༉ སྐྱེས་ལོ་༢༥ ལང་མི་ མཆོད་རྟེན་ཚེ་རིང་གིས་ ཐིམ་ཕུག་གི་ས་གནས་ པཱམ་ཚོ་ལུ་ སྐྱེས་ལོ་༡༣ ལང་མི་ བུམོ་ཅུང་ཅིག་ལུ་ དབང་བཙོང་ལུས་འབྲེལ་དང་ དམར་བསད་འབད་མི་ལུ་བརྟེན་ ཁ་ཙ་ ཐིམ་ཕུག་རྫོང་ཁག་ཁྲིམས་འདུན་གྱི་ བཟའ་ཚང་དང་ཨ་ལོའི་ཁྲིམས་ཁྲི་གིས་ བཙོན་ཁྲིམས་ཚེ་བཙོན་བཀལ་ནུག།
དམར་བསད་འབད་བའི་བཙོན་ཁྲིམས་ ཚེ་བཙོན་བཀལ་ཡོདཔ་མ་ཚད་ དབང་བཙོང་ལུས་འབྲེལ་འབད་བའི་ བཙོན་ཁྲིམས་ལོ་༡༤ བཀལ་མི་ཚུ་ རིམ་བཞིན་འབག་དགོཔ་ད་ ཁྲིམས་འདུན་གྱི་ འཁྲུན་ཆོད་དེ་གིས་ མ་འོངས་པ་ལུ་ དེ་བཟུམ་མའི་ བྱ་ངན་ཚུ་ འབྱུང་མ་བཅུག་པར་ བཀག་ཆ་འབད་ཚུགས་ནི་ཨིན་མས།
ཉེས་ཅན་དེ་ལུ་ ཉེས་འཛུགས་ཁག་༢ བཀལ་ཡོད་མི་དེ་ཡང་ སྐྱེས་ལོ་༡༢ ཡན་ཆད་འབད་མི་ ཨ་ལོ་ལུ་ དབང་བཙོང་ལུས་འབྲེལ་དང་ དམར་བསད་འབད་ནི་དེ་གིས་ཨིན་པས།
ཁྲིམས་འདུན་གྱིས་ གྲོས་ཐག་བཅད་མི་དེ་ལུ་ ཁུངས་དོན་ཅན་གྱི་སྒྲུབ་བྱེད་ཚུ་གིས་ རྒྱབ་སྐྱོར་འབད་ཡོདཔ་ད་ དེ་ཡང་ མཆོད་རྟེན་ཚེ་རིང་གིས་ རྫུན་ཁ་བཟེད་མི་དང་ སི་སི་ཊི་བི་པར་ཆས་ནང་ ཁོ་གིས་ བྱ་ངན་འབད་སའི་ས་ཁོངས་ནང་ ལྷོད་པའི་སྐབས་དང་ བྱ་ངན་འབད་སའི་ས་ཁོངས་དེ་ ལོག་བཟོ་སྐྲུན་འབད་ཡོད་པའི་གློག་བརྙན་ ཕོ་མོའི་གཟུགས་ཁམས་བརྟག་དཔྱད་ཀྱི་སྙན་ཞུ་ དེ་ལས་ ཁོ་གི་ནང་འབྲེལ་འབད་ཡོད་པའི་ བདེན་ཁུངས་ཚུ་ཨིན་པས།
ཉེས་ཅན་དེ་ མོང་སྒར་ལས་ཨིནམ་ད་ ཁོ་ར་ ཐིམ་ཕུག་ལུ་ ཚོང་ཁང་ཅིག་ནང་ ལཱ་འབད་དོ་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་མས།
རྩོད་དཔོན་ཡོངས་ཁྱབ་ཡིག་ཚང་གིས་ སྤྱི་ཟླ་༧ པའི་ཚེས་༡༦ ལུ་ ཁྲིམས་ཀྱི་འདུན་སར་ རྩོད་གཞི་དེ་ ཐོ་བཀོད་འབད་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།

རྒྱབ་ཁུངས།
སྤྱི་ཟླ་༥ པའི་ཚེས་༢༣ གྱི་དྲོ་པ་ ཉམས་རྒུདཔ་དེ་གིས་ བདེ་ཆེན་ཕུག་ལྷ་ཁང་ནང་འགྱོ་ནིའི་དོན་ལུ་ མོ་རའི་ཁྱིམ་ནང་ལས་ ཆ་རོགས་ཅིག་དང་འཕྱད་པར་ སོང་ཡོདཔ་ད་ དེ་བསྒང་ མོ་རའི་ཆ་རོགས་ཚུ་ ཧེ་མ་ལས་ སོང་ཡོདཔ་ལས་ མོ་ར་ རྟིང་ཤུལ་བདའ་སྟེ་ རྐང་སྟོང་སྦེ་ བདེ་ཆེན་ཕུག་ལྷ་ཁང་ནང་སོང་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
མོ་ར་ ས་ཁོངས་ནང་ རྐང་སྟོང་འབད་འགྱོ་མི་དེ་ མཇུག་ར་ མཆོད་རྟེན་ཚེ་རིང་དང་ཕྱད་མི་དེ་ཨིནམ་ད་ དེ་བསྒང་ཁོ་ར་ གཡུར་ཟམ་གུ་ ཏམ་ཁུ་འཐུང་སྟེ་ སྡོད་ཡོདཔ་སྦེ་མཐོང་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
དོགས་ཅན་གྱིས་ ཉམས་རྒུདཔ་དེ་ལུ་ བང་བཙོང་སྟེ་ ནགས་ཚལ་ནང་ འདྲུད་བདའ་མ་འགྱོ་བའི་ཧེ་མར་ ཁོང་༢ མི་ཊར་དག་པ་ཅིག་ ལམ་འགྱོ་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
ཚེ་འདས་ཀྱིས་ ཉན་མ་བཏུབ་པའི་སྐབས་ ཉེས་ཅན་དེ་གིས་ མོ་ལུ་ བརྡུང་རྫོབ་འབད་བའི་ཁར་ དབང་བཙོང་ལུས་འབྲེལ་ཡང་འབད་ཡོདཔ་ད་ ཁོ་གིས་ མོ་གི་ཁ་གུ་ ས་བཀབ་ཞིནམ་ལས་ རག་ཅུང་གིས་ མོ་གི་ཨོལ་ལྐོག་བསྡམས་ཏེ་ བསད་ཡོདཔ་ད་ དེ་གི་ཤུལ་ལས་ ཁོ་གིས་ མོ་གི་གཟུགས་དེ་ དཀྱི་ར་དང་ ཤིང་གི་འདབ་མ་སྐམ་ཚུ་བཀབ་སྟེ་ སྦ་བཞག་ཞིནམ་ལས་ རྡོ་གིས་ མོ་གི་མགུ་ཏོ་གུ་ བརྡུང་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
ཤི་བའི་ཤུལ་ལུ་ བརྟག་དཔྱད་འབད་བའི་སྐབས་ ཤི་རྐྱེན་གྱི་ གནད་དོན་དེ་ ཨིསི་ཕི་སི་ཡ་ཨིནམ་སྦེ་ ངོས་འཛིན་འབད་ཡོདཔ་ད་ དེ་ཡང་ ས་གིས་ ཁ་བསུབས་མི་དང་ ཀླདཔ་གུ་གནོད་སྐྱོན་རྐྱབ་མི་ལུ་བརྟེན་ ཤི་རྐྱེན་བྱུང་ཡོད་པའི་ མངོན་གསལ་བྱུང་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
ཉམས་རྒུདཔ་དེ་ སློབ་རིམ་༦ པའི་སློབ་ཕྲུག་ཅིག་ཨིནམ་ད་ མོ་ར་ ཁྱིམ་ནང་མ་ལྷོད་པའི་ཤུལ་ལས་ སྙན་ཞུ་འབད་ཡོདཔ་ད་ མོ་གི་ཕུངམ་དེ་ ཁྲིམས་སྲུང་འགག་པའི་ འཚོལ་ཞིབ་སྡེ་ཚན་གྱིས་ དེ་གི་ནངས་པར་ སྤྱི་ཟླ་༥ པའི་ཚེས་༢༤ ལུ་ ཐོབ་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
ཁྲིམས་སྲུང་འགག་པ་གིས་ དོགས་ཅན་དེ་ པཱམ་ཚོ་ལུ་ སྒྲིང་ཁྱིམ་གྱི་ ཉེ་འདབས་ལུ་ཡོད་མི་ སི་སི་ཊི་བི་པར་ཆས་ནང་ལས་ ངོས་འཛིན་འབད་ཡོདཔ་ད་ པར་ཆས་དེ་གིས་ དོགས་ཅན་དེ་ ཉམས་རྒུདཔ་གི་ཤུལ་ལས་ ཁོ་ར་རྐྱངམ་གཅིག་སྦེ་ འགྱོ་སར་མཐོང་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
བྱ་ངན་གྱི་ཤུལ་ལས་ ཉེས་ཅན་དེ་གིས་ སྤ་རོ་ལུ་ བྱོག་སོང་ཡོདཔ་ད་ འཚོལ་ཞིབ་འབད་བའི་མཐའ་མར་ སྤྱི་ཟླ་༥ པའི་ཚེས་༣༠ལུ་ སྤ་རོ་ རཱམ་ཐང་ཀ་ལས་ འཛིན་བཟུང་འབད་ཚུགས་ཡོདཔ་ད་ ཁྲིམས་སྲུང་འགག་པ་གིས་ ཁོ་གི་ འགྲུལ་འཕྲིན་ཊ་ཝར་ས་གོ་ ལག་ལེན་འཐབ་སྟེ་ འཚོལ་ཐོབ་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
དྲི་དཔྱད་འབད་བའི་སྐབས་ ཁོ་གིས་ སྨྱོ་རྫས་ཀེ་ཧང་དང་ ཆང་གི་དབང་ལུ་ཐལ་ཏེ་ བུམོ་དེ་ བསད་ཡོདཔ་སྦེ་ ཁ་བཟེད་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
ཉེས་ཅན་དེ་གིས་ ཧེ་མ་ལས་ ཁྲིམས་འགལ་བྱ་ངན་འབད་ཡོད་པའི་ ཐོ་ཡིག་ཡོདཔ་ད་ དེ་ཡང་ ཁོ་གིས་ བུམ་ཐང་ལུ་ ངན་ལྷད་གནོད་འཚེ་འབད་བའི་ ཉེས་འཛུགས་འབད་འདུག་པའི་གནས་ཚུལ།

