𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐤𝐡𝐚 𝐆𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐠 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐔𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲

…𝒇𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒔, 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒂𝒙𝒊 𝒅𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒈𝒈𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒔 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒓𝒖𝒑𝒕𝒔 𝒅𝒂𝒊𝒍𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒅𝒔

By Kezang Choden

Residents of Denchukha Gewog under Samtse Dzongkhag are urging the local government to take immediate action to restore road connectivity, as the area has remained cut off for nearly a month. Despite repeated appeals and growing public concern, no concrete measures have yet been implemented to reconnect the gewog, leaving hundreds of families isolated. The incomplete bypass road from Phuentsholing to Damji, and the route via Puina to Denchukha, continue to delay transportation access. In addition, ongoing diversion work along the Toorsa River has been progressing slowly, further worsening the situation for commuters and residents. Frustration among the public has been mounting as weeks pass without visible improvement.

Vehicle owners, farmers, and local business operators are among the hardest hit. With transportation routes blocked, farmers are unable to transport produce to markets, while business owners report declining income due to disrupted supply chains. Many drivers have been stranded or forced to halt operations entirely, resulting in financial losses and growing hardship. Local residents have urged the authorities to prioritize the completion of the bypass road and expedite river diversion work before the situation deteriorates further. They expressed disappointment over what they described as a lack of urgency and coordination among the relevant agencies. Residents emphasized that continued inaction could lead to long-term economic and social consequences for the community.

Lok Nath Bhattarai, a resident of Denchukha Gewog and a taxi driver by profession, shared his concern over the prolonged road disconnection that has left the community isolated for more than 27 days. Bhattarai said he had resigned from his previous job to return home and support his parents by driving a taxi. However, due to the current situation, he has been forced to park his vehicle idle for weeks, with no way to earn a living.

“I have not been able to operate my taxi since the road got cut off. My income has completely stopped, and I am now worried about how to pay my loan instalments,” he said. Bhattarai added that he is not alone in this struggle, as many others in the gewog who depend on daily income from small businesses and transportation services are facing similar hardships. Without any concrete action from relevant authorities, the situation has pushed many livelihoods to the brink. Bhattarai appealed to the concerned agencies to expedite the restoration of road connectivity, emphasizing that every additional day of delay deepens the financial and emotional toll on residents.

As the connectivity crisis continues, local residents are facing growing hardships, with many depending entirely on their small businesses for survival. Among them is Krishna Dhal, a shopkeeper and resident of Denchukha, who shared that his family relies solely on the income generated from his shop. He expressed deep concern over the worsening situation, explaining that the temporary bridge over the Pultar River, their only link for restocking goods and accessing essential supplies, has been completely washed away.

“If this situation continues, both the school and the villagers will face severe hardship,” he said, adding that movement across the river has now become risky and uncertain. Dhal recounted that he was fortunate to have restocked his shop just a few days earlier using a temporary bamboo bridge constructed. However, with that bridge now gone and no immediate replacement in sight, he fears that supplies will soon run out. “Once the remaining stock finishes, I don’t know how we will manage. The people here are already struggling,” he added. Residents like Dhal are urging the authorities to expedite the restoration of road and bridge connections, emphasizing that prolonged isolation could lead to serious economic and social impacts on the entire community.

The prolonged isolation of Denchukha Gewog has left local farmers struggling to sustain their livelihoods, as continuous rainfall and washed-away bridges have severely disrupted transportation routes. Nar Bahadur Rai, a resident of Denchukha who owns both a poultry and piggery farm, expressed deep concern over the worsening situation. He shared that the only temporary bridge they had been relying on to transport their goods was recently washed away by the Pultar River.

“Now we are completely cut off. Even the internal roads have become unstable, and if the rain continues, it will be impossible to transport feed for the hens,” Rai said. Rai explained that his farm requires three bags of poultry feed every day, but with the roads blocked and no alternate routes available, he is running out of supplies. “We are already facing feed shortages, and without proper nutrition, the hens will stop laying eggs soon,” he added.

The farmer further highlighted that eggs must be delivered to the market within 15 days of laying to maintain freshness, but due to the current road conditions, transportation has come to a halt. “Earlier, it used to take around three hours to transport feed and eggs using the temporary bamboo bridge. Now, even that route is gone, and the situation is getting worse day by day,” Rai lamented. With no immediate restoration of connectivity in sight, local farmers like Rai fear massive financial losses. The continued isolation not only threatens their livelihoods but also poses a risk of food shortages. Residents are urging concerned authorities to expedite the restoration of bridges and road connections before the situation escalates further, warning that prolonged inaction could cripple small-scale farmers and deepen the economic hardship already felt across the gewog.

The gewog administration of Denchukha, in collaboration with the Department of Surface Transport (DoST), has begun preparations to launch a temporary bridge to restore vehicle movement that was disrupted after the existing connection was washed away by the swollen Amochhu River. According to Leela Dhar Chapagai, the Mangmi of Denchukha Gewog, the team had mobilized machinery and manpower on both sides of the river to expedite the construction work. However, persistent heavy rainfall and the rising water level of the Amochhu River have made it impossible to continue.

“The work has been temporarily suspended due to the continuous rainfall and the swollen river. We are closely monitoring the situation, and once the weather improves, the team will resume the work immediately,” Chapagai said. He added that heavy machinery, including excavators and trucks, have already been stationed at the site to ensure immediate resumption of work as soon as conditions permit.

The gewog administration, along with DoST, is putting every effort into restoring connectivity at the earliest, as the prolonged disruption has severely affected the transportation of essential goods and movement of residents. The Mangmi further mentioned that the temporary bridge is a crucial lifeline for the community, especially for farmers, business owners, and students who have been cut off from essential services for several weeks. Residents of Denchukha remain hopeful that once the weather stabilizes, bridge construction will resume and ease their daily struggles.