The residents of Pelrithang Khamaed in Gelegphu are happy with the opening of the new Shetikhari bridge to traffic recently. They now no longer have to worry about flooding this monsoon.
The 52-metre long bridge was constructed at a cost of Nu.14.5 M. The bridge is four kilometres away from the Gelegphu town towards Zhemgang.
Every monsoon, debris from the swollen Shetikhari stream would block the bridge, causing the stream to divert its course and flood Pelrithang Khamaed, which is located below the Gelegphu- Zhemgang highway.
The Department of Roads (DoR) has dismantled the old bridge and constructed the new one.
“The height of the previous bridge was low and that is why during monsoon, it got blocked and caused flooding in our village. But now with the new bridge and a gabion wall, too, it did not affect us this time,” Deveicharan, one of the residents, said.
“With the new bridge, this time there was no flooding,” Devimaya Dawlari, another resident, said.
The bridge has not only benefited the residents but also the motorists.
“Earlier, during monsoon, frequent roadblocks would occur in the area. But now with the new bridge, this is not a concern,” Damcho, a resident, said.
“During heavy rainfall, it was difficult to travel via this road. It has now become convenient with the bridge,” Tshering, a taxi driver, said.