བཙན་སྐྱོགས་དབང་འདུས།

༉ འབྲུག་གསར་བཏོད་གྲོས་འཛོམས་ནང་ དགེ་ལེགས་ཕུག་དྲན་ཤེས་ཁྲོམ་ཚོགས་ ཇི་ཨེམ་སི་གི་ བཟོ་བཀོདཔ་ ཇཱར་ཀི་ ཨིན་ཇེལསི་གིས་ དགེ་ལེགས་ཕུག་དྲན་ཤེས་ཁྲོམ་ཚོགས་ཀྱི་སྐོར་ལས་ གསལ་བཤད་འབད་ཡོད་པའི་གནས་ཚུལ།

༉ བློན་ཚེ་རིང་སྟོབས་རྒྱས་ཀྱིས་ སྤ་རོ་ དུང་དཀར་རྫོང་ནང་ འབྲུག་གསར་བཏོད་གྲོས་འཛོམས་ འགོ་བཙུགས་མ་བཙུགས་པའི་ཧེ་མར་ སྐུ་མགྲོན་ཚུ་ལུ་ བྱོན་པ་ལེགས་སོའི་ གསུང་བཤད་གནང་ཡོདཔ་ད་ གྲོས་འཛོམས་ནང་ རྒྱལ་ཁབ་༥༠ ལྷགཔ་ཅིག་ལས་ འཐུས་མི་ཚུ་གིས་ གྲལ་གཏོགས་འབད་ཡོད་པའི་གནས་ཚུལ།

༉ ད་རིས་དྲོ་པ་ སྤ་རོ་སྤང་སྦིས་ས་ དུང་དཀར་རྫོང་ནང་ འགོ་འབྱེད་འབད་མི་ འབྲུག་གསར་བཏོད་གྲོས་འཛོམས་ནང་ འགོ་བཙུགས་ཀྱི་ གསལ་བཤད་འབད་མི་ བི་བི་སི་གི་ གནས་ཚུལ་གསལ་བཤདཔ་ མཱཀ་ ལོ་བེལ་དང་ ས་མེན་ཐ་ སའེ་མཱོནཌིསི།

Chencho Dema

The Family and Child Bench of the Thimphu District Court yesterday sentenced 25-year-old Choten Tshering to life imprisonment for the rape and murder a 13-year-old girl in Pamtsho, Thimphu.

In addition to the life sentence for murder, the culprit was handed a 14-year sentence for rape, which will be served consecutively. This ruling aims to deter similar heinous crimes in the future.

The convict was charged for two offences—rape of a child above the age of 12 years and murder.

The court’s decision was supported by substantial evidence, including Choten Tshering’s guilty plea, CCTV footage of him approaching the crime scene, a crime reconstruction video, genital examination reports, and DNA evidence confirming his involvement.

The convict is from Mongar and was working in one of the shops in Thimphu.

The Office of the Attorney General registered the case with the court on July 16.

Background

On the morning of May 23, the victim left her home to visit a friend, planning to go to Dechenphu Lhakhang. Her friends had already left for the Lhakhang and she followed her friends on foot, towards the Dechenphu Lhakhang.

She was last seen walking toward the site when she encountered Choten Tshering, who was seated on a culvert, smoking.

They walked a few metres before the suspect forcibly dragged the victim to the forest.

When the deceased resisted, the convict assaulted and raped the victim. He covered her mouth with soil, strangled her with a rachu (scarf). He then concealed her body with her kira and dry leaves, before striking her head with a rock.

A post-mortem examination confirmed the cause of death as asphyxia due to ligature strangulation and choking from soil, alongside a traumatic brain injury from blunt force trauma.

The victim, a Class VI student, was reported missing when she did not return home. Her body was discovered by police search parties the following day on May 24.

The police identified the convict through CCTV footage from a nearby building in Pamtsho.  The camera had captured the suspect walking alone shortly after the victim.

Following the incident, the convict had fled to Paro. A manhunt for the convict was launched, eventually arresting him from Ramthangka in Paro on May 30. The police managed to track him down using his mobile tower location.

During the interrogation, he confessed to murdering the girl while under the influence of marijuana and alcohol.

The convict has a past criminal record, having been convicted of malicious mischief in Bumthang.

