Speed breakers and awareness on zebra crossing needed in Kanglung
This is to express my concern over the growing number of pedestrian and vehicles plying in Kanglung. There are paths along the road for the pedestrians. I am thankful to traffic police for monitoring the traffic especially during events like the chancellor’s cup.
The problem is, some drivers are speeding in the absence of traffic police and many more do not adhere to the zebra crossing rules. This is a concern for pedestrians and is becoming extremely dangerous especially for the students. Places with zebra crossing such as Kanglung primary school, Kanglung Shedra, way to Dantak area but most drivers are reluctant to comply with the traffic rules. There are also cases where some students were nearly hit by car.
Many people also have to use the main road to cross especially in the upper market and lower market of Kanglung as the shops are located on either side. If there are speed breakers, it would slower these vehicles and minimize the risk of accident.
It would be helpful if the concerned authorities could come up with speed breakers and create awareness to the drivers to slow their vehicles in these areas.
Uttam Ghalley
Sherubtse College
(Published on June 11, 2018)
What is happening to the country that’s known for happiness?
I am writing this to share my concerns on the recent sexual harassment cases reported in the country.
It is very disappointing to read about rape or sexual harassment story on a daily basis. What is happening? Children as young as a 9-year-old girl to married women are being sexually harassed. It is not even safe for us, for our sisters, or for our mothers to walk around safely.
Yes, authorities concerned are making a great move with such cases but what after that? The women are the ones who are at a loss. They will carry that trauma throughout their lives with some even suffering depression. To such victims, please let them attend counseling programs or any other programs which will let them see the beauty of life again. I know it will be hard to move on but they can still start anew.
Teachers/counselors should give sex education to all the students in respective schools so that they are aware and are able to differentiate between
a good touch and a bad touch.
Phuntsho Choden
Thimphu
(Published June 13, 2018)
Loden Foundation responds to ACC investigation
This is in reference to your articles on 10 May and 12 June 2018 about Anti Corruption Commission’s (ACC) investigation into Loden’s recruitment of our Development Manager.
ACC’s investigation has confirmed the Loden board’s position that there were no corrupt practices, and we have all along accepted administrative lapses in this particular selection and already rectified them. However, the articles you published on 10 May and 12 June citing ACC’s letters and highlighting specific parts, besides containing factual errors, could give a very biased impression to the readers.
For example, the part that the Loden management did not reveal the actual fact of the matter to either the board or ACC and they conveyed a blatant lie to ACC is untrue. The board was fully abreast with the selection process and subsequent proceedings. The letter submitted to ACC as Action Taken Report was drafted by a board member in consultation with other board members, and the mistake in the date of interview occured because all relevant documents and records were with ACC. Another board member corrected the date error during the meeting with ACC. Thus, making a bold pull quote out of an assumption that the management misinformed the board and blatantly lied to ACC is very biased. The Kuensel reporter could have contacted Loden to fact check the content accuracy of ACC’s letter. The Loden board denies that the management committed such wilful wrongdoing and maintains the process had no ethical issues.
The Loden Board
(Published on June 14, 2018)
The stray dog problem, again
On Saturday’s Kuensel, there was an article on a dog eat dog world. I am happy to see the concerns from that the government, the Thromde and Kuensel and for being able to look at the raising cases of dog bites.
I have noticed that sterilized dogs are more aggressive. We have all seen the dogs chasing cars everywhere. I believe that this is because they have been picked up by some cars earlier to take them for sterilization. I have seen the Thromde people catching stray dogs and releasing them.
So, what can be done? Dog bite cases are increasing every day and no one can do anything.It not safe at all to walk around town, especially for those who go for walk and school. The main victims are women, children, and senior citizens.
What are the possibilities of impounding the dogs? There used to be one but it stopped. I think impounding dogs and feeding them well could reduce dog bite cases.
Suren Tamang
Thimphu
(Published on June 15, 2018)
One the new truck parking in Babesa
With reference to the Kuensel report of June 8, 2018 regarding the “New parking (space) in Babesa to accommodate about 100 trucks,” I would like to provide the following feedback:
- As a resident of Babesa, I read the article with some curiosity. It reported that the Thromde issued notification to park trucks in the new parking area. It further mentioned that “some people are still parking on the previous truck parking.” Well, the fact of the matter is, not a single truck has used the newly established parking space since it was completed several months ago. It further reported that the Thromde was “seeking the help of the police to create awareness among truckers to park their trucks at the new parking space.” Apparently, awareness creation
doesn’t seem to have happened. Having invested substantial resources in the construction of the park, it is quite sad to see the park remaining inoperative and almost redundant. Of course, it has become a favourite haven for learner- drivers but that was not the objective of investing scare resource. Thromde has taken so much time, energy and resources to construct such a standard park. Perhaps, Thromde should go beyond issuing a notification to launch the park – and leaving it to some other authorities to enforce the regulation. Maybe, a formal means of launching the park by way of a ceremonial initiation, and then educating truckers on the importance of using the newly created parking space, I believe, would be helpful. Gathering from the streets, there is some level of confusion and lack of understanding among the truckers. Most truckers at Changzamtok have not seen the notification; neither has anyone directed them to move to the newly created truck park at Babesa. Some truckers have even heard that the new truck parking space is to be used for setting up a warehouse for the ongoing sewerage treatment plant construction at Babesa. What, where and who to believe? Can the parking space really accommodate 100 trucks? - The other issue to be raised is that there is a slight technical problem in the design of the new park. The truck park is constructed besides the Wangchu river but the gradient maintained is towards the opposite side of the river where several residential colonies are mushrooming. During a shower, water from the parking space drains down to the motor road with limited drainage network. One can well imagine that during monsoon, we are in for creating another river on the road. A straightforward understanding of a layman is that if the gradient of the park was designed towards the river, the water could simply drain down to the river. But again, designing and planning are the jobs of architects and engineers!
Samdrup
Babesa
(Published on June 16, 2018)