Disinfectant pond discomfort

24 July 2009

Disinfectant at the Phuentsholing gate forms a deep pond

The potholes created by a pool of bird flu disinfectant at the Phuentsholing border gate have created a veritable nightmare for motorists with vehicles stumbling hard on the road or getting bogged down in the muddy pool.
Beginning this year, the government started disinfecting vehicles and people to prevent the bird flu virus from being carried into the country. One such facility was created at the Phuentsholing gate that became operational at the end of March.
The water collected from the automatic sprayer on the vehicle tire-dip-pond has now become too muddy for easy passage for most vehicles. The constant movement of vehicles across the muddy stretch has made huge potholes. And when it rains, the pond is inundated with water.
Dinesh, a corporate employee, said riding a motorbike in the rain was difficult. He said no one knew the depth of the pond so there is a risk of falling into the muddy pool.
Every day, the potholes get deeper and bigger. Many a time, smaller cars are seen getting bogged down in the pond and heavy cargo trucks struggling to come out of the pond. That creates a traffic jam.
Officials said there was inconvenience but the disinfectant was installed with the approval from the cabinet. Due to a limited space, the length of the pond was reduced to 6.5 metres.
Residents say, apart from traffic inconvenience, the disinfectant pond poses health risks to passersby.
However, Bhutan Agriculture and Food Regulatory Authority (BAFRA) officials said the water was treated with chlorine and was not harmful to human health.
Over 1000 vehicles move across the gate daily. And thousands of pedestrians use the same gate.
BAFRA said budget for the development of disinfectant area had been approved. When the rains stop, the area would be developed. From the tyre-dip pond, 20 metres of the highway and nine metres of the city road will be concrete. The concrete will prevent potholes formation and the water spread by the vehicle tyres will be collected back in the pond.
According to BAFRA, the disinfectant facility will be removed when India becomes totally bird flu free.

By Rabi C. Dahal

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