YK Poudel

Agribusiness development in Bhutan faces significant challenges, primarily due to weak private sector participation, a lack of viable projects, and underdeveloped commodity value chains. These barriers have created a disconnect between agricultural enterprises and financial institutions, hindering effective investment and growth.

The challenges are currently being discussed at the Bhutan Country Investment Roundtable, which includes over 25 representatives from financial institutions, agri-businesses, and international agencies

The meeting, organised by the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific in collaboration with the Asia-Pacific Rural and Agricultural Credit Association (APRACA), aimed to enhance rural financial services across Bhutan and other Asia-Pacific nations.

Participants engaged in discussions about viable agribusiness plans, identified key challenges, and explored innovative financing solutions with a diverse range of stakeholders.

Sonam Pelgen, a senior planning officer at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, highlighted critical issues, including low financial literacy among farmers, restrictive collateral policies, and high-interest rates.

Sonam Pelgen brought to the fore a concerning 24.5 percent decline in agricultural credit in 2022-23. Key findings from a recent scoping study in Bhutan revealed that insufficient private sector participation and a lack of bankable projects hinder progress.

“There is a need to improve policies that facilitate greater private sector involvement in agribusiness development,” he emphasised.

Agriculture plays a vital role in Bhutan’s economy, employing 43.5 percent of the workforce and contributing 14.57 percent to the GDP. The sector’s contribution increased from Nu 12.117 billion in 2008 to Nu 33.422 billion in 2022.

Despite this growth, financing for rural and agricultural enterprises remains limited due to various factors, including inadequate financial infrastructure and an emerging digital finance landscape.

The investment roundtable aimed to create a platform for stakeholders to address these challenges and identify actionable strategies for improving access to finance.

Participants included representatives from financial institutions, farmer organisations, and agribusiness SMEs, who shared insights on developing viable agribusiness proposals.

Tshering D Dorji, a project officer at the Royal Monetary Authority, emphasised the need for supportive macro-economic conditions. “The macro-economic indicators are not favorable for the agri-business sector to thrive with the existing challenges.”

However, he said, the National Financial Inclusion Strategy 2018-2023 worked to establish an appropriate and affordable financial system.

Tshering D Dorji, emphasised the necessity of supportive macroeconomic conditions. “The macroeconomic indicators are not favorable for the agribusiness sector to thrive given the existing challenges.”

However, he noted that the National Financial Inclusion Strategy 2018-2023 has been working to establish a more appropriate and affordable financial system.

“We need to demystify bankability issues for small and medium-sized rural projects,” he added. “The budget for cottage and small industry, as well as the economic stimulus programme, are among the various supports available for farmers in the business.”

Prasun Kumar Das, secretary general of APRACA, said that the forum aimed to foster dialogue and collaboration among stakeholders to enhance financial inclusion and access to digital technologies in the agricultural sector.

“Key recommendations include enhancing financial literacy, expanding infrastructure and networks, developing innovative financial products and services, and strengthening consumer protection,” he said. “These recommendations will take time to be reviewed and implemented, tailored to the country’s context through consultations and collaborative policies to encourage technological innovation.”

During the meeting, participants discussed the potential for investing in research and development, improving policies for private sector participation, and addressing interest rates for farmers. Proposed forums will also seek investment from private sector partners and international development agencies.

The investment roundtable is part of a broader technical co-operation programme involving Bhutan and four other countries: Bangladesh, Laos, Nepal, and the Solomon Islands.

This initiative aims to enhance rural financial services and foster agribusiness development in the region.

The roundtable provided a platform for discussing these challenges and identifying potential solutions. Participants emphasised the importance of improving financial literacy among farmers, enhancing financial infrastructure, and leveraging digital finance to address existing gaps.

An action-oriented plan has been developed, outlining specific steps, responsibilities, and timelines for implementing the strategic recommendations. The plan highlights the importance of monitoring and evaluation to ensure accountability and track progress.

The Bhutan Country Investment Roundtable is the third consultation meeting for the Technical Cooperation Programme, with additional forums scheduled for later this year.

Following the roundtable, participants will attend a rural finance training session from October 1 to 5, to further enhance their understanding of rural finance challenges and solutions.

KP Sharma

To strengthen the partnership between the Parliament and the private sector and to ensure that business voices are included in the legislative process, the Parliament launched the Parliament-Private Sector Collaboration Strategy yesterday.

The strategy is designed to improve communication channels, promote legislative engagement, and support Bhutan’s 13th Plan.  It comes at a crucial time when the private sector is facing stagnant growth despite being recognised as a key driver of the economy.

In 2022, Bhutan’s domestic revenue reached Nu 35.855 billion, with state-owned enterprises (SOEs) contributing around 55 percent of this total. In contrast, the private sector accounted for only 45 percent, highlighting its limited capacity.

The private sector is confronted with numerous challenges, including insufficient collaboration with the government, minimal involvement in economic planning, and difficulties in talent retention. Additional issues include limited access to finance and regulatory constraints.

While market interventions are often well-intentioned, they have occasionally resulted in inefficiencies, underscoring the need for coordinated collaboration and reform.

The 13th Plan sets an ambitious target of achieving a GDP of USD 10 billion by 2034, a goal that necessitates close cooperation between the government and the private sector, along with a clear roadmap to tackle existing challenges.

The new strategy outlines four key areas for collaboration: conducting legislative consultations and impact assessments with stakeholders to formulate supportive policies; addressing critical private sector development issues; promoting transparency and accountability; and strengthening engagement with local business communities across the dzongkhags.

It also includes plans for annual Parliament-private sector meetings to improve communication and build capacity through training and exposure.

The Speaker of the National Assembly, Lungten Dorji, said that this initiative will not only address current challenges within the sector but also empower the private sector.

The Chairperson of the National Council, Sangay Dorji, described the strategy’s launch as a milestone in the relationship between Parliament and the private sector, marking a significant shift in recognising the role of the private sector.

“The launch aims to create an environment where the private sector’s concerns are heard and raised through appropriate platforms that include various representations,” he said.

The President of Bhutan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Tandy Wangchuk, said that the strategy was prepared following consultations with former and current parliamentarians. “It provides a formal mechanism for the private sector to engage with Parliament on laws and regulations,” he said.

The Executive Director of the Handicrafts Association of Bhutan, Chorten Dorji, highlighted that the strategy will enable better harmonisation of policies and rules between the government and the private sector, overcoming previous policy constraints that hindered development.

The project is part of the Voice for Green Change Partnership (V4GCP), led by the Handicrafts Association of Bhutan, in collaboration with BCCI and other business sector associations, with support from the Parliament of Bhutan.

As the world faces unprecedented environmental and social crises, Bhutan stands quietly as a picture of hope and resilience. Often overshadowed by global powers, Bhutan’s contributions to sustainable living and climate action have been revolutionary, even if the world hasn’t fully realised it yet. We are already a living model of how humanity can balance development with the environment, culture, and well-being. This leadership has never been more critically necessary than it is today.

Globally, the scale of climate change is stark: rising temperatures, frequent natural disasters, and the degradation of ecosystems are pushing the planet towards an uncertain future. Many nations, despite promises, are falling short in their efforts to tackle the crisis. Amid this global chaos, Bhutan’s commitment to being carbon-negative—a nation that absorbs more carbon than it emits—serves as a powerful example of what’s possible. This achievement is not an easy feat for a developing country. Yet, we have managed it through careful stewardship of its environment, with more than 70 percent of our land covered in forests and the majority of our energy needs being met by renewable sources, particularly hydropower.

