Kanglung residents are desperately waiting to see the Kanglung Basic Health Unit (BHU) road repaired and maintained on a timely basis.
With multiple potholes and steep gradient along the road leading to the BHU in Kanglung, Trashigang people visiting the BHU are unhappy.
The road, less than a kilometer, that connects the BHU from Trashigang-Samdrupjongkhar highway has not been repaired after the construction was completed.
The road, according to the residents, poses serious risk for patients visiting the BHU.
Kanglung residents are worried, as the condition of the road is becoming worse.
Gyelsthen, a resident from Kanglung, said that the road is important for the residents of Kanglung as it connects the BHU with rest of the villages. “But no maintenance has been carried out for a long time.”
With the increasing population in the gewog, Kanglung BHU has been seeing an increasing number of visitors daily. From a population of 5,000 in 2015, today there are more than 12,000 people living in the gewog.
He also said that the road filled with multiple potholes poses risks especially during emergencies.
Choki Dorji, a civil servant, said it is difficult to ply along the road as the road is filled with potholes. “We hope the authorities will blacktop and resurface the road as is needed.”
The issue was also discussed at the Dzongkhag Tshogdu (DT) several times.
Wangdi, a shopkeeper in Kanglung, said that maintaining the road has become a necessity. “The road also need to be widened as the number of vehicles plying the road has increased.”
Meanwhile, Kanglung Gup Kinzang Dorji who is also the Trashigang Dzongkhag Tshogdu Thrizin (Chairperson) said that the road leading to Kanglung BHU is in indeed in need of maintenance. “Initially, we requested the dzongkhag health office for the work but they refused and asked the gewog authorities instead.”
The issue was also discussed at the recent Dzongkhag Tshogdu which came to the conclusion that the gewog administration should carry out maintenance works along the road.
The Gup also said that budget has been allocated for the road maintenance in the 2019-20 financial year. “We are hopeful that we will receive the budget by June this year and carry out the work as soon as possible.”
Meanwhile, as part of community service, student volunteers from Sherubtse College and members of Social Service Unit (SSU) of the college repaired the road towards Kanglung BHU.
The volunteers first repaired the road in 2017 and followed up yearly with subsequent maintenance.
Jigme Wangchen from Kanglung. T/gang
