༉ འབྲུག་འཛམ་གླིང་གྲོས་གནས་དུས་སྐལ་ལེའུ་ཚན་དེ་ ཁ་ཙ་ རྒྱལ་སྤྱི་ན་གཞོན་གྱི་ཉིནམ་ལུ་ འགོ་འབྱེད་འབད་ཡོདཔ་ད་ དེ་ཡང་ འཛམ་གླིང་དུས་སྐལ་ལེའུ་ཚན་༡༤ པའི་ རྒྱལ་ཁབ་ཀྱི་འཛུལ་སྒོའི་ དོན་ཚན་ལུ་དམིགས་ཏེ་ཨིན་པས།
སྤྱི་ཟླ་༥ པའི་ནང་ འབྲུག་ཚོང་འབྲེལ་དང་མ་རྩ་གྲོས་གནས་ཀྱི་སྐབས་ལུ་ འགོ་འབྱེད་འབད་བའི་ཁར་ ལེའུ་ཚན་དེ་ རྒྱལ་ཁབ་ནང་ལས་ དང་འདོད་ཅན་གྱི་ སོ་ནམ་དང་འབྲེལ་བའི་ བཟའ་སྤྱོད་སྡེ་ཚན་ནང་ ལེགས་སྒྱུར་འབད་ཐབས་དང་ འགོ་ཁྲིད་ཅན་གྱི་ ན་གཞོན་རང་རྐྱང་ཡོངས་འབྲེལ་དོན་ལུ་ཨིནམ་བཞིན་དུ་ དུས་སྐལ་ལེའུ་ཚན་དེ་ནང་ ཆ་ཤས་ཅན་གྱི་ ན་གཞོན་༡༠༠ ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
ཉིནམ་གཉིས་ཀྱི་ལས་རིམ་དེ་ སོ་ནམ་དང་ སྒོ་ནོར་ལྷན་ཁག་གིས་ འཛམ་གླིང་སྤྱི་ཚོགས་བཟའ་སྤྱོད་དང་ སོ་ནམ་ལས་ཚོགས་དང་གཅིག་ཁར་ མཉམ་འབྲེལ་ཐོག་ལས་ འགོ་འདྲེན་འཐབ་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
མཁས་ཚོགས་ཀྱི་ ཞལའཛོམས་དེ་ ཁ་ཙ་མཇུག་བསྡུད་ཡོདཔ་ད་ དེ་ཁར་ རྫོང་ཁག་༡༨ ལས་ ན་གཞོན་༢༠༠ ལྷགཔ་ཅིག་གིས་ བཅའ་མར་གཏོགས་པའི་ཁར་ ལྷན་ཁག་གི་འགོ་དཔོན་དང་ འཛམ་གླིང་སྤྱི་ཚོགས་ཀྱི་ལས་ཚབ་ དེ་ལས་ ས་གནས་ཀྱི་ཚོང་འབྲེལ་བ་ཚུ་གིས་ བཅའ་མར་གཏོགས་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
དུས་སྟོན་དེ་ཁར་ ན་གཞོན་ཚུ་ལུ་ སྲིད་འཆར་གོང་འཕེལ་ལས་རིམ་དང་ རིག་རྩལ་རྒྱ་སྐྱེད་ སོ་ནམ་བཟའ་སྤྱོད་སྡེ་ཚན་ནང་ ཁྱད་འཕགས་ཅན་གྱི་ཚོང་འབྲེལ་གྱི་སྐོར་ལས་ གསལ་སྟོན་འབད་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
ཞལ་འཛོམས་སྐབས་ལུ་ ཇ་པཱན་ཀ་ན་ཛ་ཝ་འཕྲུལ་རིག་གཙུག་ལག་དང་ འབྲུག་བཟའ་སྤྱོད་དང་ སོ་ནམ་ལས་ཚོགས་ དེ་ལས་ འབྲུག་འཛམ་གླིང་གྲོས་གནས་དུས་སྐལ་ལེའུ་ཚན་ཚུ་ མཉམ་འབྲེལ་ཐོག་ལས་ བཟོ་བཀོད་འབད་མི་ འབྲུག་གི་སྣ་མང་ཡུན་བརྟན་གོང་འཕེལ་དམིགས་ཡུལ་ཚུ་ ངོ་སྤྲོད་འབད་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
གྲོས་བསྡུར་གྱི་སྐབས་ལུ་ དོན་ཚན་གཙོ་བོ་བཞི་གི་ཐོག་ལུ་ ན་གཞོན་ལག་ལེན་དང་ ཁྱད་འཕགས་ཅན་གྱི་ རྫས་དཔྱད་ཁང་ ཤེས་ཡོན་ དེ་ལས་ ལམ་སྲོལ་ཚུ་སོར་སྒྱུར་འབད་དགོ་པའི་ གྲོས་བསྟུན་འབད་བའི་ཁར་ གཞན་ཡང་ ཚོང་འབྲེལ་གྱི་སྒོ་ལས་ སོ་ནམ་བཟའ་སྤྱོད་ལམ་ལུགས་ལེགས་སྒྱུར་ མི་སྡེའི་གནས་སྟངས་ནང་ ཨང་གནས་ཅན་གྱི་ཐབས་བྱུས་ དེ་ལས་ གཞུང་གིས་ ན་གཞོན་ཚུ་ལུ་ ཚོང་འབྲེལ་ནང་རྒྱབ་སྐྱོར་འབད་ནི་ཚུ་གི་སྐོར་ལས་ གྲོས་བསྡུར་ཞིབ་པར་འབད་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
དོན་ཚན་དེ་གི་ཐོག་ལུ་ དྲན་ཤེས་བཏོན་དགོ་མི་དང་ སེམས་ཁམས་འཕྲོད་སྦྱོར་ ན་གཞོན་འགོ་ཁྲིད་སོ་ནམ་བཟའ་སྤྱོད་ལམ་ལུགས་ ལེགས་སྒྱུར་ཚུ་གི་ སྐོར་ལས་ཡང་ གྲོས་བསྡུར་ཚུ་ ཁ་ཙ་ འབད་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
སོ་ནམ་དང་ སྒོ་ནོར་ལྷན་ཁག་གི་བློན་པོ་ ཡོན་ཏན་ཕུན་ཚོགས་ཀྱིས་ བཤད་མིའི་ནང་ འཆར་གཞི་༡༣ པའི་ནང་ སྤྱི་ལོ་༢༠༢༩ འི་ནང་འཁོད་ལུ་ དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ཐེར་འབུམ་༥༠ བཟོ་ནིའི་དམིགས་ཡུལ་ཡོདཔ་ད་ དེ་ཚུ་ ན་གཞོན་སོ་ནམ་ཚོང་འབྲེལ་ལུ་ གོ་སྐབས་བྱིན་ཏེ་ ཡོད་ཟེར་ཨིནམ་ད་ ན་གཞོན་ཚུ་གིས་ ཚོང་འབྲེལ་ཚུ་ ལེགས་ཤོམ་སྦེ་ཐབས་ཏེ་ གལ་སྲིད་ གཞུང་ལས་ གྲོགས་རམ་དགོཔ་ཡོད་དེ་འབད་རུང་ ལེན་དགོ་ཟེར་ཨིན་པས།
འབྲུག་དང་ནེ་པཱལ་གྱི་བཟའ་སྤྱོད་དང་ སོ་ནམ་ལས་ཚོགས་ཀྱི་འཐུས་མི་ ཀེན་ཤི་མི་ཛུ་གིས་ བཤད་མིའི་ནང་ ན་གཞོན་འགོ་ཁྲིད་ལེའུ་ཚན་གྱི་ཐོག་ལས་ གོ་སྐབས་ལེན་ཏེ་ ཕྱིའི་མ་དངུལ་ཚུ་ སོ་ནམ་བཟའ་སྤྱོད་སྡེ་ཚན་ནང་ ལག་ལེན་འཐབ་ནི་ལུ་ རྩ་འགེངས་དགོ་ཟེར་ཨིན་པས།
སྤྱི་ལོ་༢༠༢༤ ལས་༢༠༢༨ ཀྱི་ནང་འཁོད་ལུ་ འབྲུག་སོ་ནམ་བཟའ་སྤྱོད་སྡེ་ཚན་ནང་ ཡུ་ཨེས་ཌི་ས་ཡ་༨༣ བཙུགས་ནིའི་འཆར་གཞི་ཡོདཔ་ད་ ད་ལྟོ་འབད་བ་ཅིན་ ཚོད་རྩིས་ཐོག་ལུ་ ཡུ་ཨེས་ཌི་ས་ཡ་༡༦ འབད་མི་གུ་ལུ་ ཐེབས་ ཡུ་ཨེས་ཌི་ས་ཡ་༤༢ འཆར་གཞི་ནང་ ཚུད་དེ་ཡོད་ཟེར་ཨིན་པས།
ད་ལྟོ་བཟུམ་ཅིག་འབད་བ་ཅིན་ ཡུ་ཨེས་ཌི་ས་ཡ་༢༥ དེ་ གཞི་བཙུགས་འབད་དེ་ཡོད་ཟེར་ ཀེན་ཤི་མི་ཛུ་གིས་ བཤདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
ལས་རིམ་དེ་ནང་ སོ་ནམ་ལས་ཁུངས་དང་ འབྲུག་བཟའ་སྤྱོད་སོ་ནམ་ལས་ཚོགས་ འཛམ་གླིང་བཟའ་སྤྱོད་ལས་རིམ་ ཤེས་རིག་དང་རིག་རྩལ་གོང་འཕེལ་ལྷན་ཁག་ དེ་ལས་ གསོ་བ་ལྷན་ཁག་ཚུ་ གཙོ་རིམ་ཅན་གྱི་ཐོག་ལུ་ ལཱ་འབད་ནི་ཨིན་པའི་གནས་ཚུལ།
ཚེ་རིང་དབང་འདུས།

