Erosion: Old wooden houses, pothole-ridden roads and erratic power supply are some features that Lhamoizingkha town is synonymous with. This old town that borders a hamlet known as Hauda in India thrives anyway with a handful of notable developments recently accomplished.

Today, a new threat in the form of the Punatsangchu (Sankosh) has emerged in the town and leaving many anxious. The swelling river has eroded up close to some residents’ land at Jamuna and is eating its way through the town.

It’s been about four years now since private land in two chiwogs, Jamuna and Daragaon, has eroded every summer. More than 35 households have been affected with this problem, Kuensel has learnt and in some cases at Jamuna, more than 50 percent of land has been washed away.

From these two chiwogs, the river would affect the entire town in the near future, a resettled villager said.

“The river will slowly erode towards the town,” he said, explaining the river would wash away from Jamuna entering Shivalaya Hindu temple and Bhutan Power Corporation office until town.

Elaborating that the contractor had started the river training works rather late in 2014, the resident said he would urge the contractor to start the works early on this year so that protection works are placed on time.

Last year the government had awarded a budget of Nu 18 million (M) for the protection work of Sankosh bank. The project intended to protect the banks at two places of Jamuna and Daragaon.

However, the project has left the affected people, including people in the town more worried. The excavation activities for the protection works have worsened the situation.

Town representative Yeshey said the river started flowing from its usual track after heavy rainfall, even though the river was diverted.

“After the construction activities, the river has eroded more private lands,” a town resident Kamal Chhetri said.

Many residents in the town said the problem appeared because the diversion works were just protected by sand and gravels.

Meanwhile, another project will be floated next month. The budget, the town representative said would be around Nu 30M this time.

People in Lhamoizingkha town are also eagerly waiting for the town development since it has been identified as a yenlag throm. As of now, people are not allowed to construct houses in areas identified for the town development.

Rajesh Rai, Lhamoizingkha