WANGCHUK BHUTIAMANGAN, 11 Oct: The road network in Dzongu has never been very sturdy and unravelled extensively in the hands of the 18 September Earthquake. With the entire focus of opening blocked roads noticeably focussed on the North Sikkim Highway [to Chungthang and beyond], the residents of Dzongu are not taking lightly to their continuing road connectivity woes and are blaming years of sidelining which passed without repairs or maintenance for the complete collapse of the road network in the area now. The people complain that the Dzongu roads have remained neglected, apparently without any caretakers for far too long. The DSM Road [Dikchu-Sankalang-Mangan] through Dzongu was handed over to the Border Roads Organisation by the State PWD Department in 2009 and the people now point out that this network has been left abandoned by both, the BRO as well as the PWD. In fact, in the wake of the earthquake, it was NHPC which opened this road for the people.
While this road keeps acting up with slides and slips often, the 18 September quake sent down furious landslides which cut off several villages.
While the landslides were an act of nature, what the people are now pointing out is that the concerned agency [BRO] did not take up restoration works on the DSM Road leaving villages on this [and other] routes completely cut off.
When this road remained unattended to even four days since the earthquake, the people and the area MLA requested NHPC Stage-V [at Dikchu] to undertake the road clearing effort which began on day four and this stretch was opened after 13 days of work.
While the other road into Dzongu, from Mangan to Lingzya, was clear, the stretch beyond, at least thus far, has received no attention, primarily because of the scale of the still active landslides there leaving even hikes to Bey a dangerous proposition. The Lingzya-Tingvong road was however opened about 10 days after the earthquake.
While speaking to NOW!, the Zilla Panchayat member from Hee-Gyathang GPU, Pemkit Lepcha, while discussing the DSM Road, points out that the road has remained unattended for so long that it is overgrown with weeds making it difficult for light vehicles to traverse it even during ‘normal’ conditions.
Providing some background on the road’s woes, she informs that 24 local workers from Dzongu originally employed for maintenance of this road by the State PWD Department were fired from their posts by the BRO within one year of taking over the road. This group of workers are still awaiting their remunerations for the last two months on the BRO payroll. This attitude underlines the negligence with which BRO has taken its responsibility towards the DSM Road the people stress.
While on their complaints against BRO, the people point out that the Sankalang-Toong road taken up by the organisation remains unfinished even after twenty years. Had this project been completed, the still cut off villages of Saffo and Salem-Pakel would not have been suffering. Work on the Sankalang-Toong road via Saffo-Salem Pakel in Upper Dzongu, a 42 km stretch, started in the year 1992, but now sits abandoned.
Dzongu residents have appealed to the State government to have their connectivity woes addressed on priority and direct BRO to deliver more effectively on its responsibilities towards the area.
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| A vehicle loaded with supplies groans up the road to Shipgyer [in Dzongu] from Toong [on the North Sikkim Highway]. This road was cleared by army personnel on 29 September. |
While this road keeps acting up with slides and slips often, the 18 September quake sent down furious landslides which cut off several villages.
While the landslides were an act of nature, what the people are now pointing out is that the concerned agency [BRO] did not take up restoration works on the DSM Road leaving villages on this [and other] routes completely cut off.
When this road remained unattended to even four days since the earthquake, the people and the area MLA requested NHPC Stage-V [at Dikchu] to undertake the road clearing effort which began on day four and this stretch was opened after 13 days of work.
While the other road into Dzongu, from Mangan to Lingzya, was clear, the stretch beyond, at least thus far, has received no attention, primarily because of the scale of the still active landslides there leaving even hikes to Bey a dangerous proposition. The Lingzya-Tingvong road was however opened about 10 days after the earthquake.
While speaking to NOW!, the Zilla Panchayat member from Hee-Gyathang GPU, Pemkit Lepcha, while discussing the DSM Road, points out that the road has remained unattended for so long that it is overgrown with weeds making it difficult for light vehicles to traverse it even during ‘normal’ conditions.
Providing some background on the road’s woes, she informs that 24 local workers from Dzongu originally employed for maintenance of this road by the State PWD Department were fired from their posts by the BRO within one year of taking over the road. This group of workers are still awaiting their remunerations for the last two months on the BRO payroll. This attitude underlines the negligence with which BRO has taken its responsibility towards the DSM Road the people stress.
While on their complaints against BRO, the people point out that the Sankalang-Toong road taken up by the organisation remains unfinished even after twenty years. Had this project been completed, the still cut off villages of Saffo and Salem-Pakel would not have been suffering. Work on the Sankalang-Toong road via Saffo-Salem Pakel in Upper Dzongu, a 42 km stretch, started in the year 1992, but now sits abandoned.
Dzongu residents have appealed to the State government to have their connectivity woes addressed on priority and direct BRO to deliver more effectively on its responsibilities towards the area.
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