༉ འབྲུག་བཟོ་གྲྭ་ཚོགས་སྡེ་གིས་ ནུས་ཤུགས་དང་རང་བཞིན་ཐོན་སྐྱེད་ལྷན་ཁག་ལུ་ ཅཱར་ཀཱོལ་ཟེར་ སོལ་མོ་དང་ སྤག་ཤིང་ནང་འདྲེན་དང་ ཕྱིར་ཚོང་གི་འཐུས་དང་ ནགས་ཚལ་གི་ཤིང་ཆས་(སྤག་ཤིང་ཅིབསི་) མིན་པའི་ ཞབས་ཏོག་གི་འཐུས་ཚུ་ ཡངས་ཆག་གཏང་དགོ་པའི་ ཞུ་བ་འབད་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
དེ་ཡང་ ནུས་ཤུགས་དང་ རང་བཞིན་ཐོན་སྐྱེད་ལྷན་ཁག་འོག་གི་ ནགས་ཚལ་དང་ གླིང་ཁ་ཞབས་ཏོག་གིས་ ཐོན་སྐྱེད་དེ་ཚུ་ལུ་ འཐུས་ལེན་མི་ལུ་བརྟེན་ ཚོགས་སྡེ་གིས་ ལྷན་ཁག་ལུ་ སྤྱི་ཟླ་༤ པའི་ཚེས་༢༤ ལུ་ ཞུ་བ་འབད་ནུག།
འཐུས་ཚུ་ཡང་ ནགས་ཚལ་དང་ རང་བཞིན་ཉམས་སྲུང་བཅའ་ཡིག་དང་ སྒྲིག་གཞི་༢༠༢༣ ཅན་མའི་ནང་ བཀོད་དེ་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
བཅའ་ཡིག་ནང་ ལྷན་ཁག་ལུ་ དུས་མཚམས་བསྐྱར་ཞིབ་ཐོག་ མི་མང་ཞབས་ཏོག་དང་ བདག་སྐྱོང་གི་འཐུས་སྦེ་ འཐུས་བསྡུ་ལེན་ཆོགཔ་སྦེ་ཡོདཔ་ད་ འཐུས་གསརཔ་དེ་ཡང་ སོལ་མོ་ཊཱོན་རེ་ལུ་ དངུལ་ཀྲམ་༢༠ དང་ ནགས་ཚལ་ཐོན་སྐྱེད་མིན་པའི་ སྤག་ཤིང་ཅིབསི་ ཀེ་ཇི་རེ་ལུ་ དངུལ་ཀྲམ་༥ སྦེ་ བཟོ་སྟེ་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
འབྲུག་བཟོ་གྲྭ་ཚོགས་སྡེའི་ ཡོངས་ཁྱབ་དྲུང་ཆེན་ པདྨ་རྣམ་རྒྱལ་ག་ལེ་གིས་ སླབ་མིའི་ནང་ སོལ་མོ་དང་ སྤག་ཤིང་ཅིབསི་ཚུ་ དམིགས་བསལ་དུ་ ཕེ་རོ་ཨེ་ལོ་ཡནསི་ཐོན་སྐྱེད་འབད་ནིའི་དོན་ལུ་ དགོས་མཁོ་ཅན་གྱི་ རྒྱུ་ཆས་ཅིག་ཨིན་ཟེར་ཨིན་པས།
རྒྱུ་ཆས་དེ་ཚུ་ཡང་ བཙའ་ཐལ་མར་ཕབ་དང་ ཐོན་སྐྱེད་བྱ་སྒོ་ནང་ པོ་རོ་སི་ཊི་ལྷན་ཐབས་འབད་ནི་ལུ་ མེད་ཐབས་མེདཔ་ཅིག་ཨིན་ཟེར་ པདྨ་རྣམ་རྒྱལ་ག་ལེ་གིས་ བཤདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
ཁོ་གིས་འབད་བ་ཅིན་ ནང་འདྲེན་ལུ་ འཐུས་བསྡུ་ལེན་ འགོ་བཙུགས་མི་གིས་ བཟོ་གྲྭ་ཁང་ཚུ་ནང་ ཐོ་ཕོག་པའི་ཁར་ ཚོང་ལམ་ནང་ཡང་ དོ་འགྲན་འབད་ནི་ལུ་ དཀའ་ངལ་བྱུང་སྟེ་ ཡོད་ཟེར་ཨིན་པས།
འཐུས་བསྡུ་ལེན་འབད་ནི་གི་ ལམ་ལུགས་གསརཔ་གིས་ སེམས་ཤུགས་མཐུན་རྐྱེན་བཅའ་ཁྲིམས་༢༠༢༡ དང་ཡང་ འགལ་བ་ཡོདཔ་བཞིན་དུ་ དེ་ནང་ བཟོ་གྲྭ་ཁང་ཚུ་ ལག་ལེན་འཐབ་མི་ རྒྱུ་ཆས་ཚུ་ནང་ བཙོང་ཁྲལ་དང་ ཅ་དམ་ཁྲལ་ཚུ་ ཡངས་ཆག་བཏང་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
བཅའ་ཡིག་གི་དོན་ཚན་༥༡ དང་འཁྲིལ་བ་ཅིན་ བཟོ་བཏོན་ལས་སྡེའི་དོན་ལས་ འཕྲུལ་ཁང་དང་ འཕྲུལ་ཆས་ རང་བཞིན་རྒྱུ་ཆས་ སྒམ་རྐྱབ་ཅ་ཆས་ བདག་དབང་ཅན་གྱི་ རང་བཞིན་རྒྱུ་ཆ་ (རྫས་སྦྱོར་ ཡང་ཅིན་ ཐབས་གཞི་) ལུ་ བཙོང་ཁྲལ་དང་ ཅ་དམ་ཁྲལ་ཚུ་ དགོངས་ཡངས་ཨིན་ཟེར་ཨིན་པས།
ཚོགས་སྡེ་གིས་ བཟོ་གྲྭ་ཚོང་འབྲེལ་དང་ ལཱ་གཡོག་ལྷན་ཁག་ལུ་ཡང་ ཁ་སྐོང་འཐུས་ བཏབ་དགོཔ་བྱུང་མི་གིས་ བཟོ་གྲྭ་ཁང་ཚུ་ལུ་ དཀའ་ངལ་དང་ ཚོང་ལམ་ནང་ གདོང་ལེན་བྱུང་འོང་ཟེར་ ཞུ་བ་འབད་ནུག།
དེ་མ་ཚད་ བཟོ་གྲྭ་ལུ་བརྟེན་ དཔལ་འབྱོར་ཡར་དྲག་གཏང་ནིའི་ དམིགས་ཡུལ་ལུ་ཡང་ འབྱེམ་ཕོག་ནི་དང་ ནང་འཁོད་ཐོན་སྐྱེད་ཡོངས་འབོར་ལུ་ ལྷན་ཐབས་འབད་ནི་ལུ་ཡང་ ལཱ་ཁག་བཏང་འོང་ཟེར་ཨིན་པས།
བཟོ་གྲྭ་ཚོང་འབྲེལ་དང་ ལཱ་གཡོག་ལྷན་ཁག་གི་ དྲུང་ཆེན་གྱིས་ ནུས་ཤུགས་དང་ རང་བཞིན་ཐོན་སྐྱེད་ལྷན་ཁག་ལུ་ ནང་འདྲེན་འཐུས་བསྐྱར་ཞིབ་དང་ བཟོ་གྲྭ་ཁང་ཚུ་གིས་ ཐོན་སྐྱེད་ཡུན་བརྟན་མ་འགྲུབ་ཚུན་ དགོངས་ཡངས་དགོ་པའི་ ཞུ་བ་ཅིག་ ཡིག་ཐོག་ལུ་ ཕུལ་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
ནུས་ཤུགས་དང་ རང་བཞིན་ཐོན་སྐྱེད་ལྷན་ཁག་གི་དྲུང་ཆེན་ ཀརྨ་ཚེ་རིང་གིས་ སླབ་མིའི་ནང་ ནང་འདྲེན་འཐུས་ བསྐྱར་ཞིབ་འབད་བའི་བསྒང་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་རུང་ ལྷན་ཁག་གི་ གནས་སྐབས་ཅིག་གི་དོན་ལུ་ གོང་ཚད་ཚུ་ བསྐྱར་ཞིབ་འབད་དེ་ སོལ་མོ་ཊཱོན་རེ་ལུ་ དངུལ་ཀྲམ་༢༠ དང་ ནགས་ཚལ་ཐོན་སྐྱེད་མིན་པའི་ སྤག་ཤིང་ཅིབསི་ ཀེ་ཇི་རེ་ལུ་ དངུལ་ཀྲམ་༥ རེ་སྦེ་ བཟོ་སྟེ་ཡོད་ཟེར་ཨིན་པས།
དེ་བཟུམ་སྦེ་ ཕྱིར་ཚོང་གོང་ཚད་དེ་ སྤྱི་ཟླ་༧ པའི་ ཟླ་མཇུག་ལུ་ ཊཱོན་རེ་ལུ་ དངུལ་ཀྲམ་༤༠ རེ་སྦེ་ བསྐྱར་ཞིབ་འབད་ཡོདཔ་བཞིན་དུ་ བཅའ་ཡིག་དེ་ འཕྲི་སྣོན་མ་འབད་ཚུན་ ལག་ལེན་འཐབ་ནི་ཨིན་པས།
ཀརྨ་ཚེ་རིང་གིས་ སླབ་མིའི་ནང་ ནགས་ཚལ་གཙོ་འཛིན་ག་ར་ལུ་ བཀའ་རྒྱ་གསརཔ་དང་འཁྲིལ་ཏེ་ དང་ལེན་འབད་དགོཔ་སྦེ་ སླབ་སྟེ་ཡོད་ཟེར་ཨིན་པས།
འབྲུག་གིས་ སྤྱི་ལོ་༢༠༢༣ ལུ་ སྤག་ཤིང་ཅིབསི་ ཊཱོན་༡༢,༩༩༨ དང་ སོལ་མོ་ཊཱོན་༡༠༧,༢༤༧.༥༤ ནང་འདྲེན་འཐབ་ ཡོད་པའི་གནས་ཚུལ།
ཨོ་རྒྱན་རྡོ་རྗེ།

