Nim Dorji | Trongsa

With a farm road that is only pliable during winter, residents of Mangdephu and Jongthang in Trongsa have been struggling every summer to get to their villagers every summer for some years now.

The people of Mangdephu said that the road was built around 10 years ago, but no maintenance was carried out. The road does not have proper drainage.

Only four-wheel drive vehicles and power tillers can travel in the winter but in summer it is difficult even for power tillers.

Most of the vegetables and crops are grown in the summer, but they cannot transport any due to poor condition of the road.

A villager, Jamyang Lhendup said that they grow all kinds of vegetable and cereals in the area, but they could not sell anything owing to difficulty in transportation.

“We struggle to push the power tiller in the muddy road,” he said.

Present conditions of the farm road

Present conditions of the farm road

It was learnt that the road from Weling to Karshong was built by a private individual and was taken care by the then public works department and later handed to the dzongkhag. The road from Karshong to Mangdephu was constructed as farm road by the gewog.

The poor condition of the road from Weling to Mangdephu affects the residents of Sembji.

Sonam Lotey from Jongthang said that they have to fetch timber from far crossing the Mangdechu river. “Because we cannot use the road in summer all the works related to timber for construction are done in winter.”

During the recent visit by the Agriculture Minister, he assured that the road from Welling to Mangdephu would be maintained and upgraded to an all-weather road. A bypass road from Sembji to Karshong was also approved, residents said.

Lyonpo Yeshey Penjor said the old route passes through marshy areas and the area is a habitat for big wild cats. “So it was decided to construct a new road.”

“The old route will be preserved for the tiger enrichment area,” Lyonpo said.

The gewog administration has kept Nu 0.2 million for the maintenance of the farm road in the current financial year.

There is also a plan to connect all the chiwogs of Nubi gewog with a ring road by constructing a bridge over Mangdechu between Jongthang and Karshong towards Bembji.

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