But the world isn’t just facing an environmental crisis; it’s grappling with a crisis of values. As nations prioritise economic growth at all costs, Bhutan has consistently placed the happiness and well-being of its citizens at the heart of national policy. GNH, introduced in the 1970s by His Majesty the Fourth King, remains a revolutionary concept. While the rest of the world obsesses over GDP as the sole indicator of success, Bhutan’s leadership shows that true progress is about much more. It’s about the quality of life, mental well-being, environmental sustainability, and cultural preservation.

Today, our GNH framework resonates globally, as countries come to terms with the flaws in their growth-at-all-costs models. While GDP might indicate rising national wealth, it rarely reflects rising inequality, environmental degradation, or societal unhappiness. Bhutan, by focusing on holistic well-being, reminds the world that happiness and sustainability can—and should—be the end goals of development.

Consider the global mental health crisis as just one example. Rates of anxiety and depression have surged worldwide, especially in highly developed nations. The emphasis on relentless productivity and consumerism has led to a sense of emptiness for many, where economic success has been prioritised over personal well-being. Bhutan’s message of mindfulness and balance speaks directly to these challenges. It emphasises that societal progress should not come at the cost of human happiness or environmental health.

Beyond mental well-being, our leadership on the global stage is also significant in shaping dialogues on climate responsibility. As the impacts of climate change worsen, especially for small and developing nations, the world needs new models of sustainability. Bhutan, as a small country that’s still developing economically, has demonstrated that economic progress and environmental responsibility are not mutually exclusive. The international community can no longer ignore that small nations like Bhutan can lead the way in climate action, setting an example for larger, wealthier nations to follow.

Bhutan’s leadership isn’t just about policy; it’s about action. Our leadership in environmental conservation, our commitment to renewable energy, and our GNH-centered development model all offer the world a tangible pathway forward. Bhutan’s decision to prioritise forests, water, and natural resources over short-term economic gains should be more than admirable—it’s essential in an age where natural resources are rapidly depleting.

The Bhutan Innovation Forum (BIF) is a timely reminder of Bhutan’s willingness to embrace modern solutions while preserving the integrity of our values. By blending eco-friendly entrepreneurship with cultural preservation, Bhutan shows that it is not stuck in the past but is creatively charting its future. The Forum brings together global leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators to imagine a future that respects both tradition and progress, aligning perfectly with Bhutan’s goals of mindfulness, sustainability, and ethical growth.

The world is at a critical juncture. Global efforts to combat climate change, preserve cultural identities, and enhance mental well-being are faltering, but Bhutan offers a way forward. The world needs a vision and t courage to walk a different path. BIF provides the best space to think beyong today.

Chencho Dema

Punakha—Seventy-three-year-old Dorji Rinchen, a resident of Toedwang gewog in Punakha, no longer has to sacrifice his sleep to guard his six acres of wetland from wild boars and other animals. Thanks to a new initiative by the Royal Society for Protection of Nature, the burden of watching over his fields until dawn has been lifted.

The electric fencing project was inaugurated yesterday—a significant step in the fight against human-wildlife conflict.

The fencing, which has been implemented in six villages, benefits 42 households and protects around 90 acres of farmland. This 17-kilometre stretch of electric fencing was funded at a cost of Nu 2.5 million and is part of a five-year project aimed at developing ecosystem-based solutions for managing biodiversity in the country.

The initiative is supported by the International Climate Initiative and the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection of the German Government. This project, which was started in 2021,  will end in 2026.

The senior project officer for the Sustainable Livelihood Division with RSPN, Karma Wangchuk, said that the electric fencing serves multiple objectives centered on containment, protection, and deterrence.

“Its primary goals include containment of livestock, protection of crops and property, enhanced security, reduction of predator threats, minimisation of human-wildlife conflicts, and providing a cost-effective solution,” he said.

Dorji Rinchen said that the community had built 11 temporary sheds around the fields for protection, with one person from each household taking turns to guard the crops overnight.

Phub Namgay, another resident, said that half of their produce was often lost to wild animals, preventing them from generating sufficient income.

However, since the installation of the electric fencing, there have been no reported attacks on crops as the paddy harvest season approaches.

Karma Wangchuk said that these livelihood interventions are designed to protect the critically endangered White-Bellied Heron (WBH) and its habitat.

Prior to the project’s implementation, residents were cutting timber from the nearby banks of the Phochhu River to create poles for fencing. This threatened local wildlife and highlighted the need for sustainable solutions to protect both the environment and the community’s livelihoods

Currently, High-Density Poly-ethylene (HDPE) pipes are used for the electric fence. The HDPE poles not only reduce the impact on local forests but also enhance the durability and effectiveness of the fencing system.

A juvenile WBH was spotted in Samdingkha last year.

As per 2024 survey, there are 25 WBH and three WBHs were spotted along upstream of Punatsangchhu.

Thinley Namgay

Bhutan will host the AFC Challenge League Group Stage competition for the first time at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu, between October 26 and November 1.

The tournament will feature Paro FC, the defending champions of the Bhutan Premier League, along with three international teams: East Bengal FC from India, Nejmeh Sporting Club from Lebanon, and Bashundhara Kings FC from Bangladesh.

Established in 2018, Paro FC will be remembered as the first team from Bhutan to ever play in the Group Stage of the AFC Challenge League, which is regarded as one of the major tournaments in the Asian region. The team qualified after a 2-1 win against Nepal’s Church Boys United in August.

Paro FC’s first match will be against East Bengal FC on October 26 at 5 PM (BST).

Based in Kolkata, East Bengal FC is a prominent competitor in the Indian Super League and is recognised as one of India’s strongest teams.

Each team will face the others once. Following their match against East Bengal FC, Paro FC will compete against Nejmeh Sporting Club on October 29 and Bashundhara Kings on November 1.

Nejmeh Sporting Club, one of Lebanon’s oldest clubs, was founded in 1945 and competes in the Lebanese Premier League.

Bashundhara Kings, based in Dhaka, has been part of the Bangladesh Premier League since 2013.

Paro FC’s players and officials are optimistic about the upcoming matches. Their training has remained focused, aided by their participation in the ongoing BoB Bhutan Premier League.

Paro FC’s head coach, Puspalal Sharma, said the team is prepared, and the mood among the players is promising. “We are on the verge of winning the 2024 BoB Bhutan Premier League, which would mark our fifth title.”

With two matches remaining in the Bhutan Premier league, Paro FC currently leads with 43 points from 16 games, with their next match against BFF Academy FC in Paro.

Puspalal Sharma added that the opponents for the AFC Challenge League Group Stage are all strong, but the team will ensure a competitive performance. The opponents are all new to Paro FC.

“AFC Challenge League Group Stage provides an opportunity for our players to learn from others and become more competitive. I am hopeful that my team will do their best,” Puspalal Sharma said.

The team currently has eight international players. Japanese football icon Keisuke Honda will not participate in the upcoming competition but may return for Paro FC’s final game in the 2024 Bhutan Premier League.

The AFC Challenge League Group Stage will include 21 teams from across Asia, hosted in various countries.

Dechen Dolkar

The 1,020 MW Punatshangchu-II Hydroelectric Project (PHPA-II) is projected to incur a revenue loss of around Nu 3.18 billion over the next three months due to water seepage issues at its powerhouse.

This estimated loss is based on the proposed tariff for PHPA-II, which is still under negotiation.

