gewog are located far from there.”

Phub Dorji said that he and his gewog administration team were able to serve people better from Tsimasham as five chiwogs were accessible from there.

“However, if Chanachen is connected with a road, the problem will be resolved,” the gup said.

According to the site engineer, Kinzang Dhendup, only 200 metres of formation cutting are left. “The formation cutting started in early 2017,” he said.

He said that Nu 9Million (M) was allotted to start the work. “This time, Nu 34M has been approved.”

However, he said that the GC road would not be blacktopped with the budget. “A major chunk of the budget could be used for base course works and other permanent works such as walls and drains.”

Meanwhile, a 180-feet bailey bridge will also be constructed over the Wangchhu to link the road.

A private construction firm based in Chukha has been awarded the job for the reinforced cement concrete abutment works.

With the mobilisation works completed, the works for the bridge construction had already begun at the site.

The contractor, Damcho Tshering, said he is positive to complete the works before the monsoon starts. “I am targeting to complete it by May,” he said, adding that June 23 is the deadline.

A budget of Nu 7.1M has been allotted to complete this bridge abutment works.

Rajesh Rai | Chukha