༉ ད་རེས་ནངས་པར་ གནམ་བྱཱར་གྱི་ དུས་ཚོད་ཅིག་འབད་ནི་དེ་གིས་ ག་ར་སེམས་དྲན་སྟོན་ཐོག་ལུ་ སྡོད་དགོ་པའི་ཁར་ གལ་སྲིད་ སྟབས་བདེ་སྡུག་རེ་བྱུང་པ་ཅིན་ དེ་གིས་ ངོ་རྐྱང་དང་ རྒྱལ་ཁབ་གཉིས་ཆ་ར་ལུ་ གྱོང་རྒུད་སྦོམ་ར་ བཀལཝ་ཨིན་མས།
དེ་འབད་ནི་དེ་གིས་ གཞུང་དང་ འབྲེལ་ཡོད་དབང་འཛིན་ཚུ་གིས་ དུས་དང་དུས་སུ་ དྲན་གསལ་ཚུ་ འབད་དང་འབད་བཞིན་པ་འབད་རུང་ རང་བཞིན་གྱི་རྐྱེན་ངན་དེ་ མངོན་ཤེས་འབད་མ་ཚུགས་པའི་ རྐྱེན་ཆ་ཅིག་འབད་ནི་དེ་གིས་ ཉམས་རྒུད་བྱུང་དོ་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན།
གནམ་བྱཱར་ས་གནས་ཐདམ་ཐད་ཁ་ལས་ཕར་ ཆརཔ་མ་ཆད་པར་ རྐྱབ་པའི་བསྒང་ལས་ དེ་གིས་ཕྱོགས་ཅིག་ལས་ མི་སེར་སོ་ནམ་པ་ཚུ་ལུ་ ལོ་ཐོག་ལུ་ ཕན་སྦོམ་སྦེ་ར་ཐོགས་ཏེ་འབད་རུང་ ཕྱོགས་ཅིག་ལས་ ས་རུད་དང་ ཆུ་རུད་ལུ་བརྟེན་ རྒྱལ་ཁབ་ཀྱི་གནས་སྟངས་དེ་ སྐྱོ་དྲག་ཅིག་ལུ་བཟོ་ནི་དེ་ རང་བཞིན་ཅིག་ཨིན་མས།
འབྲུག་རྒྱལ་ཁབ་འདི་ གངས་རི་དང་ སའི་ཆགས་ཚུལ་ སྤོག་ཏོ་དང་ ལུང་གཤོང་གིས་ ཁྱབ་པའི་ཁར་ ས་མཚམས་རྡོ་མཚམས་དང་འཁྲིལ་ གཙང་ཆུ་དང་ རོང་ཆུ་ ཨོམ་ཆུ་ སྐྱེས་ཆུ་ དེ་ལས་ ལ་ཁ་མཐོ་ས་ཚུ་ནང་ལས་ཕར་ མཚོའི་རིགས་ ཆེ་ཆུང་མ་འདྲཝ་ཚུ་ སྔོན་དང་ཕུ་ལས་ ཆགས་ཏེ་འདུག།
ང་བཅས་རའི་ སྔར་སྲོལ་ལམ་ལུགས་དང་ འཇིག་རྟེན་པའི་ལུགས་སྲོལ་ལས་འབད་རུང་ ཆར་ཆུ་དུས་སུ་བབས་ ལོ་ཕྱུགས་རྟག་ཏུ་ལེགས་ ནད་ཡམས་མུ་གེ་ཚུ་ཞི་སྟེ་ དགའ་སྐྱིད་ཀྱི་དཔལ་ལུ་ ལོང་སྤྱོད་ཚུགས་པའི་ རེ་བ་དང་སྨོན་ལམ་ཚུ་ ཡང་ལས་ཡང་དུ་བཏབ་སྟེ་ར་ སྡོད་དོ་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན།
རྒྱལ་ཁབ་དེ་ ཆགས་པའི་ནམ་དུས་ལས་ར་ ས་ལུ་སའི་ལྷམོ་དང་ རྡོ་ལུ་རྡོའི་གནས་བདག་ ཤིང་ལུ་ཤིང་གི་བདག་པོ་ བྱག་ལུ་བྲག་བཙན་ཟེར་ སྔོན་དང་ཕུ་ལས་ རང་སོའི་གཡུས་ཕྱོགས་དང་བསྟུན་ ལྷ་གསོལ་བོན་གསོལ་གྱིས་ དར་ཁྱབ་སོང་སྟེ་ ཡོད་པའི་གུ་ དམིགས་བསལ་གྱི་ གལ་སྲིད་ གཡུས་ཕྱོགས་ཅིག་ནང་ རྐྱེན་ངན་གྱི་ བྱ་སྟབས་མ་བདེཝ་རེ་ཐོན་རུང་ དེ་འཕྲོ་ལས་ ཡུལ་ཕྱོགས་འདི་ནང་གི་ སྐྱེས་བཙན་ཚུ་ ཁྲོས་ཁྲོསཔ་འོང་ནི་མས་ཟེར་བའི་ ཚ་གྱང་དང་ བརྩི་བཀུར་ཚུ་ སྦོམ་ར་བསྐྱེད་དེ་སྡོད་ནུག། ཨིན་རུང་ རྒྱལ་ཁབ་དང་ འཛམ་གླིང་གི་གྱུར་བ་ དེ་ལས་ གོང་འཕེལ་གྱི་ལས་སྣ་ ཚན་རིག་གི་འཕེལ་ཤུགས་ཚུ་ རིམ་པ་བཞིན་དུ་ ཐོན་འོང་བའི་བསྒང་ལས་ སྔར་སྲོལ་གྱི་ལམ་སྲོལ་ཚུ་ དུམ་གྲ་ཅིག་ ངམ་ངམ་ཤུགས་ཀྱིས་ རྒྱབ་ཁར་ལུས་ནི་དང་ དེང་སང་གི་ ཚན་རིག་ལུ་ཤུགས་ཐོན་སུ་འགྱོཝ་ད་ དེ་གིས་ཡང་ དུམ་གྲ་རེ་ བར་ཆད་རྐྱབ་སྲིད་ནི་མས།
འཛམ་གླིང་གཅིག་གྱུར་དང་བསྟུན་ གོང་འཕེལ་གྱི་ལས་སྣ་ཚུ་ གོམ་པ་མདུན་ཕྱོགས་ལུ་ སྤོ་དགོཔ་འདྲཝ་འབད་བ་ཅིན་ དེང་སང་གི་ ཚན་རིག་དང་ ལམ་སྟོན་ཚུ་ལུ་ གཞི་འཛིན་མ་འབད་བ་ཅིན་ དེ་གིས་ཡང་ ཐོ་ཕོག་ནི་ཨིནམ་ལས་ སྔར་སྲོལ་དང་ དེང་སང་གི་ལམ་སྲོལ་གཉིས་ སྟབས་གཅིག་ཁར་ མིག་ཏོ་གཡས་གཡོན་མེད་པར་ འདྲེས་མར་སྦེ་ ཐབས་ཤེས་ཟུང་འཇུག་གི་ཐོག་ལུ་ འབད་དགོཔ་གལ་ཆེ་བས།
དེ་འབད་ནི་དེ་གིས་ དེང་སང་གོང་འཕེལ་གྱི་ ལས་སྣ་ཚུ་ མང་སུ་མང་སུ་ བགོ་བཀྲམ་འབད་དེ་འབདཝ་ད་ ས་བསལ་རྡོ་བསལ་གྱི་ ལཱ་འབད་དགོཔ་མང་སུ་ ཐོན་དོ་ཡོད་མི་དང་འབྲེལ་ ས་འདི་ལུ་གནས་པའི་ གནས་བདག་གཞི་བདག་ཚུ་ཡང་ དུམ་གྲ་ཅིག་ ཐུགས་དང་མ་བདེན་པའི་ གཞི་གནས་ལུ་འགྱུར་ནི་ཨིནམ་ལས་ གནས་བདག་གཞི་བདག་ལུ་ གསོལ་མཆོད་ཚུ་ རྒྱུན་མ་ཆད་པར་ཕུལ་དགོཔ་འདུག།
འདས་པའི་རེས་གཟའ་ཉིམ་ལུ་ ཉིན་མའི་ཆུ་ཚོད་ཕྱེད་དང་༣ དེ་ཅིག་ཁར་ ཐིམ་ཕུག་གི་ལུང་གཤོང་ནང་ ཆརཔ་ཤུགས་སྦེ་རྐྱབ་མི་གིས་ ས་གནས་བདེ་ཆེན་ཆོས་གླིང་གི་ སྡོད་སྒར་ལུ་ བར་ཆད་སྦོམ་སྦེ་ར་ རྐྱབ་མི་གིས་ རྒྱལ་བློན་འབངས་གསུམ་ག་ར་ལུ་ ཚ་གྱང་སྦོམ་ར་ ལང་དགོཔ་བྱུང་ཡི།
ས་གནས་བདེ་ཆེན་ཕུག་ལས་ རོང་ཆུ་བྲེས་མི་གིས་ དུས་ཡུན་དག་པ་ཅིག་གི་ ནང་འཁོད་ལུ་ གནོད་སྐྱོན་སྦོམ་རྐྱབ་མི་དེ་ ལོ་བཅུ་ཕྲག་ལས་བཅད་དེ་ ད་རེས་ཀྱི་རྐྱེན་ངན་དེ་ འགོ་དང་པ་ཨིན་མས།
ཚན་རིག་གི་ཁ་ཐུག་ལས་ འབད་བ་ཅིན་ རྐྱེན་ངན་དེ་ ཆར་ཤུགས་ལུ་བརྟེན་ བྱུང་བྱུངམ་ཨིནམ་སྦེ་ གསལ་སྟོན་འབད་རུང་ རང་ལུགས་ཐོག་ལས་ འབད་བ་ཅིན་ ས་གནས་ཀྱི་ གནས་བདག་གཞི་བདག་དང་ ཆུ་ལུ་གནས་པའི་མཚོ་སྨན་ཚུ་ ཐུགས་དང་བ་བདེན་པའི་སྐབས་སུ་ འདི་བཟུམ་གྱི་ རྐྱེན་ཆ་བྱུང་དོ་ཡོདཔ་སྦེ་ སླབ་སྲོལ་ཡོད། དེ་འབདཝ་ལས་ ཚན་རིག་ལུ་ ཆ་གནས་འབད་དགོཔ་ཨིན་རུང་ སྔར་སྲོལ་གྱི་ བརྩི་ལུགས་དེ་ལུ་ཡང་ བག་གཡེང་མ་ཤོར་བར་ ངོས་བཟུང་འབད་ཚུགས་པ་ཅིན་ མ་འོངས་པའི་ནང་ ཕན་ཚུན་གྱི་གཅིག་སྒྲིལ་ཐོག་ལས་ རྐྱེན་ངན་ལྡོག་ཚུགས་པའི་ ཁྱད་པར་ཡང་ འབྱུང་སྲིད་ནི་མས།

༉ རྒྱ་གར་དང་ འབྲུག་གི་བར་ན་ མེ་ག་ཝཊ་༡༠༢༠ འབད་མི་ སྤུ་ན་གཙང་ཆུ་གློག་མེ་ལས་འགུལ་༢ པ་དེ་ སྤྱི་ལོ་༢༠༡༠ ཟླ་༤ པའི་ཚེས་༣༠ ལུ་ གན་ཡིག་གུ་ མཚན་རྟགས་བཀོད་པའི་ཤུལ་ལུ་ ལོ་༡༣ གྱི་རྒྱབ་ལས་ གྲུབ་འབྲས་མཐར་འཁྱོལ་བྱུང་མི་དེ་ཡང་ འཕྲུལ་ཨམ་༦ ཡོད་མི་ལས་ འཕྲུལ་ཨམ་གཉིས་ལེགས་ཤོམ་སྦེ་ ལག་ལེན་འཐབ་ནི་ འགོ་བཙུགས་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
འདི་བཟུམ་གྱི་ ལག་ལེན་འགོ་བཙུགས་མི་གིས་ རྒྱལ་ཁབ་ནང་ གློག་མེ་ལས་འགུལ་སྦོམ་ཤོས་ཨིན་མི་དེ་ འགོ་བཙུགས་པའི་ བརྡ་མཚོན་བཟང་པོ་ བཏོན་དོ་ཡོདཔ་ད་ ལས་འགུལ་གོ་རིམ་གཉིས་པའི་ནང་ འབད་བ་ཅིན་ བསྒྱིར་འཕྲུལ་ཨམ་ཊར་བཱ་ཡེན་དེ་ གློག་མེ་དང་ རྒྱུན་འབྲེལ་རིམ་ལུགས་ཐོག་ལུ་ ལཱ་འབད་ནི་འགོ་བཙུགསཔ་ད་འབྲེལ་ གློག་མེ་ནུས་ཤུགས་ཐོན་སྐྱེད་འབད་ནི་ཨིན་ཟེར་ཨིན་པས།
ནུས་ཤུགས་དང་ རང་བཞིན་སླར་འབྱུང་བློན་པོ་ མགོནམོ་ཚེ་རིང་གིས་ འགོ་འབྱེད་རྟེན་འབྲེལ་ནང་ གྲལ་གཏོགས་གནང་པའི་ཁར་ རྒྱ་གར་དང་ འབྲུག་གི་བར་ན་ མཉམ་འབྲེལ་གྱི་ ལས་འགུལ་ལཱ་ སྦོམ་ཤོས་འབད་མི་དེ་ མཇུག་བསྡུ་ཚུགས་མི་ལུ་བརྟེན་ དོན་ཚན་གསརཔ་ཅིག་འགོ་བཙུགསཔ་ཨིན་ཟེར་ རྟེན་འབྲེལ་གྱི་སྐབས་ལུ་ གསལ་བཤད་འབད་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
བློན་པོ་གིས་ བཤད་མིའི་ནང་ འཆར་སྣང་སྦོམ་སྦེ་ར་ འགོ་བཙུགས་མིའི་ལས་དོན་དེ་ ད་རེས་ དངོས་སུ་ལག་ལེན་འཐབ་ཚུགས་མི་ལུ་ ཕན་ཚུན་མཉམ་འབྲེལ་རྩ་བརྟན་དང་ གཏིང་ཟབ་པར་ཡོད་པའི་ གསལ་སྟོན་འབདཝ་ཨིན་ཟེར་ཨིན་པས།
ད་ལྟོའི་གྲུབ་འབྲས་དེ་གིས་ མཉམ་འབྲེལ་དང་ འཆར་སྣང་བརྗེ་སོར་འབད་མི་ཚུ་ མཐར་འཁྱོལ་བྱུང་ཚུགས་པའི་ གཞན་དང་མ་འདྲ་བའི་ དྲན་སྣང་འབདཝ་མས་ཟེར་ཨིནམ་ད་ གནད་དོན་དེ་གིས་ ང་བཅས་ཀྱི་ཁས་བླངས་འབད་མི་ཚུ་ ཡུན་བརྟན་གོང་འཕེལ་དང་ ནུས་ཤུགས་ཉེན་སྲུང་ དེ་ལས་ ང་བཅས་རྒྱལ་ཡོངས་ལུ་ ཆ་རོགས་དམ་ཟབ་ཡོད་པའི་ དཔེ་སྟོན་འབདཝ་ཨིན་ཟེར་ཨིན་པས།
ལས་འགུལ་དེ་ འགོ་བཙུགས་པའི་སྐབས་ལུ་ སྤྱི་ལོ་༢༠༡༧ ལུ་ མཇུག་བསྡུ་ཚུགས་པའི་ ཚོད་དཔག་འབད་རུང་ སའི་ཆགས་ཚུལ་དང་ ས་རུད་ཆུ་རུད་ ནད་ཡམས་ཀོ་བིཌ་-༡༩ ཆུ་མཛོད་ཁང་གི་ས་ཁོངས་ནང་ བྱ་སྟབས་མ་བདེ་བའི་ གནད་དོན་ལེ་ཤ་ཅིག་ལུ་བརྟེན་ ཕྱིས་ཏེ་ལུས་སོ་ཡི་ཟེར་ཨིན་པས།
འདི་བཟུམ་གྱི་ དཀའ་ངལ་ཁག་ལེ་ཤ་ཅིག་ལུ་བརྟེན་ ལས་འགུལ་དེ་ གདོང་ལེན་བྱུང་སྟེ་འབད་རུང་ ད་རེས་ མཐར་འཁྱོལ་བྱུང་ཚུགས་ཅི་ཟེར་ཨིན་པས།
ནུས་ཤུགས་ལས་ཁུངས་ཀྱི་ བཟོ་རིག་གཙོ་འཛིན་འགོ་དཔོན་ ཨོ་རྒྱན་གྱིས་བཤད་མིའི་ནང་ རྒྱལ་ཁབ་ནང་ གློག་འཕྲུལ་ཨམ་ སྦོམ་ཤོས་ཅིག་ ལག་ལེན་འཐབ་ནི་འགོ་བཙུགས་ཚུགས་མི་གིས་ རྒྱལ་རབས་ནང་ཚུད་པའི་ ལས་དོན་ཅིག་ ཨིན་ཟེར་ཨིནམ་ད་ ད་ལྟོ་ རྒྱལ་ཁབ་ནང་ ལག་ལེན་འཐབ་བཞིན་དུ་ཡོད་པའི་ གློག་འཕྲུལ་ཨམ་ཊར་བཱ་ཡེན་ཚུ་ པཱེལ་ཊོན་ཟེར་མི་ ཆུང་རིམ་ཚུ་ཡོདཔ་སྦེ་ཨིན་པས།
ད་ལྟོ་ མོ་བཏབ་དང་ འགོ་བཙུགས་བཟུམ་ཅིག་སྦེ་ གློག་འཕྲུལ་ཨམ་དེ་ འགོ་བཙུགས་ཡོདཔ་ལས་ གློག་འཕྲུལ་ཨམ་ལྷག་ལུས་ཡོད་མི་ཚུ་ དུས་ཐོག་ལུ་ཚུདཔ་སྦེ་ ཟླཝ་ཤུལ་མམ་ནང་ལས་ ལག་ལེན་འཐབ་ནི་ འགོ་བཙུགས་ནི་ཨིན་ཟེར་ཨིན་པས།
སྤྱི་ཟླ་༡༢ པའི་ནང་ལས་ གློག་འཕྲུལ་ཨམ་ཊར་བ་ཡེན་༦ པོ་ཆ་ར་ལཱ་འབད་ནི་ འགོ་བཙུགསཔ་དང་འབྲེལ་ གློག་རྒྱུན་ནང་ ནུས་ཤུགས་བཏང་ནིའི་ལཱ་ཚུ་ཡང་ འབད་ནི་ཨིན་ཟེར་ཨིན་པས།
བཟོ་རིག་གཙོ་འཛིན་འགོ་དཔོན་གྱིས་ བཤད་མིའི་ནང་ ང་བཅས་ཀྱིས་ གློག་འཕྲུལ་ཨམ་༦ པོ་ཆ་ར་ ལག་ལེན་འཐབ་ནི་ལུ་ བསྒུགས་སྡོད་མ་དགོ་པར་ ལག་ལེན་འགོ་བཙུགས་འབད་མི་ འཕྲུལ་ཨམ་གཉིསཔོ་དེ་ མོ་བཏབ་བརྟག་དཔྱད་འབད་ཞིནམ་ལས་ ནུས་ཤུགས་ཚུ་ གློག་རྒྱུན་ནང་བཏང་ཐོག་ལས་ ལཱ་འབད་ནི་ཨིན་ཟེར་ཨིན་པས།
ལས་འགུལ་དེ་ ཚོད་རྩིས་ལུ་ ཟད་འགྲོ་དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ཐེར་འབུམ་༩༤.༤༥ འབད་མི་དེ་ གཙོ་རིམ་ཅན་གྱི་ ལཱ་མང་ཤོས་མཇུག་བསྡུ་ཡོདཔ་ད་ དེ་ཁར་ ཆུ་མཛོད་ཁང་བཀང་ནི་དེ་ སྤྱི་ཟླ་༢ པའི་ཚེས་༢༡ ལས་འབད་ཡོདཔ་བཞིན་དུ་ ཆུ་རྐ་འགོའི་ཆུ་དུང་བཀང་ནི་དེ་ སྤྱི་ཟླ་༨ པའི་ཚེས་༢ ལས་འགོ་བཙུགས་པའི་ཁར་ པེ་རེ་ཤར་ཤཕཊི་དེ་ ཚེས་༡༢ ལུ་འགོ་བཙུགས་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
སྤུ་ན་གཙང་ཆུ་ལས་འགུལ་༢ པ་དེ་ འབྲུག་གཞུང་དང་ རྒྱ་གར་གཞུང་གཉིས་མཉམ་འབྲེལ་ཐོག་ལས་ འབད་ཡོདཔ་ད་ ལས་འགུལ་ནང་ ད་ལྟོ་ལས་བྱེདཔ་༧༦༣ ཡོད་པའི་ཁར་ སྤྱི་ལོ་༢༠༢༣ ཟླ་༧ པ་ཚུན་ལུ་ ལས་མི་༢,༩༤༤ ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པའི་གནས་ཚུལ།
ཚེ་རིང་དབང་འདུས།