The Minister for Energy and Natural Resources, Gem Tshering, said that the government has proposed a tariff of Nu 5.8 per unit of electricity generated by the project while the Indian government has offered Nu 5.1 to Nu 5.2 per unit.

Lyonpo said that the final tariff rate is still under discussion and is expected to be finalised within this month.

PHPA-II consists of six generating units, each with a capacity of 170 MW. The project management initially aimed to commission two units by September and test an additional two units during the same month, with full commissioning of all six units targeted for December.

If the two units had been commissioned on schedule and based on the lower proposed tariff of Nu 5.2 per unit, the government could have earned around Nu 2.55 billion from electricity exports in October and November. For December, due to reduced water levels, revenue from one unit was projected at Nu 636.48 million, bringing the total expected revenue for the three months to Nu 3.18 billion.

However, the water seepage problem has delayed the full commissioning of PHPA-II by several months. The project management has not provided a precise timeline for the delay, as the water-conducting system is still being dewatered.

Lyonpo Gem Tshering said that the dewatering and refilling process may take about three months.

“The management plans to commission two units by December, despite the low water levels during that period,” he said.

Currently, the project team is dewatering the tunnel and installing false ceilings. The dam’s water level has been lowered by a few metres to empty the headrace tunnel, surge shaft, and pressure shaft. This process is expected to take over a month, with an additional similar timeframe required to refill the water conductor system.

Installation of electro-mechanical equipment will resume once the false ceilings are in place, a process that is expected to take approximately three months.

Water seepage in the machine hall of the powerhouse was first detected on August 13, with a flow rate of about four litres per second.

A technical group convened on September 5 and recommended immediate remedial actions, including the installation of false ceilings in the powerhouse cavern and service bay, alongside dewatering the water-conducting system.

The total cost of the PHPA-II project is estimated at Nu 94.45 billion.

༉ ཕྱིའི་རྒྱལ་ཁབ་ ཨཱསི་ཊེ་ལི་ཡ་ལུ་ སྐྱོད་ཐམ་གྱི་ ལམ་ལུགས་བསྒྱུར་བཅོས་དང་ འབྲུག་ལུ་ ཞི་གཡོགཔ་ཚུ་གི་ ཟླ་རིམ་གྱི་ དངུལ་ཕོགས་ཡར་སེང་འབད་རུང་ སྤྱི་ལོ་༢༠༢༤ ལུ་ སློབ་དཔོན་ནང་ལས་ དགོངས་ཞུ་འབད་མིའི་གྱངས་ཁ་དེ་ མར་བབས་མ་འགྱོ་བར་ ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
ཤེས་རིག་དང་རིག་རྩལ་གོང་འཕེལ་ལྷན་ཁག་དང་འཁྲིལ་བ་ཅིན་ དུས་ཅི་ སྤྱི་ཟླ་༡ པ་ལས་ ཟླ་༩ པའི་ནང་འཁོད་ལུ་ དམིགས་བསལ་ངལ་གསོ་མ་བརྩིས་བར་ སློབ་དཔོན་༢༤༧ གྱིས་ དགོངས་ཞུ་འབདཝ་ད་ སྤྱིར་བཏང་ཟླཝ་རེ་ལུ་ སློབ་དཔོན་༢༧ གྱིས་ དགོངས་ཞུ་འབད་ནུག།
སྤྱི་ལོ་༢༠༢༣ ལུ་ སློབ་དཔོན་༣༧༡ གིས་ དགོངས་ཞུ་འབད་ཡོདཔ་ལས་ དུས་ཅི་ ལོ་མཇུག་བསྡུ་བའི་སྐབས་ ན་ཧིང་ལས་ལྷགཔ་སྦེ་ དགོངས་ཞུ་འབད་འོང་ག་ ངེས་མེད་ཐོག་ལུ་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
སློབ་དཔོན་ཚུ་གིས་ ཕྱིའི་རྒྱལ་ཁབ་ལུ་ ཤེས་ཡོན་སྦྱང་པར་ འགྱོ་ནིའི་དོན་ལུ་ དགོངས་ཞུ་འབད་དོ་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
སྲིད་བྱུས་བསྒྱུར་བཅོས་དང་ ཨཱསི་ཊེ་ལི་ཡ་ལུ་ སྐྱོད་ཐམ་གྱི་ ལམ་ལུགས་དམ་སྒྲིང་བཟོ་ཡོད་རུང་ སློབ་དཔོན་དགོངས་ཞུ་འབད་མི་དེ་ བཀག་ཆ་འབད་མ་ཚུགས་པའི་ མངོན་གསལ་བྱུང་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
ཨཱསི་ཊེ་ལི་ཡ་ལུ་ སྐྱོན་ཐམ་དང་ ཕྱི་མི་ནང་སྐྱོད་ཀྱི་ལམ་ལུགས་ཚུ་ དམ་སྒྲིང་བཟོ་ཡོད་རུང་ དངུལ་ཕོགས་ལེགས་ཤོམ་དང་ ཁྱད་རིག་གོང་འཕེལ་ དེ་ལས་ ལཱ་གི་གནས་སྟངས་མ་འདྲཝ་ཚུ་ནང་ གོ་སྐབས་ལེན་མི་དེ་ འཕྲོ་མཐུད་དེ་ར་ ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
གནས་ཚུལ་བཤད་མི་ཚུ་དང་འཁྲིལ་བ་ཅིན་ འབྲུག་གི་ ཤེས་རིག་ལས་སྡེའི་ནང་འཁོད་ལུ་ གདོང་ལེན་ཡོདཔ་ལས་ སློབ་དཔོན་ཚུ་ དགོངས་ཞུ་འབད་ནི་ལས་ བཀག་མི་ཚུགས་དོ་ཡོདཔ་སྦེ་ཨིན་པས།
སློབ་དཔོན་ཚུ་ལུ་ ལཱ་ལྕི་དྲགས་དང་ མཐུན་རྐྱེན་ལངམ་མེདཔ་ལས་ རེ་བ་བསྐང་མི་ཚུགས་དོ་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
འབྲུག་གི་ཤེས་རིག་ལམ་ལུགས་ཀྱིས་ ཉམས་མྱོང་ཅན་གྱི་སློབ་དཔོན་ཚུ་ དགོངས་ཞུ་མ་འབད་བར་ བཞག་མི་ཚུགས་དོ་ཡོདཔ་ད་ འདས་པའི་ལོ་ཚུ་ལས་ མང་ཤོས་ཅིག་གིས་ ཕྱི་རྒྱལ་ལུ་ གོ་སྐབས་ལེགས་ཤོམ་འཚོལ་ཏེ་ འགྱོ་དོ་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
སྤྱི་ལོ་༢༠༢༤ ལུ་ སློབ་དཔོན་༧༩༧ གསར་བཙུགས་འབད་ཡོད་རུང་ རྒྱལ་ཁབ་ནང་ སློབ་དཔོན་༤༥༦ དེ་ཅིག་ མ་ལང་པར་ཡོདཔ་ད་ དེ་གིས་ དཀའ་ངལ་དུམ་གྲ་ཅིག་ སེལ་ཐབས་འབད་ཡོད་རུང་ སློབ་དཔོན་དགོངས་ཞུ་འབད་མི་གི་ གནད་དོན་ཧྲིལ་བུམ་སྦེ་ སེལ་ཐབས་འབད་མ་ཚུགས་པར་ ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
གསར་བཙུགས་འབད་མི་ སློབ་དཔོན་ཚུ་ལུ་ དཀའ་ངལ་འབྱུང་ནི་ཨིནམ་བཞིན་དུ་ གལ་སྲིད་ གནད་སྟངས་དེ་ དེ་སྦེ་ར་ སྡོད་པ་ཅིན་ འཕྲོ་མཐུད་དེ་ར་ གདོང་ལེན་འབྱུང་སྡོད་ནི་ཨིན་པས།
སློབ་དཔོན་དགོངས་ཞུ་འབད་མི་གིས་ འབྲུག་པའི་ ཤེས་རིག་སྤུས་ཚད་ལུ་ ཐོ་ཕོག་སྟེ་ཡོདཔ་ད་ ཉམས་མྱོང་ཅན་གྱི་ སློབ་དཔོན་ཚུ་ དགོངས་ཞུ་འབད་ཡོདཔ་ལས་ སྤྱིར་བཏང་ཤེས་རིག་གི་ སྤུས་ཚད་མར་འབབ་འགྱོ་ནི་བཟུམ་ཅིག་ཡོདཔ་ལས་ དེ་གིས་ སློབ་དཔོན་ཚུ་ལུ་ དཀའ་ངལ་འབྱུང་ནི་ཨིན་པས།
ད་ལྟོའི་ གནས་སྡུད་དང་འཁྲིལ་ཏེ་ དམིགས་བསལ་དུ་ དུས་ཅི་ ལོ་མཇུག་ལུ་ དགོངས་ཞུ་འབད་མིའི་གྱངས་ཁ་ ཡར་སེང་འགྱོ་ནི་བཟུམ་ཅིག་ཡོདཔ་བཞིན་དུ་ སློབ་དཔོན་དང་འབྲེལ་བའི་གདོང་ལེན་དེ་ འཕྲོ་མཐུད་འབྱུང་ནི་བཟུམ་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
སློབ་དཔོན་ཚུ་གིས་ བཀོད་མིའི་ནང་ ལཱ་གི་གནས་སྟངས་ཡར་དྲག་དང་ ཚེ་གཡོག་གོང་འཕེལ་གྱི་གོ་སྐབས་ དེ་ལས་ དོ་འགྲན་ཅན་གྱི་ སེམས་ཤུགས་མཐུན་རྐྱེན་ཚུ་བྱིན་ཏེ་ སློབ་དཔོན་ཚུ་ དགོངས་ཞུ་མ་འབད་བར་ བཞག་ནི་གི་ ཐབས་ལམ་དང་ ཐབས་བྱུས་ཚུ་ནང་ གཙོ་རིམ་བཟུང་དགོཔ་འདུག་ཟེར་ ཨིན་པའི་གནས་ཚུལ།

