The 67-kilometre Raminang-Rakazhung road promises improved connectivity, economic opportunities, and reduced isolation for high-altitude communities in Lunana

Chencho Dema

Punakha—Tucked deep in the northern frontiers of the country’s Himalayas, Lunana Gewog is one of the most remote places in the country, where the journey to the nearest road takes days. However, a 67-kilometre road from Raminang to Rakazhung, a settlement in Threlga village, will change that, offering unprecedented access and economic opportunities to the high-altitude settlements.

Wachay, the second closest village to Gasa, is currently a grueling four-day trek from the nearest road in Raminang. Once completed, the new road will cut travel time to just a few hours.

The project is expected to significantly ease transportation and reduce reliance on horses for carrying goods, improving access to essential services.

Raminang, the first village in Lunana to be connected by road, has already experienced the positive impacts of improved connectivity.

Raminang road

The construction of the road from Goen Tsephu to Raminang was completed during the second term of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) government. The new roads connectivity to Rakazhung is seen as a continuation of the PDP’s commitment to rural development.

The construction of the road to Raminang began in 2015 and was completed in 2018. The chiwog has five households.

Lunana Gewog consists of five chiwogs, and only Raminang Chiwog, the one closest to the district centre, has a motorable road.

With a budget of Nu 6 million allocated, this project will improve connectivity and accessibility for the people of Lunana, particularly benefiting the villages of Wachay and Rakazhung.

The first survey for the road was conducted seven months ago, in September 2024. The survey confirmed the feasibility of the project, and a second survey is now underway to finalise the plans.

The road project is expected to take four to five years to complete, but the benefits it will bring are already generating excitement among the people of Lunana.

For the residents of Wachay, the road will mean easier access to essential services, improved trade opportunities, and a stronger connection to the rest of the country.

Member of Parliament from Khamaed-Lunana, Pema Drukpa, called the project a crucial development for the region. “The road to Rakazhung will be life-changing,” he said. “It will reduce the four-day trek to just a few hours, improving trade, healthcare access, and overall quality of life.”

However, Lunana Gup Kaka said that while the road will benefit the people, its impact will be limited. “Out of 100 percent, the road will be only 30 percent beneficial,” he said. “It will be buried under snow for eight months, leaving just four months of accessibility, which hardly makes sense.”

The road was not included in the 13th Plan but was a key PDP campaign pledge.

Gup Kaka suggested a shorter mule track from Kewana in Punakha to Shangsa in Lunana as a better option, as it remains unaffected by snowfall. The proposed route along the Phochhu is considered safer than the existing trail, with a travel time of approximately two and a half days.

A feasibility study for the alternative trail was completed last year, with Nu 100 million spent on the initial survey. The second phase of the project, with a budget of Nu 31 million, is currently underway.  The tender for the project has been floated.

The new trail would particularly benefit Esuna village, which currently lacks even a mule track. If completed, it would provide improved access for the 40 households in the village.

During winter, Lunana becomes inaccessible from all four routes—Dhur in Bumthang, Saephu in Wangdue, Laya, and Raminang in Gasa—as these paths are buried under snow for over eight months except for the Kewana route in Punakha.

The Dhur and Laya routes are primarily used for tourism and official travel while the Lunaps widely use the routes from Punakha and Saephu to transport essential food supplies.

The road to Rakazhung was also one of the pledges made by the PDP during the 2024 elections, and its initiation has been met with widespread approval from the local communities.

The 15.6-kilometre road from Lubzur in Saephu to Gyentsha in Lunana was completed in 2020 in just seven months. 

Lunana Gewog, home to 13 villages and more than 200 households, is spread across the vast and remote high-altitude terrain. It takes eight days to reach the gewog.

These villages are among the most isolated in the country, with residents primarily relying on yak herding and Cordyceps collection for their livelihoods.

Due to extreme weather conditions, accessibility is a major challenge, though road connectivity and electrification projects have been improving in recent years.

Lunaps in summer move to Punakha and Wangdue to bring goods home.

Helicopter services have recently emerged as a more viable—if costly—alternative.

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