༉ འབྲུག་མི་སེར་རྒྱུ་ནོར་གཞི་བཟུང་ཚད་ཀྱི་ ཁེབ་སང་དེ་ ཁྲལ་བཏབ་པའི་ཤུལ་ལས་ སྤྱི་ལོ་༢༠༢༢ ལུ་ དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ཐེར་འབུམ་༤.༩༩ ལས་ སྤྱི་ལོ་༢༠༢༣ ལུ་ དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ཐེར་འབུམ་༨.༤༢ འབདཝ་ད་ བརྒྱ་ཆ་༦༨.༥ དེ་ཅིག་ ཡར་འཕར་སོང་ནུག།
དེ་ཡང་ སྤྱིར་བཏང་ འོང་འབབ་དེ་ བརྒྱ་ཆ་༢༧.༢ དེ་ཅིག་ ཡར་སེང་ཡོདཔ་བཞིན་དུ་ སྤྱི་ལོ་༢༠༢༢ ལུ་ དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ཐེར་འབུམ་༤༦.༧ ལས་ དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ཐེར་འབུམ་༥༨.༦ ལུ་ ཡར་སེང་སོང་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
ཁེ་སང་ཡར་སེང་ མཐོ་ཤོས་ར་ ནུས་ཤུགས་དང་ཐོན་སྐྱེད་ལས་སྡེ་ཚུ་གི་ ཡོདཔ་བཞིན་དུ་ འོང་འབབ་ཡོངས་བསྡོམས་ལས་ བརྒྱ་ཆ་༥༠.༤ ཡོདཔ་ད་ སྤྱི་ལོ་༢༠༢༢ དང་ཕྱདཔ་ད་ ན་ཧིང་ འོང་འབབ་ དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ཐེར་འབུམ་༦.༡ འབདཝ་ད་ བརྒྱ་ཆ་༡༧.༥༧ དེ་ཅིག་ ཡར་འཛེགས་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
འབྲུག་གློག་མེ་ལས་འཛིན་གྱིས་ ན་ཧིང་ འོང་འབབ་དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ཐེར་འབུམ་༢༠.༢༡ བཟོ་ཡོད་མི་ལས་ ཁྲལ་བཏབ་པའི་ཤུལ་ལས་ ལས་འཛིན་གྱིས་ དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ཐེར་འབུམ་༡.༥ དེ་ཅིག་ བཟོ་ཡོདཔ་ད་ ནུས་ཤུགས་བཙོང་མི་ཡང་ བརྒྱ་ཆ་༦༤.༢ ཡར་སེང་ཡོདཔ་བཞིན་དུ་ གློག་མེ་ཡུ་ནིཊ་ས་ཡ་༥,༦༨༩.༧༤ བཙོང་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
རྒྱལ་ཁམས་ས་གཏེར་ལས་ཁུངས་ཀྱིས་ འོང་འབབ་དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ཐེར་འབུམ་༦.༤༧ འབདཝ་ད་ བརྒྱ་ཆ་༢༠.༥༥ དེ་ཅིག་ ཡར་སེང་སོང་ཡོདཔ་ད་ ཁེབ་སང་འབད་བ་ཅིན་ ཁྲལ་བཏབ་པའི་ཤུལ་ལས་ དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ཐེར་འབུམ་༢.༢༧ བཟོ་ཡོད་མི་དེ་ཡང་ གཙོ་བོ་ར་ རྡོ་དཀར་ཚོང་འབྲེལ་ལུ་བརྟེན་ཨིན་པས།
འབྲུག་སླར་འབྱུང་གློག་མེ་ལས་འཛིན་གྱིས་འབད་བ་ཅིན་ ནུས་ཤུགས་ཐོན་སྐྱེད་ མར་བབས་སོང་མི་ལུ་བརྟེན་ ལོ་བསྟར་འོང་འབབ་དེ་ དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ཐེར་འབུམ་༡༡.༦༧ འབདཝ་ད་ བརྒྱ་ཆ་༢.༩༧ དེ་ཅིག་ མར་བབབས་སོང་ནུག།
བརྒྱུད་འཕྲིན་དང་ སྐྱེལ་འདྲེན་ལས་སྡེ་ཚུ་གིས་ འོང་འབབ་ཡོངས་བསྡོམས་ལས་ བརྒྱ་ཆ་༡༣.༥ འབདཝ་ད་ དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ཐེར་འབུམ་༡༠.༩༣ ཕན་གྲོགས་འབད་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
འབྲུག་བརྒྱུད་འཕྲིན་ཚད་ཀྱིས་ འོང་འབབ་དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ཐེར་འབུམ་༦.༡ བཟོ་མི་ལས་ མོ་བཱ་ཡལ་ཞབས་ཏོག་གིས་ དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ཐེར་འབུམ་༥.༣༩ འབདཝ་ད་ བརྒྱ་ཆ་༨༨.༣༧ ལྷན་ཐབས་འབད་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
འབྲུག་མཁའ་འགྲུལ་གྱི་ འགྲུལ་པ་དེ་ བརྒྱ་ཆ་༡༢༢ དེ་ཅིག་དང་ མི་ངོམ་༢༠༡,༩༧༩ ལུ་ ཡར་འཕར་སོང་ཡོདཔ་བཞིན་དུ་ ཁྲལ་མ་བཏབ་པའི་ཤུལ་ལས་ ཁེབ་སང་དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ས་ཡ་༢༩༡.༣༤ བཟོ་ཡོདཔ་ད་ སྤྱི་ལོ་༢༠༢༢ ལུ་འབད་བ་ཅིན་ དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ཐེར་འབུམ་༡.༡༥ རྒུད་ཕོག་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
ན་ཧིང་ དམིགས་བསལ་དུ་ ནུས་ཤུགས་དང་ཐོན་སྐྱེད་དང་ བརྒྱུད་འཕྲིན་ལས་སྡེ་ཚུ་གིས་ གྲུབ་འབྲས་ལེགས་ཤོམ་ཡོདཔ་བཞིན་དུ་ དེ་ཡང་ དགེ་ལེགས་ཕུག་ལུ་ དྲན་ཤེས་ཁྲོམ་ཚོགས་ཀྱི་དོན་ལུ་ གལ་ཅན་ཅིག་ཨིན་ཟེར་ འབྲུག་མི་སེར་རྒྱུ་ནོར་གཞི་བཟུང་ཚད་ཀྱིས་ བཀོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
འབྲུག་མི་སེར་རྒྱུ་ནོར་གཞི་བཟུང་ཚད་ཀྱིས་ བཀོད་མིའི་ནང་ འབྲུག་མཁའ་འགྲུལ་དེ་ རྒྱལ་ཡོངས་ཀྱི་ སྐྱེལ་འདྲེན་པ་ཅིག་འབདཝ་ལས་ དགེ་ལེགས་ཕུག་ལུ་ དྲན་ཤེས་ཁྲོམ་ཚོགས་དང་ འབྲུག་གི་དོན་ལུ་ གལ་ཅན་ཅིག་ཨིན་མི་དེ་ཡང་ སྐྱེལ་འདྲེན་དང་ཡར་སེང་དང་ དགོས་མཁོ་འགྲུབ་ནི་ལུ་བརྟེན་ཨིན་པས།
འབྲུག་མི་སེར་རྒྱུ་ནོར་གཞི་བཟུང་ཚད་ཀྱི་ གནས་ཚུལ་གསར་བཏོན་དང་འཁྲིལ་བ་ཅིན་ གློག་མེ་ཐོན་སྐྱེད་ཀྱིས་ དགེ་ལེགས་ཕུག་དྲན་ཤེས་ཁྲིམ་ཚོགས་དེ་ འཕྲུལ་རིག་དཔལ་འབྱོར་གོང་འཕེལ་གཏང་ནི་དང་ སྤྱིར་བཏང་ རྒྱལ་ཁབ་ཀྱི་དོན་ལུ་ གལ་གནད་ཅན་ཅིག་ཨིན་པས།
དངུལ་འབྲེལ་ཞབས་ཏོག་དང་ འཕྲུལ་རིག་མ་རྩ་གཞི་བཙུགས་ནང་ འབྲུག་གི་དངུལ་ཁང་ནང་ ཌི་ཇི་ཊཱལ་བརྗེ་སོར་ཡར་སེང་སོང་ཡོདཔ་བཞིན་དུ་ ཨེམ་བཱོབ་བརྗེ་སོར་ དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ཐེར་འབུམ་༦༧ དང་ གོ་བཱོབ་དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ས་ཡ་༤༢༨ ལུ་ ཡར་སེང་སོང་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
བཱོ་བིཊ་ཟེར་ ཕྱི་དངུལ་འོང་མི་ཞབས་ཏོག་ཐོག་ལས་ ཡོངས་བསྡོམས་ཨེ་ཡུ་ཌི་ས་ཡ་༤༨.༠༡ ལྷན་ཐབས་འབད་ཡོདཔ་ད་ འབྲུག་གི་དངུལ་ཁང་གི་ ཁྲལ་བཏབ་པའི་ཤུལ་ལས་ ཁེ་སང་དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ཐེར་འབུམ་༡ བཟོ་ཡོདཔ་ད་ སྤྱི་ལོ་༢༠༢༢ ལུ་འབད་བ་ཅིན་ ཁེ་སང་དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ས་ཡ་༦༧༦.༥༧ ལས་བརྒལ་ བཟོ་མ་ཚུགས་པས།
དེ་བཟུམ་སྦེ་ འབྲུག་མི་སེར་རྒྱུ་ནོར་གཞི་བཟུང་ཚད་ཀྱི་ ཟད་འགྲོ་དེ་ དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ཐེར་འབུམ་༤༠.༦ འབདཝ་ད་ བརྒྱ་ཆ་༢༢.༧༩ དེ་ཅིག་ ཡར་འཕར་སོང་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
འབྲུག་མི་སེར་རྒྱུ་ནོར་གཞི་བཟུང་ཚད་ཀྱི་ བཀོད་ཁྱབ་གཙོ་འཛིན་ ཨུ་ཇཱལ་ ཌིབ་ ཌ་ཧཱལ་གྱིས་ སླབ་མིའི་ནང་ གཞི་བཟུང་ཚད་དང་ དེ་གི་ལས་སྡེ་ཚུ་གིས་ སྤྱི་ལོ་༢༠༢༣ ལུ་ གྲུབ་འབྲས་ལེགས་ཤོམ་ཐོན་ཏེ་ཡོདཔ་ད་ ནད་ཡམས་ལུ་བརྟེན་ འབྱེམ་ཕོག་མི་ཚུ་ ལོག་ཡར་དྲག་གཏང་ཚུགས་ཏེ་ཡོད་ཟེར་ཨིན་པས།
ཁོ་གིས་འབད་བ་ཅིན་ ཚད་འཛིན་གྱི་ ལས་སྡེ་ག་ར་གིས་ གྲུབ་འབྲས་ལེགས་ཤོམ་ བྱུང་སྟེ་ཡོདཔ་བཞིན་དུ་ དུས་ཅིག་ཡང་ ལྷག་པར་དུ་ ཡར་དྲག་འགྱོ་ནི་གི་ རེ་བ་བསྐྱེད་དོ་ཟེར་ཨིན་པས།
གཞུང་དང་ སྒེར་སྡེ་མཉམ་འབྲེལ་ཐོག་ལས་ ཚད་འཛིན་གྱིས་ འབྲུག་གི་རྒྱལ་ཡོངས་གོང་འཕེལ་གཏང་ནི་ལུ་ མ་རྩ་གཞི་བཙུགས་འབད་ནི་ཨིན་པའི་ཁར་ འབྲུག་པའི་མི་སེར་ཚུ་གི་ མི་ཚེ་སྤུས་ཚད་ ཡར་དྲག་གཏང་ནི་ལུ་ རྒྱབ་སྐྱོར་ཚུ་ འབད་འོང་ཟེར་ཨིན་པས།
ལས་སྡེ་ཚུ་གིས་ གཞུང་ལུ་ སྐྱེལ་བཙུགས་དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ཐེར་འབུམ་༡༦.༤ བྱིན་མི་དེ་ སྤྱི་ལོ་༢༠༢༢ (དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ཐེར་འབུམ་༡༤.༡༤) དང་ཕྱདཔ་ད་ བརྒྱ ཆ་༡༦ དེ་ཅིག་ ཡར་སེང་སོང་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
དེ་ནང་ དངུལ་རྩིས་ལྷན་ཁག་ལུ་ བགོ་བཤའི་ཁེབ་སང་སྦེ་ དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ཐེར་འབུམ་༥.༠༦ བྱིན་མི་དེ་ཡང་ འདས་པའི་ལོ་དང་ཕྱདཔ་ད་ བརྒྱ་ཆ་༥༠.༣ དེ་ཅིག་ ཡར་སེང་སོང་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
དེ་བཟུམ་སྦེ་ ལས་སྡེ་ཚུ་གིས་ ནུས་ཤུགས་སྤྱོད་འཐུས་ དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ཐེར་འབུམ་༢.༠༩ བྱིན་མི་དེ་ཡང་ སྤྱི་ལོ་༢༠༢༢ དང་ཕྱདཔ་ད་ བརྒྱ་ཆ་༡༩.༦ དེ་ཅིག་ ཡར་སེང་སོང་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
འབྲུག་མི་སེར་རྒྱུ་ནོར་གཞི་བཟུང་ཚད་དང་ དེ་གི་ལས་སྡེ་ཚུ་གིས་ སྐྱེལ་བཙུགས་དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ཐེར་འབུམ་༩.༥༨ བྱིན་ཡོདཔ་ད་ སྤྱི་ལོ་༢༠༢༢ ལུ་ འབད་བ་ཅིན་ དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ཐེར་འབུམ་༨ ལས་བརྒལ་ མེདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
འབྲུག་མི་སེར་རྒྱུ་ནོར་གཞི་བཟུང་ཚད་ཀྱིས་ བཀོད་མིའི་ནང་ དངུལ་འབྲེལ་ལས་སྡེ་ཚུ་གིས་ རྒྱུ་ནོར་གཞི་བཟུང་ཚད་ལུ་ དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ཐེར་འབུམ་༤༩.༧༥ ལྷན་ཐབས་འབད་ཡོད་པའི་གནས་ཚུལ།
ཨོ་རྒྱན་རྡོ་རྗེ།