ཨོ་རྒྱན་རྡོ་རྗེ།

༉ སྐྱེས་ལོ་༣༥ ལང་མི་ འབྲུག་པའི་ཚོང་པ་ཅིག་ སྤྱི་ཟླ་༩ པའི་ཚེས་༢༥ གི་ཕྱི་རུ་ ངོ་མ་ཤེས་མི་༤ གིས་ ས་མཚམས་ཁྲོམ་སྡེ་ ཇའི་སྒང་ལུ་ ཨམ་ཇི་འཁོར་ལམ་ལུ་ཡོད་མི་ ཨིསི་ཊར་ གློག་བརྙན་ཁང་གི་སྦོ་ལོགས་ཁར་ བཙན་ཁྲིད་འབད་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
རྐྱེན་ངན་དེ་ཡང་ དེ་ཚེ་ ཕྱི་རུའི་ཆུ་ཚོད་༧ ལུ་ བྱུང་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
ཀུན་གསལ་དང་གཅིག་ཁར་ དྲི་དཔྱད་འབད་བའི་སྐབས་ ཉམས་རྒུདཔ་གིས་ ཁོ་ར་ ཇའི་སྒང་ལུ་ ཅ་ཆས་དག་པ་ཅིག་ ལོག་སྤྲོད་ནི་སྦེ་སོང་ཡི་ཟེར་ སླབ་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
ཁོ་རའི་ སྣུམ་འཁོར་གྱི་སྒོ་ཕྱེཝ་ཅིག་ བུཚ་ཅིག་གིས་ སྣུམ་འཁོར་ནང་འཛུལ་ཡོདཔ་བཞིན་དུ་ ཧང་སྟོང་མར་ མི་༤ གིས་ སྐད་རྐྱབ་སྟེ་ ག་ཅི་འབདཝ་ཨིན་ན་ཟེར་ སླབ་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
དེ་ལས་ ཁོང་གིས་ ང་དང་བུཚ་འདི་ སྨྱོ་རྫས་ནག་ཚོང་འཐབ་མི་སྦེ་ ཉེས་འཛུགས་འབད་ཡོདཔ་ད་ ཁོང་གིས་ ཁྲིམས་སྲུང་འགག་སྡེའི་ འགོ་དཔོན་ཨིན་ཟེར་སླབ་སྟེ་ ཁོང་གིས་ང་ལུ་ ཨ་ལི་པུར་ལུ་འཁྱིད་འགྱོ་ནི་ཟེར་ སླབ་ཡོདཔ་ད་ དེ་བསྒང་ ང་གནམ་མེད་ས་མེད་ཚ་གྱང་ལངས་ཏེ་ ག་ཅི་འབད་ནི་ཨིན་ན་མ་ཤེས་པའི་ཁར་ མི་ག་དང་གཅིག་ཁར་ཡང་ འབྲེལ་བ་འཐབ་མ་བཅུག་ཟེར་ སླབ་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
དོགས་པ་ཅན་༤ གིས་ བཙན་ཁྲིད་འབད་མ་འབད་བའི་ཧེ་མར་ ཉམས་རྒུདཔ་དང་ ཁོ་གི་གནས་སྟངས་སྐོར་ལས་ ཉིནམ་༤ གི་རིང་ བརྟག་ཞིབ་འབད་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
ཉམས་རྒུདཔ་གིས་ སླབ་མིའི་ནང་ དོགས་པ་ཅན་ཚུ་གིས་ ཁོ་རའི་ ཆ་རོགས་ཅིག་ལུ་ བརྒྱུད་འཕྲིན་བཏང་བཅུག་ཡོདཔ་མ་ཚད་ དང་པ་ར་ དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ས་ཡ་༡ སྲོག་རིན་དགོཔ་སྦེ་ སླབ་ཅི་ཟེར་ཨིནམ་ད་ ཨིན་རུང་ བདེ་སྒྲིག་འབད་བའི་ཤུལ་ལས་ དངུལ་ཀྲམ་དེ་ དངུལ་ཀྲམ་༤༠༠,༠༠༠ལུ་ མར་ཕབ་འབད་ཡི་ཟེར་ཨིན་པས།
དོགས་པ་ཅན་ཚུ་གི་གྲས་ལས་ གཅིག་གིས་ ཁོ་གི་སྣུམ་འཁོར་དེ་ ས་གནས་མ་ཤེསཔ་ཅིག་ནང་ བཏང་འགྱོ་བའི་ཁར་ ཁོང་གིས་ ངེ་གི་ཆ་རོགས་ལུ་ ལོག་འགྲུལ་འཕྲིན་བཏང་སྟེ་ མེ་ལ་ཐང་ནང་ འོང་དགོཔ་སྦེ་སླབ་ཡོདཔ་ད་ དེ་བསྒང་ ངེ་གི་ཆ་རོགས་དེ་གིས་ གནད་དོན་དེ་གི་སྐོར་ལས་ ཇའི་སྒང་གི་ ཁྲིམས་སྲུང་འགག་པ་ལུ་ སྙན་ཞུ་འབད་ནུག་ཟེར་ ཁོ་གིས་ བཤདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
ཉམས་རྒུད་པའི་ཆ་རོགས་གཅིག་ཁར་ ཇའི་སྒང་གི་ ཁྲིམས་སྲུང་འགག་པ་ཚུ་གིས་ གོ་ལ་གཞན་གྱོན་ཏེ་ ས་ཁོངས་ནང་ལྷོད་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་རུང་ སྐྱེས་ལོ་༣༡ ལང་མི་ དོགས་པ་ཅན་ ས་མི་འུལ་ སུ་བྷ་གིས་ ཁྲིམས་སྲུང་འགག་པ་ཨིན་པའི་ ངོས་འཛིན་འབད་ཡོདཔ་མ་ཚད་ ཁོ་རའི་ ཆ་རོགས་ཚུ་ལུ་ དེ་འཕྲོ་ལས་ བརྡ་ལན་འབད་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
