Enough is enough, no more trucks please!
In october this year, a truck loaded with potatoes was heading towards Tabading from Chakchey. It reached the Pakzam, a bridge below Nimphey village. While making its way through the bridge suddenly the bridge broke and the truck fell down in the river. Many similar trucks have passed via this bridge but nothing happened to them. The unlucky turn fell upon this truck.
Around four villages use this bridge for the transportation of potatoes. Trucks started passing over this bridge this year. Some trucks carrying logs of the conservation of Wangdue Dzong project also used this bridge. In the previous years the trucks carrying potato made their way through the water. No proper road existed in the river and the trucks passed through rough river bed loaded with boulders and pebbles. Some trucks even broke down in the river. This also posed a threat to the aquatic life downstream.
The bridge was made from wood and stones. The farmers either repair or reconstruct this bridge once a year. The main supporting material was made of a long piece of wood with planks arranged above them. This made a good bridge for the passage of powertillers and tractors but not for the heavy trucks.
During the monsoon seasons the river often damages this bridge. The farmers are in need of a good, strong and reliable bridge inorder to transport their potatoes.
Three such bridges exist over this river. The first such bridge (Ligche zam) exists below Rameychen Community Primary School. This bridge serves a dual purpose. It is the main transport route for Taphu, Zhilam, Pilam and some parts of Tawo villages. It is also a main route for the students of Rameychen School. The materials to build a new iron bridge already reached there but nothing happened to these iron materials. These materials are getting themselves rusted near the river. One can easily spot these unused materials piled up near the wooden bridge. People are eagerly wating for the construction of a new iron bridge to replace the traditional wooden bridge. Trucks still pass through the river without using the bridge.
The second one is the one shown above in the photo where a truck while making its way collapsed recently. The third one is the Gangplel zam. This connects Zeba and Pisting villages to Gangphel. It is located below the Gangphel village and hence got this name. An old suspension bridge exists there but it served no purpose to the transportation of potatoes. Therefore, the farmers built their own wooden bridge.
Phuentsho's Journey 