Lhakpa Quendren

Phuentsholing—At least 67.9 percent of economically active Bhutanese aged between 23 and 37 years are actively participating in the gaming platforms of Bhutan Lottery Limited (BLL).

Going by the player profiles with BLL Phuentsholing, 69,112 players—39,261 male and 29,851 female—in this age group are currently engaged in online gambling, out of a total of 101,707 players—58,826 male and 42,881 female.

Not surprisingly, youth aged between 18 and 22 years account for 9 percent, with 9,217 players. The remaining 20,423 players, representing 20.1 percent, are aged between 38 and 52 years, while 2,955 players are above 53 years.

Thimphu has the highest number of players, followed by Phuentsholing, Gelephu, and Paro. However, reaching every gewog remains an uphill task due to limited interest in lottery purchases and minimal returns.

BLL’s deputy general manager, Saran Gurung, said that the business model would soon undergo changes. “We will do away with territorial restrictions that limit agents to selling only within their jurisdiction, so any agent can sell anywhere.”

Officials say that sales increase during the last week of each month with the payment period but decline on weekends due to outdoor entertainment options. With the daily e-lottery deposit limit of Nu 1,000 exhausted by 12am, peak online sales last until 1am.

The weekly revenue in July for online games was about Nu 13.97 million in the first week, Nu 12.53 million in the second week, Nu 11.60 million in the third week, and Nu 17.41 million in the final week of the month.

“Usually, we see a downturn during the monsoon because people often prefer playing the lottery during the holiday season,” Saran Gurung said, adding that the business depends on the speed of the internet and the quality of the payment system.

The sales are currently declining by about 20 to 25 percent compared to the same months of the previous year. Factors such as low income, inflation, global recession, a weak economy, inconsistent payment systems, and internet challenges are contributing to the low turnover, according to officials.

The online game revenue in July declined to Nu 55.52 million from Nu 56.55 million in June, paper lottery revenue dropped from Nu 4.41 million to Nu 3.71 million, while scratch card revenue increased to Nu 4.21 million from Nu 3.08 million. This shows that the average monthly revenue is about Nu 63.73 million.

BLL offers seven online products, along with paper lottery and scratch cards. The online gambling platform, introduced in May 2021 during the pandemic, has been a big hit, generating 83 percent of annual revenue, while the remaining 17 percent comes from traditional paper tickets.

In 2023, BLL paid Nu 800 million in prizes, which is short of a billion by Nu 200 million. In July, Nu 42.90 million was awarded, including Nu 38.21 million for online games, Nu 2.39 million for paper lottery, and Nu 2.30 million for scratch cards. Winners of over Nu 5,000 have to pay a 20 percent tax.

It has already generated Nu 31.09 million in August up to the 13th, with the highest revenue from online games at Nu 27.11 million, followed by Nu 2.25 million from scratch cards and Nu 1.72 million from paper lottery.

Plans and financial

performance

To boost sales, BLL is working with Tbank and Bhutan National Bank to integrate their mobile banking systems, which will make it easier for Bhutanese players living abroad to participate.

Given that the Royal Monetary Authority’s payment gateway requires One-Time Password (OTP) authentication to complete transactions—a process that can be challenging for players overseas—BLL has integrated mBoB as an alternative, which does not require OTP.

BLL will also increase its bumper prizes from three to four each year, with the introduction of a Nu 10 million prize for the first winner on National Day, which is higher than the previous maximum bumper prize of Nu 3 million.

“The lower-level prizes will also be made more attractive. The prize structure needs to be balanced from top to bottom, and we will prepare the scheme, which will be finalised following discussions with the scheme committee,” says Saran Gurung.

“Looking at the current trends, if we continue with the same product, it will slowly decline,” he said. “Some products are performing well, while others may not.”

When asked about fully switching to digital, he said that paper lottery tickets remain necessary for agents who sell them in person to customers, although digital options are user-friendly. “A portion of our customers depends on traditional lottery options, including both scratch cards and paper tickets,” he added.

BLL has been rebranded as an innovative and responsible gambling platform, which has generated the highest revenue in its eight years of operation. The annual sales revenue increased by 14.3 percent, from Nu 948.7 million in 2022 to Nu 1.084 billion in 2023.

The profit before tax (PBT) increased by 16 percent, from Nu 186.6 million in 2022 to Nu 216.4 million. The net profit after tax was Nu 151.4 million, which exceeded the targeted Nu 148.3 million in 2023.

BLL remitted Nu 28.7 million to the government as winning tax in 2023, which means an average monthly remittance of Nu 2.39 million. It also paid Nu 64.9 million in corporate income tax.

BLL is the only government-approved online gambling platform, and authorised lotteries are not classified as gambling under the Penal Code of Bhutan. Initially a state-owned enterprise under the Ministry of Finance, BLL’s shares were transferred to finance the De-Suung Skilling Programme in October 2023.

BLL has 10 Dzongkhag Lottery Agents, which together have about 70 sub-sellers operating on a commission basis, as well as seven open sellers. The age limit for players is restricted to those under 18 years old, with clear instructions provided to agents.

KP Sharma

There is a growing consensus among local leaders that supports the National Council’s (NC) recommendation for allocating a dedicated budget for primary schools, particularly in rural areas, to improve educational standards and address key challenges.

NC’s special committee for education has proposed the need to formulate a separate budget for primary schools rather than consolidating them with the dzongkhag’s budget.

The Special Committee also suggested that resources need to be distributed based on student enrollment and geographical need for fair and equitable budget allocation.

Currently, primary schools in remote areas struggle with financial constraints due to the centralised budget system at the dzongkhag level. Budget consolidation often leads to uneven funding distribution, disadvantaging smaller rural schools that are already challenged with limited resources and infrastructure challenges.

Local leaders point out that consolidating the budget at the dzongkhag level can lead to unfair allocation, with larger schools receiving a higher share while smaller, struggling schools fall farther behind.

Trashigang’s Yangnyer Gup Duptho said that inadequate facilities are a major issue in rural schools in the country. “Many rural schools operate in poorly constructed buildings, lacking basic necessities like clean water, sanitation, and adequate classroom space.”

Despite efforts by the dzongkhag and gewog administrations to support these schools, the large number of schools in the dzongkhag poses challenges in equitable resource distribution.

For instance, Trashigang has about 56 educational institutions, and the dzongkhag has to divide the resources among all these schools.

In contrast, smaller dzongkhags can allocate sufficient funds more easily, leading to significant disparities in school facilities and resources.

Tsirang’s Barshong Gup Santal Lal Powdel said that while the budget used to come to geowgs directly, the delays in bureaucratic processes further exacerbate funding issues for rural schools, affecting essential infrastructure maintenance.

He said that his gewog faces pressure from schools to secure funds for infrastructure maintenance, such as classrooms and staff quarters, but delays in funding create additional challenges. “Having a separate fund for primary schools would be beneficial in improving facilities and bringing them up to the same standard as other, more developed schools.”

A separate budget could also address teacher recruitment and retention of qualified teachers in remote areas, said a gup from Chukha.

Rural placement often deter experienced teachers due to isolation and limited professional development opportunities

“With a separate budget, the government could offer better incentives, such as improved housing and professional growth opportunities, making rural positions more attractive,” the gup said.