ཁྲིམས་སྲུང་འགག་པ་ཚུ་ འོང་ཡོདཔ་ཤེས་པའི་སྐབས་ དོགས་ཅན་གཞན་༣ གྱིས་ ས་གནས་དེ་ཁར་ལས་ བྱོག་སོང་ཡོདཔ་ད་ ཉམས་རྒུདཔ་དེ་ ས་གོ་ནང་ར་ བཞག་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
དེ་ལས་ དམར་བསད་འབད་མི་གིས་ ཁོ་རའི་ ཆ་རོགས་ལུ་ ཁོ་ག་ཏེ་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་ན་སླབ་བྱིན་ཏེ་ མཐའན་མཇུག་ལུ་ སྲོག་སྐྱབས་འབད་ཚུགས་ནུག།
ཇའི་སྒང་གི་ ཁྲིམས་སྲུང་འགག་སྡེའི་ འགན་འཛིན་པ་ དཔལ་ཟར་ཚེ་རིང་བུ་ཊི་ཡ་གིས་ ཀུན་གསལ་ལུ་ སླབ་མིའི་ནང་ ཉམས་རྒུད་པའི་ ཆ་རོགས་ཅིག་ལུ་ ཁོ་གི་ཆ་རོགས་དེ་ བཙན་ཁྲིད་འབད་ཡོད་པའི་སྐོར་ལས་ སླབ་པའི་ཤུལ་ལུ་ ཁོ་ར་ གོ་པི་མོ་ཧཱན་ མེ་ལ་ཐང་ནང་ ཤོག་ཟེར་སླབ་སྟེ་ ང་བཅས་ཆ་ཁྱབ་ ཁོ་དང་གཅིག་ཁར་ འབྲེལ་བ་འཐབ་ཅི་ཟེར་ཨིན་པས།
ཁོ་གིས་ སླབ་མིའི་ནང་ བཙན་ཁྲིད་འབད་མི་གིས་ ཁོ་གི་ གྱོན་ཆས་ཀྱི་ཁ་གསལ་ཚུ་ གསལ་བཀོད་འབད་ཡོདཔ་ད་ སྟོད་གོ་ལ་སོགས་པ་ཚུ་ཡོད་མི་ལུ་བརྟེན་ བཙན་ཁྲིད་འབད་མིའི་ ཆ་རོགས་ཚུ་གིས་ ཁོ་ར་ ངོ་ཤེས་ནུག་ཟེར་ཨིནམ་ད་ ཨིན་རུང་ འགོ་ཐོག་འཚོལ་ཞིབ་འབད་བའི་སྐབས་ མི་ངོམ་དེ་ འོང་མ་བཏུབ་ལས་ འཚོལ་ཞིབ་འབད་མ་ཚུགས་པས།
ཁྲིམས་སྲུང་འགག་པ་༢ ཀྱིས་ ཉམས་རྒུད་པའི་ སྣུམ་འཁོར་ནང་འཛུལ་ཏེ་ བཙན་ཁྲིད་འབད་མི་གིས་བྱིན་མི་ ལམ་སྟོན་དང་འཁྲིལ་ཏེ་ སོང་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
མི་ཊར་༥༠༠དེ་ཅིག་གི་ས་ཁར་ སྣུམ་འཁོར་བཏང་འགྱོ་བའི་ཤུལ་ལས་ ཁོང་གིས་ མེ་བསད་སྡེ་ཚན་གྱི་ཁ་ཐུག་ལུ་ གྱོན་ཆས་ཀྱི་ཁ་གསལ་བྱིན་མི་ཅིག་ མཐོང་ཡོདཔ་ལས་ ཁྲིམས་སྲུང་འགག་པ་གིས་ འཛིན་བཟུང་འབད་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
དྲི་དཔྱད་འབད་བའི་སྐབས་ ས་མི་འུལ་ སུ་བྷ་གིས་ བཙན་ཁྲིད་འབད་མི་ ཉམས་རྒུདཔ་དེ་ ག་ཏེ་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་ན་ གསལ་སྟོན་འབད་ཡོདཔ་ལས་ ཁྲིམས་སྲུང་འགག་པ་གིས་ སྲོག་སྐྱབས་འབད་ཚུགས་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
དབང་འཛིན་ཚུ་གིས་ སྲོག་རིན་གྱི་དོན་ལུ་ བཙན་ཁྲིད་འབད་ཡོད་པའི་ གནད་དོན་དེ་ གཏན་འཁེལ་འབད་ཡོདཔ་བཞིན་དུ་ འཛིན་བཟུང་འབད་མི་ ཕོ་སྐྱེས་དེ་གིས་ ཁོ་རའི་ཆ་རོགས་ སྐྱེས་ལོ་༤༢ ལང་མི་ ནོར་བུ་བླ་མ་དང་ སྐྱེས་ལོ་༣༨ ལང་མི་ ས་གར་ བླ་མ་ དེ་ལས་ སྐྱེས་ལོ་༣༥ ལང་མི་ ཤི་བ་ཆེ་ཏི་རི་དེ་ ད་ལྟོ་ཡང་ འཚོལ་མ་ཐོབ་པར་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
དོགས་པ་ཅན་ཚུ་ག་ར་ ལཱ་གཡོག་མེད་པའི་ཁར་ ཁྲིམས་འགལ་འབད་མི་ཚུ་ ཨིན་པའི་གནས་ཚུལ།

