Korphu GC road

Nim Dorji | Trongsa

The 19.5km Korphu gewog centre (GC) road blacktopping could not complete on time again.

As per the contractual agreement, the blacktopping is supposed to complete on March 12 but work only began on that day.

Departments of Road’s chief engineer in Trongsa, Ugyen Dorji, said blacktopping work must complete before June, as there is no spill-over budget in the next financial year. “Even if the contractor fails, we have to find alternatives.”

It was learnt the contractor started work on March 12 only and completed blacktopping about 800m of the road as of March 24.

However, Korphu gewog administration and residents are not happy with the quality of the work.

Gewog officials said the quality of the work, which has just begun, is not as they expected.

Korphu Mangmi Yeshi Nidup said that the people were unhappy, as the work lacked quality. “There’s no compressor machine and work is done manually, leaving dust on the road about to be blacktopped.”

He also alleged that bitumen was applied on soil. “I’m seeing this for the first time. We’re worried that it won’t last a year.”

People also complained that the base course was not done properly.

A villager, Dorji Tshewang, said that, although the road condition had improved compared to the past, it was still bumpy and not even after the base course was laid. “The drains are also not of good quality.”

He claimed that, in some areas, drain construction was not completed and he said that the road from Wangdigang was risky. “If the blacktop should last longer, the base course needs to be done well.”

The site supervisor of Druk Samdrup Construction, Sonam Dorji, said, as per the tender, they were supposed to maintain the existing base course, construct a drain and blacktop.

“The compressor machine will be brought within a week at the site.”

He said it was difficult to get the materials for blacktopping. “We hired residents of Nimshong for the blacktopping work.”

Chief engineer Ugyen Dorji said that the base course for Korphu road was as per the standard and in good condition. “We’re monitoring the work strictly.”

Meanwhile, the GC blacktopping works started in 2016.  The first contractor was terminated for not executing the work.