Trashiyangtse’s Toedtsho Gup Dechen Wangdi, said that the disparity among schools, especially between larger schools and primary schools, has increased over the years, with smaller schools in rural areas being the most affected by budget constraints. 

He said that in some instances, budget constraints have even led to situations where local leaders have to personally fund necessary supplies, like teachers’ chairs.

The Ministry of Education and Skills Development, during the presentation of the 13th plan, stated that although there are plans to establish central and specialised schools, all schools will receive equal attention.

With the highest budget allocation among the ministries in the 13th plan, the education ministry aims to address disparities and improve educational standards across the board.

…sole-proprietorship constitutes 95 percent of industries

Thukten Zangpo

Industries of all sizes—cottage, small, medium, and large—contributed 49.96 percent, or Nu 124.69 billion, to Bhutan’s gross domestic product last year, according to the Industry Census of Bhutan 2024 launched yesterday.

Among the industries, 46 percent or Nu 114.81 billion, was contributed by the medium and large industries, and Nu 9.88 billion or 3.96 percent was contributed by the cottage and small industries.

Service industry dominated the sector in terms of scale with 11,032 units, followed by production and manufacturing with 1, 355 units and contracts with 621 units.

By ownership, the sole proprietorship dominated the sector with 12, 477 establishments or 95.91 percent of the total industries, followed by private limited companies by 1.83 percent or 239, and partnerships with 148 establishments, making 1.13 percent of industries.

Last year, the industrial sector employed 76,768 people. Of these, 91 percent were Bhutanese nationals. The remaining workers were non-Bhutanese: 2,280 were employed casually (representing 33.13 percent of the total), while 1,755 were on contract (making up 25.5 percent). Additionally, 133 workers were individuals with disabilities.

During the launch, director general of the Department of Industry, Chhime Tshering, said that the census was initiated with the intention to fill the data gaps, validate the existing information, and gain deeper insights of the current state of the industrial landscape.

He noted that the report would be valuable for making informed decisions, preparations, and plans. It will aid in formulating policies, strategies, and interventions to enhance the industrial ecosystem. This, in turn, is expected to boost revenue, generate employment, and contribute to the overall growth and development of the country.

The Minister of Industry, Commerce, and Employment, Namgyal Dorji, said that the Census was an essential tool for identifying development priorities in industrial growth.

He added that private sector development has not met expectations due to fundamental errors in the system. He highlighted that industries are facing systemic issues such as difficulties in accessing finance, market access, and a shortage of skilled workers.

The census revealed that 42 percent of industries struggle with market access, 33.5 percent face challenges in obtaining finance, and 17.3 percent deal with shortages of skilled labour.

Lyonpo said that the industry sector created 76, 768 jobs and it was the government’s responsibility to increase it by two-fold in the next five years.

He added that 95.91 percent of industries are currently sole proprietorships. To foster economic and industrial development and enhance regional competitiveness, Lyonpo said that there is a significant opportunity for these ventures to transition from sole proprietorships to more diverse and broader-based companies.

“We have to come up with high-value industries in terms of financial value, innovation, job creation,” he said, adding that the small industry should be supported, including the tax breaks.

The census also identified policy interventions as the top concern, with 41.32 percent of industries emphasising its importance. This was followed by access to finance at low interest rates, cited by 11.04 percent of industries, and general accessibility to finance, mentioned by 10.85 percent.

The census covered 13,260 out of the 15,112 operational industries. A total of 23,241 industries were registered and filed business income tax.

The wait is over. The government has finally lifted the moratorium on the import of vehicles, as it promised. Starting tomorrow, vehicle dealers can import vehicles to satisfy thousands who have been waiting for the moratorium to be lifted.

The government’s decision is based on  the reasoning that the economic conditions that necessitated imposing a moratorium are no longer relevant. The economic conditions, according to the government  improved and that letting Bhutanese import vehicles would further support economic expansion.

Landlocked Bhutan relies on land transportation. Vehicles are important for both importers and users. More than anyone, those in the vehicle import business would welcome the decision. There was no total ban on the import of vehicles. There were considerations like on utility vehicles. Lifting the ban means letting the import of all vehicles, utility or luxury.

The government is mindful of its decision,  knowing that lifting the moratorium  on the import would mean an influx of vehicles. There will be implications. According to available statistics, there is a vehicle for every six Bhutanese. As of July 31, there were 127,316 vehicles in the country. Thimphu has the highest with 69,947 vehicles. Considering the population of Thimphu at 140,000, there is a vehicle for every two people.

In Chukha, going by the statistics, there are more vehicles than people, including the floating population. There are 39,551 vehicles in Chukha. The estimated population is 30,000. Not every Bhutanese needs or drives a vehicle. Nor is it economical. A family may own more than two cars for many reasons. The question is how will the economy improve with the lifting of the moratorium?

From past trends, we know that import of vehicles means a surge in import of fossil fuel, congestion, draining of the scarce convertible currency including the Indian Rupee. Import of vehicles will not translate to economic activity, especially if it is luxury vehicles.

At the same time, a government cannot restrict the people from buying what they can afford. However, it can discourage, through policies, import item that has an impact on the country and its economy. What about subsidies on the import of electric vehicles that fit our development policies without letting one or two firms enjoy the monopoly?

What about improving infrastructure and the public transport system? Decades after recognising public transport as a means to ease traffic congestion and providing cheap transportation, we are still struggling, including finding a safe and faster lane for buses.

Public transport will be an issue even if the economic conditions improve. In fact, an efficient public transport system would help improve the economic conditions. Let us not forget that we import more fossil fuel than the amount of clean energy we export.

As we welcome the government’s decision, it is still not too late  to reflect and learn from our policies to make better decisions.

Alarming rise in gender-based violence among 20-24 age group

Yangyel Lhaden

Bhutanese women aged 20-24 are experiencing the highest levels of gender-based violence (GBV) from their partners compared to other age groups, according to the National Health Survey 2024.

The survey, which analysed responses from 11,686 women aged 15-64, reported that nearly 42 percent of women in this age bracket have encountered various forms of violence, including physical, economic, emotional, and controlling behaviours.

The survey collected data by probing behavioral acts without explicitly mentioning ‘violence’ asking women if these behaviors had occurred at any point in their lives and within the past year.

Overall, 16.4 percent of women aged 15-64 have experienced physical violence, 6.9 percent have experienced sexual violence, and 17.5 percent have experienced emotional violence in their life time. Among these, 4.4 percent of women experienced physical violence, 2.6 percent experienced sexual violence and 8.5 percent have experienced emotional violence in the past 12 months

The survey also highlighted that controlling behaviours are most prevalent among the 20-24 age group. For instance, 17.6 percent reported that their partner insists on knowing their whereabouts at all times while 18.9 percent said their partner becomes angry if they speak with another man.

Among ever-partnered women, 29 percent experienced controlling behaviours in their lifetime and 18.3 percent in the past 12 months.

Economic abuse is another significant issue for this age group, with 8.7 percent of women reporting that their partners restricted their ability to work or earn money. Overall, economic violence was most frequently reported among women aged 20-24, with 8.7 percent experiencing it in their lifetime and 8.1 percent in the past year.

The survey also revealed that although the majority of women and girls agree that refusing sex for various reasons is acceptable, about two percent of ever-partnered women reported experiencing sexual violence from their partners. Non-partner sexual violence was reported by less than one percent of respondents.

The lifetime prevalence of non-partner physical violence against women and girls was 11 percent and 2.2 percent in the past 12 months while lifetime prevalence of non-partner sexual violence was 1.3 percent and 0.5 percent in the past 12 months.

A concerning finding is the acceptance of physical violence among women. Around 25 percent of Bhutanese women and girls believe it is justifiable for a man to beat his wife if she is unfaithful or neglects their children. Around 10 percent of respondents condoned violence under other circumstances.

The survey included seven questions designed to explore justifications for domestic violence. These questions addressed scenarios such as dissatisfaction with household chores, disobedience, refusal of sex, and suspicions of infidelity. However, no single question received unanimous condemnation of violence, with nearly 50 percent of women endorsing more than one justification.

Thinley Namgay   

In a show of enduring friendship, Bhutan took part in celebrating India’s 78th Independence Day at the Indian Embassy in Thimphu on August 15.

Keeping with the tradition, Gyalpoi Zimpon Ugyen K Namgyel presented a Tashi Khadar (ceremonial scarf) to the Indian Ambassador, Sudhakar Dalela. This gesture symbolises goodwill, friendship, peace, prosperity, and happiness.

Cabinet Secretary Kesang Deki, Foreign Secretary Pema Choden, and Chief of Protocol Ugen Chuzom also attended the event, along with more than 1,500 people from the Indian community and well-wishers from Bhutan. 

The Ambassador of India to Bhutan, Sudhakar Dalela, led the Indian community in unfurling the national flag of India, followed by the singing of the national anthem.

In his address to the gathering, Ambassador Sudhakar Dalela emphasised the long-standing, close, and unique ties of friendship and cooperation between India and Bhutan, anchored in spiritual and cultural linkages, mutual trust and understanding, and strong people-to-people relations.

The Ambassador highlighted India’s commitment to working closely with the government and people of Bhutan to fully harness the potential of the bilateral partnership and to explore new avenues of cooperation that align with the vision of His Majesty The King and the priorities of the Bhutanese government.

He applauded the long-term vision of both nations, as Bhutan aspires to become a high-income country by 2034, while India aims to be a developed country by 2047.

The celebration also featured a tree-planting ceremony at the Embassy, as part of the ‘Plant4Mother’ campaign, recently launched by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Bhutanese dignitaries and the Ambassador participated in this symbolic event, reflecting a shared commitment to environmental conservation.

Ambassador Sudhakar Dalela read excerpts from the President of India, Droupadi Murmu’s address on the eve of Independence Day. 

One of the key messages in the President’s address was youth development. The speech highlighted that Amrit Kaal, the ongoing quarter-century leading up to the centenary of India’s independence,  will be shaped by the youth. “Their energy and enthusiasm will help the nation reach new heights.”

In her address, the President underscored the importance of cultivating young minds and creating a mindset that blends tradition with contemporary knowledge. She also mentioned government initiatives aimed at skill development and employment opportunities for the youth, including plans for 10 million young people to undertake internships with leading companies over the next five years.

The event also featured performances of patriotic songs and dance by members of the Indian community, artists from Bhutan, and the Nehru-Wangchuck Cultural Centre.

India gained independence from the United Kingdom on August 15, 1947.

In one of the boldest moves by our national airline, Druk Air, a firm order has been placed for five new aircrafts – three Airbus A320neo and two Airbus A321XLR. Bold ambitions call for bold decisions, and I must commend our national carrier for this move. In my view, it is a huge step forward for the Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC) project and also for Bhutan as a nation. The news, while it was covered by the mainstream media agencies, did not make much of a splash across social media, where greater dissemination and education on a topic happens these days. So, let me share my broader understanding on the larger benefits.

Destination Gelephu

While the A320neo may be a replacement for the ageing A319 fleet, the two A321XLR are obviously for Gelephu. The Airbus A321XLR is the largest aircraft in the A320 family – and also a great choice given that the airline does not have to maintain a separate set of crews to fly them. The A321XLR can accommodate anywhere between 180 to 220 passengers depending on the cabin configuration. It is a single-aisle wide-body airliner with a maximum range of 8700 km (8,400 km, according to latest changes), which makes it possible for the airline to extend its wings for direct flights to distant destinations such as Tokyo, Perth, or Istanbul. XLR stands for “extra-long range”.

The Airbus A321XLR with a longer fuselage wouldn’t be able to operate out of Paro with the current runway length. Therefore, they could be solely destined for Gelephu, where the new international terminal and a longer runway will be built. Gelephu could become the operational base for these aircrafts. If this is so, it is significant because, firstly, in the airline business, a base airport means that the aircrafts will be stationed there permanently for both operations and maintenance. Consequently, a good number of employees such as pilots, maintenance engineers, ground staff, and even cabin crews will have to be based there, thus opening direct opportunities for local businesses in terms of housing, hospitality and other businesses. As the airport itself becomes fully operational, if well planned and strategized, it can then spur a chain of opportunities for other sectors, such as cargo, catering, transportation, tourism, trade, innovation and other sectors. The list is endless.

Second, the aircraft with its longer operational range (distance between two places) could be deployed for direct medium and long-haul flights to destinations such as Australia, Middle East, South East Asia and the Far East. This will be vital because if Gelephu is to attract foreign investments and investors, direct air connectivity to other economic hubs, and direct flights to global hub airports such as Hong Kong, Dubai, Frankfurt and Singapore will be the key. Business travellers, especially those higher up in the corporate ladder are super sensitive to travel time.

