Dagana town still waiting for improvement

Dagana town still waiting for improvement

Dagana dzongkhag can boast of a new town. But that is it. The town, resident say is only half complete.
Roads are filled with potholes, there is no proper black topping, drainage system and shortage of drinking water still hunts resident especially during monsoon. There is no fuel station and the nearest is 47-kilometres away and electricity is erratic.
Local businesses that moved to the new 2013 say the government promised all the required facility and infrastructure as soon as they moved.
Three years have passed yet people are voicing the same concerns.
A dzongkhag employee Karma said water has been the major issue. “During monsoon, we have to stay without water for two-five days.”
Hotel owner, Pradhan, said that the few customers they get complain of water shortage as they are unaware of the water timings.
A retire government employee Tashi Tobgay said the town need a fuel station. “The road is not good and we have to travel to Dagapela to refuel,” he said
Residents are frustrated of having to store fuel in jerry cans or travel up to 47 km to fuel their vehicles in Dagapela.
A corporate employee, Passang said the road is bad because they started blacktopping at the beginning of the monsoon. Shopkeeper said they have to clean their area at least 10 times a day because of the dust.
Dagana Dzongdag Phintsho Choeden who joined office at the end of June said the town had been experiencing water shortage for many years. But she said that it has improved a lot in the last couple of months. The dzongdag had personally visited the source of the water.
The Dzongdag said people demand clean water connectivity 24/7 without understanding the geographical issues like landslide, falling boulders, poor weather condition and road condition.
“It’s also a shared responsibility and the people and dzongkhag should work out on the issue,” she said. On the fuel depot, she said the private sector should find a location and come forward with proposal instead of waiting for the government to start one.
Municipal Engineer Mani Kumar said that alternatives to solve water issue in the past were sought but failed. The rationing of water is working fine, but will be looked into if resident have problems, he said.
Mani Kumar also said that a contract has been signed with the contractor and work will resume after the monsoon. Works includes blacktopping of roads, parking space, construction of market shed and drainage system. “Our dzongkhag is one of least developed dzongkhag but soon it going to change,” he said. “We have two water reservoirs that was built with ADB assistance.”
Another resident Tashi said it is high time the municipal provided them basic infrastructure like water, internal road blacktopping and proper drainage system as they could lose tenants.
He added that Dagana town doesn’t look like a town as they hardly see customers visiting the shops. Tashi also said that to attract customers the town itself should look attractive.
Dagana dzongkhag is one of the poorest dzongkhags with high levels of poverty incidence, unemployment and low general literacy. The 2010 GNH Index reports Dagana to be in high happiness category with a value of 0.783.
Access to the dzongkhag is through the Dagana-Tsirang highway, which is often closed during the monsoons cutting-off the Dzongkhag from the rest of the country. Agriculture farming is the main source of income for majority of the population.