Third, here are some fun facts. By 2050, which is just 25 years to go, five of the 10 biggest economies will be within the operational range of the Airbus A321XLR. Furthermore, by 2035, which is just 10 years from now, seven of the 10 biggest cities in the world by population will be within the operational range of Airbus A320neo.

Paro – the gateway to Bhutan

As the GMC project gathers steam, one question that crops up in my circle of friends is – what would happen to Paro? In the sense that, would this place see a decline? To answer that simply, it will continue to retain its status, or even get vibrant thanks to the GMC Project. Paro will continue to be the international gateway to Bhutan – especially for leisure travels and cultural tours. In fact, with new routes to the Middle East being launched from October of 2024, it could spur more tourism arrivals. Dubai happens to be just a flight away from any major city on earth. It will be especially convenient for passengers from Europe and the US. Of course, Bangkok and Delhi are well connected too, but Dubai has become the global hub for air travel.

One issue to be addressed, though, is that unlike business travellers, leisure travellers prefer cheaper fares over travel time. Bhutanese airlines have a long way to go in terms of a more dynamic pricing – preferring instead to maintain a high and flat rate, and fly with unsold seats. This has led to losing business to airlines operating in and out of Bagdogra. Likewise, the Bhutanese diaspora, who are dispersed in over 100 countries, will also factor in the airfare as the major determinant on how frequently they can travel home.

Looking beyond profits

Over 70 countries would fall within the operational range of the Airbus A321XLR. In one of my earlier articles, I have mentioned the role of national flag carriers as furthering national identity through projecting the country internationally. Countries like Japan, Malaysia and a few middle eastern states have propelled their flag carriers to promote their national identity world-wide, which in many cases did not make business sense. To this end, popular bloggers like Yeshey Dorji have called for Druk Air to be delinked from the business-centric goals of Druk Holdings and Investments, and let it be subsidised to focus on nationhood and connectivity – or find a balance between profit-making and nation-building.

Furthermore, with the call for everyone to come together, work hard and co-create the royal vision for Gelephu, the strategic role that our airlines can play cannot be understated. I can only reiterate that efficient air transport will promote international trade and investments, and more importantly facilitate the movement of people and goods. Besides, as a small landlocked country, a reliable and convenient air connection to Gelephu is not only of vital importance, it could also help physically promote brand Bhutan to the world. This is what Singapore Airlines achieved for Singapore in the 1970s. Bhutanese people are generally hospitable, kind, and fun. It won’t take long to build a global airline with the best onboard services and customer care.

And not the least of considerations, is the Bhutanese diaspora that is spread across the planet – especially in Australia, Japan and the Middle East. A direct air connection will make it possible for our people to conveniently travel home and more frequently. This might open up a circular migration and investments, and acquisitions of properties while at the same time allowing children to be kept connected to their roots. Of course, you can always hop on to a Thai Airways or an Air India flight, but there is nothing like getting on board an aircraft that carries your own national flag from end to end. You already feel safe, proud, and at home as soon as you are on board, although the aircraft may be still attached to the airport terminal in a foreign land.

Contributed by

Dorji Wangchuk (PhD)

Professor, Engineer,

Communications Scholar

(The views and ideas expressed herein are personal of the author and do not represent that of any organisation or individual)

Staff reporter

Twenty-five final-year architecture students from the College of Science and Technology (CST) attended the workshop on the ‘Revitalization of Eusuna Village: Integration of Culture and Economy for Sustainable Community Development”’in Paro from August 8 to 15.   

The workshop is one of the activities under Department of Culture and Dzongkha Development’s (DCDD)Enhancement of Heritage and Conservation Study in Bhutan Project. 

The DCDD in collaboration with ArchiHeritage Plus (AH+), Japan conducted  the workshop, which was funded by the Oriental Cultural Heritage Sites Protection Alliance.     

The event was aimed at addressing key issues and challenges faced by the village through interaction, surveys, and assessments. 

Students developed proposals to sustainably revitalise the village, enhance the local economy, and improve the quality of life, all while preserving its cultural heritage.

Additionally, the workshop was aimed at assisting  students to gain a better understanding of their ongoing ‘Heritage Conservation I’ module, which began in July of this year.

The initiative created a platform for students to move beyond mere documentation, allowing them to gain deeper insights into rural life, settlement patterns, and architecture.

Officials from DCDD said that the workshop also aimed at creating a replicable model for other rural communities, showcasing how sustainable development and cultural conservation can work together to revitalise and empower local economies. 

In line with the Memorandum of Understanding between the Royal University of Bhutan and the Ministry of Home Affairs, the DCDD has collaborated with CST over the past two years to revise the curriculum of the Architecture and Civil Engineering Department.

This revision aims to include modules on traditional construction and heritage site conservation.

Participants shared that they gained hands-on experience in problem-solving with cultural heritage as an asset, enhanced their understanding of the socio-economic aspects of settlements, deepened their knowledge of vernacular houses and their settings, and developed communication and teamwork skills.

Staff reporter

A 32-year-old woman and her three-year-old daughter were killed in an accident yesterday morning near the Norgay Zam roundabout in Phuenstholing. The incident occurred around 8:30am. when an excavator struck them, resulting in their immediate deaths.

The incident occurred as the mother and child were returning after dropping off  her six-year-old son at Sonamgang Primary School.

The excavator was being operated by an 18-year-old from Lhuentse, employed by a private firm. The driver has been detained, and the vehicle has been impounded as part of the investigation. Authorities found that the driver did not have a driving license, although he tested negative for drugs and alcohol.

The woman, who ran a canteen at the Food Corporation of Bhutan’s warehouse, was from Thimphu. The bodies of the deceased have been handed over to a relative, as the husband was not in a condition to take custody.

Public reaction has been mixed, with some calling for the installation of traffic lights and the construction of more pedestrian bridges, especially at major crossings. Others suggest prohibiting heavy vehicles from operating in town areas during the day.

The Bhutan Construction and Transport Authority said that there was no plan to install traffic lights.

The investigation is underway, and the charges against the driver will be determined once it is completed.

Public concern is growing over the risks posed to commuters and schoolchildren, with calls for immediate action to prevent similar incidents in the future.

The responsibility for allowing heavy vehicles on town roads during peak hours and ensuring the driver has a valid licence is under scrutiny.

The founder and chief executive officer of Greener Way, Karma Yonten, popularly known as the Trash Man talks to Kuensel reporter YK Poudel on the journey of Greener Way, the country’s first waste management firm, waste issues in the country, and Bhutan Waste Bank project

Greener Way Private Limited, established in 2010 has been in the trash business for 14-years now. How has this journey been?

Greener Way was established on March 10, 2010 as a simple scrap waste dealer. Later in 2012, with support from Thimphu Thromde, it became the municipal waste collecting company. With the waste flagship programme initiated in 2018, Greener Way initiated a material recovery facility in 2018, following which, we started producing eco-poles in 2019 and delineators from 2023. After renewing the contract with the government last year, the Greener Way started the Bhutan Waste Bank, which was launched on April 18 with USD 1.5 million assistance from the World Bank.

The implementation of  Bhutan Waste Bank will be overseen by the South Asia Cooperative Environment Programme through the Plastic Free Rivers and Seas for South Asia grant implemented by South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme and the United Nations Office for Project Services. Today, the company, with 91 employees, provides waste collection services to 50 percent of the city and has partnered with waste managers in seven dzongkhags.

What is Bhutan Waste Bank? What are the key initiatives under this project and how will it contribute to a sustainable and circular economy?

Over the last 25 years, people have heard this phrase ‘there is cash in the trash’. In spite of the initiatives, not much impactful result and change were visible. In the 12th Plan, the government made a huge investment through the waste management flagship programme and several initiatives were launched through this programme.

The Bhutan Waste Bank is an initiative to address Thimphu’s waste challenges by incentivising waste collectors. The concept is simple – anyone can drop their solid waste at the nearest drop-off centre and get credited for the trash or open a savings account at the bank. The bank offers Nu 100 for a kilogramme (Kg) of aluminum, Nu 25 for a Kg of pet bottles, Nu 20 for a Kg of plastic waste, Nu 10 for a Kg of rubber waste, Nu 7 for a Kg of paper and cardboard, Nu 3 for a piece of beer bottle and Nu 1 for other bottle type.

With this concept, waste can be understood as a recoverable item – bringing a behaviourial change among the people. Further, the Bhutan Waste Bank will promote sustainable waste practices to reduce plastic pollution in water bodies and also create job opportunities for women and youth.

The government has discontinued the waste flagship programme initiated in the 12th Plan. The government now plans to support and involve the private sector in the circular economy. What are your thoughts about this concept?

While the government has not included a separate project in this Plan, the concept comes under environment governance. All agencies will initiate programmes and work collaboratively. Under the circular economy concept, recoverable items would be extracted from the environment and reused or recycled; increasing the life span of the commodity.

For instance, Greener Way, one of the waste managing companies, in its first phase initiated door-to-door waste collection projects.  It worked on establishing waste drop-off centres in the second phase, and now as a third phase, it is working on Bhutan Waste Bank,  with 10 waste banks in total across Thimphu Thromde. Similar initiatives in parts are done by other agencies such as Thimphu Thromde, Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC) and other agencies. Everyone is working on behaviourial change among the people and value addition to the trash.

Moving forward, how does the Greener Way plan to initiate projects and strengthen waste management programme in the country?

Overall, the government and related agencies have been supporting waste management initiatives with DECC as the nodal agency. The Greener Way has 20 managers and scale operators in 10 waste banks who will assist individuals bringing waste at the drop-off centres. For now, there are about seven recyclable items identified, with plans to integrate more options over time. The company already has partnerships with scrap managers across seven dzongkhags. The initiative will be slowly taken to other major Thromdes like Phuentsholing, Samdrupjongkhar and others.

And through this project, the Greener Way has established waste banks throughout Thimphu, up-scaled eco-pole recycling plant, and a PET washing and shredding plant at Memeylakha.

Restrictions or additional costs likely to apply to vehicles registered in Thimphu Throm

Thukten Zangpo

After two years, the government has decided to lift the moratorium on the import of vehicles in the country, which will come into effect from tomorrow (August 18) following improvements in macroeconomic indicators.

The finance ministry announced that the decision comes after a thorough review of the country’s economic health, which now shows promising growth. “The economic conditions that previously necessitated the imposition of the moratorium have improved,” stated the press release from the ministry.

The vehicle moratorium was initially introduced in August 2022 to safeguard foreign currency reserves and ensure macroeconomic stability. However, with the recent economic upturn, the government believes that resuming vehicle imports will further support economic expansion and enhance public confidence.

Under the moratorium, import of certain categories of vehicles such as utility vehicles valued at less than Nu 1.5 million and pickup trucks were allowed. Heavy machinery utilised in construction and agriculture activities and vehicles for the use and promotion of tourism were also exempted from the moratorium.

The previous government implemented the vehicle moratorium when the country’s foreign exchange reserve stood at USD 736.02 million in August 2022. The forex reserve has declined to USD 624.11 million as of June this year. The latest figure was not available.

The finance ministry stated that the government was confident that the lifting of the moratorium will further support economic expansion and boost public confidence with a positive outlook on economic growth as a result of prudent fiscal and monetary policies.

However, the ministry said that the government would continue to monitor the economic environment closely and make adjustments as needed to sustain the country’s positive trajectory.

“As the number of vehicles on our roads is expected to increase following the lifting of the moratorium, the government recognises the importance of maintaining the livability of our towns and cities, particularly the capital territory of Thimphu,” it stated. “The rapid growth in the number of cars poses challenges to urban life, including traffic congestion, pollution and strain on infrastructure.”

To address the challenges posed by increased vehicle numbers, such as traffic congestion and pollution, a differentiated vehicle registration system will be implemented specifically for the capital city.

The government has directed the Bhutan Construction and Transport Authority to design this system. This system would be distinct from the registration processes in other parts of the country and aims to regulate the number of vehicles in the city more effectively.

As a result, vehicles registered in the capital may face specific restrictions or additional costs.

“By managing the influx of vehicles, we seek to minimise the negative externalities and ensure that Thimphu City remains a vibrant and livable city for all residents,” the ministry stated.

The government will inform the public when the new vehicle registration system is ready.

In 2023, Bhutan imported vehicles worth Nu 926.09 million, a significant drop from Nu 3.2 billion in 2022. This decline of 71 percent follows imports worth Nu 4.72 billion in 2021.

Vehicle import figures include various types of vehicles such as passenger cars, vehicles for transporting 10 or more people, vehicles for transporting goods, electric cars, and excluding motorcycles.

As of July, Thimphu has the highest number of registered vehicles at 69,947, followed by Phuentsholing with 39,551, Gelephu with 8,927, Samdrupjongkhar with 5,782, and Mongar with 3,109.

Bhutan’s economy grew by 4.88 percent last year, and is projected to grow by 6.3 percent this year and 8.9 percent in 2024.

Queen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck of Bhutan has founded The PEMA, an apex agency to coordinate mental health and protection services in Bhutan. It is named after the lotus, which blooms into beauty even from the depths of the most challenging conditions.

“During the Covid-19 lockdown, domestic violence spiralled. Our Queen put a hotline in place and immediately requisitioned hotel rooms for those who needed it,” recounted Peldon Tshering, Board Member at The PEMA Secretariat. “While Her Majesty works tirelessly for her people, her highest priority continues to be the safety and welfare of the most vulnerable, particularly women and children.”

Under His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck’s leadership, while Dasho Dechen Wangmo was Bhutan’s Health Minister, we managed to curtail Covid-19 fatalities to 21 deaths, of whom 20 were already terminally ill patients. Now, by Royal Command, Dasho Dechen has been tasked by Her Majesty to work with a team of dedicated counsellors and other professionals in the field to address the mental health crisis as the Head of the PEMA Secretariat. The office was inaugurated in 2022 by the Queen, and for Dasho Dechen, this was a lifetime honour and opportunity to serve the country and Her Majesty. 

Bhutan welcomes causemates, collaborations and resources, and wishes to replicate our model’s successes internationally because mental wellbeing is the heartbeat of Gross National Happiness. 

Bhutan, with unwavering support from the member states, successfully proposed the Paro Declaration at the Ministerial Roundtable of the 75th WHO Southeast Asia Regional Committee Session in September, 2022. Calling for the integration of mental health care into primary health care and community engagement, the Declaration seeks to address challenges faced by 1 in 7 people in the region. On September 19, 2023, Queen Mathilde of Belgium joined Queen Jetsun Pema in calling for renewed action and investment in mental health at the High Level Meeting ‘Mental Health for All’, co-hosted by Bhutan, Belgium, UNICEF, WHO and United for Global Mental Health.

According to the WHO Mental Health Atlas 2020, while the global average of mental health workers is 13 per 100,000, there are only 2.4 personnel per 100,000 people in South Asia. This, despite a quarter of the population struggling with depression and anxiety. Pakistan has the largest service gap with 0.55/100,000, followed by Myanmar with 0.87, India with 0.89, Bangladesh with 1.1, Nepal with 1.18, Bhutan with 2.49, Afghanistan with 2.85, Sri Lanka with 5.46, and the Maldives with 6.22.  Nowhere has there been a sharper decline than in Pakistan, which had 19.15 workers per 100,000 in 2014. Capacity building is required. 

Good mental health helps societies actualise potential and manage change and uncertainty resiliently. There is growing consensus for South and Southeast Asia to collaboratively build mental health systems and wellbeing-centric development plans which account for social, economic and environmental factors, and not just traditional determinants like physical health and genetic predispositions. These determinants include socioeconomic status, access to education and employment, family dynamics, cultural norms, discrimination and exposure to adverse childhood experiences. Addressing mental health concerns requires a concise understanding of these determinants and a comprehensive approach that extends beyond the current clinical interventions. For instance, the Director General of Friendship NGO Runa Khan found that the root cause of miscarriages leading to social ostracisation of women in Bangladesh was drinking salty water during pregnancy. 

Recognizing the urgent need for enhancing mental health services, on 3rd November, 2021, Her Majesty laid the foundation for the construction of the PEMA Centre, the first 60 bed Mental Health Hospital in Thimphu, alongside integrating mental health service in primary healthcare centres and communities. 

In 2021, Queen Jetsun instituted The PEMA Board to strategise the mitigation of existing service gaps, conduct consultations, expedite preventive interventions and ensure that there was no duplication of efforts. As Health Minister, Dasho Dechen chaired the Board, composed of members from Their Majesties’ Office, the Royal Physician, Head of the Psychiatry Department, and a Royal Bhutan Police Representative. Findings highlighted fragmentation, dispersed interventions, isolated mandates, limited collaboration and incomprehensive services which did not link prevention, response and treatment, nor address after-care and social reintegration. “Capacity building aligned with the WHO Mental Health Gap Action Programme would ensure that non-specialist frontline workers in community-facing sectors like agriculture can perform a basic triage and refer patients to services. This is especially important in the wake of natural disasters and conflicts, where community engagement builds trust,” observes Runa Khan. 

The PEMA Secretariat, a central agency to spearhead and streamline mental health responses, was inaugurated on June 22, 2022. Taking a life cycle approach and following a continuum of care model, it coordinates, consolidates and ensures comprehensive mental health services. 

The PEMA as a nodal agency provides a model for emulation in similarly resource-challenged contexts. It has four core mandates. First, it is building a proactive and integrated mental health service delivery network to address issues early on and provide referrals. Second, it is creating an enabling system by reviewing legislation, collecting data and mobilising resources. Third, it is building multi-sectoral partnerships. Lastly, it anchors advocacy to reduce stigmas and discrimination and supports workplaces. There are three main divisions, dedicated to prevention and engagement, triage and response, and restoration and rehabilitation. 

“For a long time after my escape, I felt like I roamed the earth alone, to find meaning, energy and someone who cared,” admits Shahbaz Taseer, who was abducted by Uzbek and Pakistani militants after his father Governor Salmaan Taseer’s assassination. “Being held captive and tortured seemed easier than having to function in society and resume a 9 to 5 work day in a corporate environment, where my peers had surpassed me, a 33 year old with no savings and nothing to call his own in the world. Bhutan’s focus on the restitutive aspect of reintegration by ensuring patients are gainfully employed revolutionises mental healthcare. Governments have a responsibility to help rebuild personhood and livelihoods, just as they rebuild physical infrastructure after conflicts and disasters.”

The Queen personally oversees operations from her office at the PEMA Secretariat and sees it as her responsibility to care for the carers. Indian psychiatrist Dr. Anjali Chhabria recommends that mental healthcare providers be given insurance against litigation and protection from occupational hazards.

Spatially, it is Her Majesty’s hope that The PEMA’s vast, green grounds, and many atriums and access points, provide the privacy, community and communion with nature that patients and their families require to heal and decompress. The Centre encourages meditation, yoga and provides access to prayer wheels. “Spirituality is one’s armour during adversity,” recounts Shahbaz Taseer.

“Bhutan, with its political will, small population, and geographical challenges acts like a pilot for hybrid mental healthcare provision in the region. Together we can build a system incorporating telemedicine, drone deliveries of medication, and in-person treatment to maximise coverage,” recommends Runa Khan. Dr. Chhabria proposes an evolving approach, which embraces innovation. Sharing resources and expertise, and investing in prevention, enhanced services, reintegration programmes, research and innovation will equip South Asia to meet the needs of the future. With a comprehensive and forward-thinking approach, The PEMA envisions building a mental health system that is responsive, effective, and sustainable. 

This article has been co-authored by Dasho Dr Dechen Wangmo, the Head of the PEMA Centre and the former Health Minister of Bhutan, and Latoya Ferns, the CEO of PoliTweak media syndicate. This article has been syndicated from PoliTweak, which promotes sustainable development and democratic peace in South Asia.

༉ ད་རིས་ གཞུང་གྲྭ་ཚང་གི་ རྡོ་རྗེ་སློབ་དཔོན་ཀུན་ལེགས་ཀྱིས་ ཐིམ་ཕུག་བཀྲིས་ཆོས་རྫོང་ནང་སྦེ་ རིན་ཆེན་རྡོ་རྗེ་ལུ་ བསམ་རྩེ་གི་ བླམ་གནས་བརྟན་གསརཔ་སྦེ་ བཀྲིས་ལེགས་དར་གནང་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས། སྐྱེས་ལོ་༥༢ ལང་མི་དེ་ ཧཱ་གསང་སྦས་ མོ་ཆུ་ལས་ཨིནམ་ད་ ཁོ་ར་ ད་རེས་ཀྱི་ གོ་གནས་མ་བསྐོས་ཧེ་མར་ ལྷ་རྫོང་བཀྲ་ཤིས་སྒང་ སློབ་གྲྭའི་དབུ་འཛིན་སྦེ་ ཕྱག་ཞུ་ཡོད་པའི་གནས་ཚུལ།

Chencho Dema 

Wangdue—Thirteen years after the inter-governmental agreement between Bhutan and India for the 1020 MW Punatsangchhu-II Hydroelectric Project was signed on April 30, 2010, the hydropower project achieved a major milestone yesterday with the first two out of the six turbines successfully operated.

This signals the commissioning of one of the most eagerly anticipated mega hydropower projects in the country. The next phase will involve integrating these turbines with the electrical and communication systems, leading to full-scale energy production.

Energy and Natural Resources Minister Gyem Tshering, who attended the ceremony, described the event as a landmark moment that marks the beginning of a new chapter in the shared journey of Bhutan and India towards completing this project.

The minister said that what started as a bold vision has now become a reality, showcasing the strength and depth of the partnership. “This achievement is a powerful reminder of what can be accomplished through cooperation and shared vision. It stands as a testament to our commitment to sustainable development, energy security, and the enduring friendship between our nations,” he added.

The project, initially scheduled for completion in 2017, faced delays due to geographical challenges, flash floods, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the discovery of a significant shear zone at the dam foundation.

Despite these obstacles, the project successfully navigated these challenges.

Chief Engineer of the Department of Energy, Ugyen, said that this is a historic moment since a Francis turbine for a mega project is used for the first time in the country. “All existing hydropower plants currently in operation use Pelton turbines.”

As testing and commissioning of the initial turbines begin, the remaining units are scheduled to come online in the coming months. By December, all six turbines are expected to be operational and will start feeding power into the grid.

The chief engineer added that they don’t have to wait for all six units to spin. “These two units will now undergo some tests, and once done, it will feed electricity into the grid in the coming days,” he said.

The project, with an estimated cost of Nu 94.45 billion, has already achieved several key milestones, including the reservoir filling on February 21, the filling of headrace tunnel on June 27, tailrace tunnel on August 2 and the pressure shaft on August 12.

The PHPA-II is jointly implemented by the Bhutanese government and the government of India. The project currently has 763 employees and another 2,944 workers on-site as of July 31, 2023.

Thinley Namgay

The National Centre for Hydrology and Meteorology (NCHM) has concluded that the flash flood in Dechencholing on August 10 was most likely caused by a convective thunderstorm.

This type of thunderstorm, typically seen during summer and spring, results from a combination of moisture, instability, and lifting. For a convective thunderstorm to develop, several conditions must be met – a surface dew point of at least 55 degrees Fahrenheit, atmospheric instability, and sufficient lifting to overcome low-level convective inhibition.

Instability occurs when a parcel of air is warmer than the surrounding environmental air and rises on its own, while lifting enables air in the lower levels of the troposphere to overcome low-level convective inhibition.

A technical team from the NCHM, and the Department of Geology and Mines, inspected the affected watershed on August 13. Their investigation revealed that intense rainfall had saturated the soil, leading to landslides. These landslides, along with temporary damming caused by debris and landslide-induced blockages in tributaries, significantly worsened the flood’s impact.

However, according to the NCHM, the magnitude of the flood was aggravated due to temporary damming caused by landslides and large debris dislodged into the main river from at least one of the tributaries. 

The NCHM observed that there are five tributaries located on the left side of the main stream and two on the right. There were also signs of flooding in most of the tributaries.

Contrary to local rumors suggesting the flood was caused by a lake outburst, the NCHM confirmed that aerial images showed no such lake upstream. The catchment area, covering 17 square kilometres, is well-forested.

Dechencholing is situated on an alluvial fan of the Dechencholing chhu, and there was evidence of floods having occurred in the past at Dechencholing, according to the NCHM.

NCHM Director Karma Dupchu announced plans to install a manual early warning system upstream of Dechencholing to provide quick information to the residents in the future.

The specialist and head of Cryosphere Service Division of the NCHM, Toeb Karma,  said that flash floods occurring in the country should be understood within the context of climate change.

He pointed out that Bhutan’s vulnerability is heightened by the fact that many settlements are located near streams. He added that the natural course of river flows should not be disturbed by developmental activities.

“While there is little we can do to prevent flash floods, we must learn to adapt by integrating science-based information into developmental activities,” Toeb Karma said. “Understanding and preparing for these events with accurate scientific data is crucial for minimising future impacts.”