བཙན་སྐྱོགས་དབང་འདུས།

༉ དངུལ་རྩིས་ལྷན་ཁག་གིས་ སྤྱི་ཟླ་༦ པའི་ནང་ ཕོ་ཚོད་དཔག་མི་དང་འཁྲིལ་བ་ཅིན་ སྤྱི་ལོ་༢༠༢༦ ལས་ ནང་འཁོད་གློག་མེའི་ མཁོ་མངགས་འབད་མི་དེ་ བརྒྱ་ཆ་༢༣༢ དེ་ཅིག་ ཡར་འཕར་འགྱོ་ནི་ཨིནམ་ལས་ ཕྱིར་ཚོང་འཐབ་མི་ཚུགས་ནི་བཟུམ་ཅིག་འདུག་ཟེར་ཨིན་པས།
དེ་ཡང་ ན་ཧིང་ཚུན་ དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ཐེར་འབུམ་༨.༢༧ གནས་པའི་ གློག་མེ་ལག་ལེན་འཐབ་ཡོདཔ་ལས་ ཤུལ་མའི་ལོ་༢ ཀྱི་ནང་འཁོད་ལུ་ དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ཐེར་འབུམ་༢༧.༤༣ གནས་པའི་ གློག་མེ་ལག་ལེན་འཐབ་ནི་ལུ་ ཕོ་ཚོད་དཔག་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
མ་གཞི་ ལྷན་ཁག་གིས་ སྤྱི་ལོ་༢༠༢༦ གི་ནང་འཁོད་ལུ་ གློག་མེ་ལུ་བརྟེན་ འོང་འབབ་དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ཐེར་འབུམ་༤༦.༤༤ བཟོ་ནི་གི་ བརྡ་མཚོན་སྟོན་ཡོད་རུང་ འོང་འབབ་བརྒྱ་ཆ་༦༠ ནང་འཁོད་ལག་ལེན་འཐབ་ནི་ཨིན་པས།
ནང་འཁོད་ལུ་ གློག་མེའི་མཁོ་མངགས་ཡར་སེང་འགྱོ་ནི་དེ་ཡང་ གློག་མེ་ལག་ལེན་འཐབ་མི་ བཟོ་གྲྭ་གསརཔ་ གཞི་བཙུགས་འབད་མི་ལུ་བརྟེན་ཨིནམ་ད་ དེ་གིས་སྦེ་ གློག་མེ་ཕྱིར་ཚོང་ཡང་ མར་འབབ་འགྱོ་ནི་ཨིན་པས།
ན་ཧིང་ འབྲུག་གིས་ གློག་མེའི་ཚོང་འབྲེལ་ལུ་བརྟེན་ འོང་འབབ་དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ཐེར་འབུམ་༢༥.༡༧ བཟོ་ཡོད་མི་ལས་ དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ཐེར་འབུམ་༡༦.༩ ཕྱིར་ཚོང་དང་ དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ཐེར་འབུམ་༨.༢༧ ནང་འཁོད་ལས་ཨིན་པས།
གློག་མེ་འོང་འབབ་ཀྱི་ སྔོན་དཔག་དང་འཁྲིལ་བ་ཅིན་ དུས་ཅི་ གློག་མེ་གིས་ འོང་འབབ་དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ཐེར་འབུམ་༢༩.༧༡ བཟོ་ནི་བཟུམ་ཡོད་མི་ལས་ དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ཐེར་འབུམ་༡༠.༢༣ དེ་ ནང་འཁོད་ལུ་ གློག་མེ་བཙོང་མི་དང་ དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ཐེར་འབུམ་༡༩.༤༨ དེ་ གློག་མེ་ཕྱིར་ཚོང་ལས་ཨིན་པས།
སྤྱི་ལོ་༢༠༢༥ འི་ནང་འཁོད་ལུ་ ནང་འཁོད་གློག་མེའི་ ལག་ལེན་དེ་ དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ཐེར་འབུམ་༢༢.༣༢ དང་ གློག་མེ་ཕྱིར་ཚོང་ གི་འོང་འབབ་དེ་ དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ཐེར་འབུམ་༢༡.༠༣ ལུ་ ལྷོད་ནི་བཟུམ་ཅིག་ ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
གློག་ཤུགས་ལྷག་ཐེབས་ཡོདཔ་སྦེ་ ཐོན་སྐྱེད་འབད་ཚུགས་དོ་ཡོད་རུང་ སྤྱི་ཟླ་༡༢ པའི་ནང་ སྤུ་ན་གཙང་ཆུ་གློག་མེ་ལས་འགུལ་༢ པ་གིས་ གློག་མེ་ཧྲིལ་བུམ་ཐོན་སྐྱེད་འབད་ནི་ འགོ་བཙུགས་ཡོད་རུང་ འབྲུག་གིས་ གནམ་དགུན་གྱི་སྐབས་ ནང་འཁོད་ལུ་ གློག་མེའི་མཁོ་འདོད་འགྲུབ་ཚུགས་པར་ ལཱ་ཁག་རྐྱབ་ནི་ཨིན་པས།
སྤུ་ན་གཙང་ཆུ་གློག་མེ་ལས་འགུལ་༢ པའི་ ཡུ་ནིཊ་༦ གིས་ ལོ་བསྟར་བཞིན་དུ་ དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ཐེར་འབུམ་༢༠ གནས་པའི་ གློག་མེ་ཡུ་ནིཊ་ས་ཡ་༤,༣༥༧ ཐོན་སྐྱེད་འབད་ཚུགས་ནི་ཨིན་པས།
ཆར་ཆུ་མེད་པའི་དུས་ཚོད་ལུ་ གློག་མེའི་ནང་འདྲེན་ རྒྱ་ཆེ་དྲགས་སྦེ་ར་ ཡར་འཕར་འགྱོ་ནི་བཟུམ་ཅིག་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
དུས་ཅི་ གློག་མེ་ནང་འདྲེན་འབད་ནིའི་ནང་ དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ཐེར་འབུམ་༨.༢༨ དེ་ཅིག་ གནས་ནི་བཟུམ་ཅིག་ཡོད་མི་དེ་ འདས་པའི་ལོ་དང་ཕྱདཔ་ད་ བརྒྱ་ཆ་༢༠༣ ཡར་སེང་འགྱོ་ནི་ཨིན་པས།
དེ་བཟུམ་སྦེ་ སྤྱི་ལོ་༢༠༢༥ ལུ་ དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ཐེར་འབུམ་༡༥.༨༤ དང་ སྤྱི་ལོ་༢༠༢༦ ལུ་འབད་བ་ཅིན་ དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ཐེར་འབུམ་༡༨.༠༦ དེ་ཅིག་ ཡར་སེང་འགྱོ་ནི་ཨིནམ་ལས་ གློག་མེ་ཕྱིར་ཚོང་དེ་ རྒྱ་ཆེ་དྲགས་སྦེ་ར་ མར་འབབ་འགྱོ་ནི་ཨིནམ་བཞིན་དུ་ སྤྱི་ལོ་༢༠༢༦ ལུ་ འོང་འབབ་ཡང་ དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ས་ཡ་༩༣༧ དེ་ཅིག་ མར་འབབ་འགྱོ་ནིའི་ འོས་འབབ་སྦོམ་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
དངུལ་རྩིས་ལྷན་ཁག་གིས་ འབྲུག་རྒྱལ་ཁབ་ཀྱིས་ ད་ལས་ཕར་ ཕྱིར་ཚོང་གི་ཐོག་ལས་ ཕྱི་དངུལ་གྱི་ ཐོན་ཁུངས་གཙོ་བོ་ཅིག་སྦེ་ ཆུར་བརྟེན་གློག་མེ་ལུ་ བརྟེན་མི་ཚུགས་ནི་མས་ཟེར་ ཉེན་བརྡ་འབད་དེ་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
དེ་འབདཝ་ལས་ ནང་འཁོད་ནུས་ཤུགས་ཀྱི་ དགོས་མཁོ་ཡར་སེང་འགྱོ་མི་ཚུ་ འགྲུབ་ཚུགསཔ་བཟོ་ནི་ལུ་ གཙོ་བོར་བཏོན་ནི་མེན་པར་ ནང་འཁོད་ཐོན་སྐྱེད་ ཡར་དྲག་གཏང་ཐོག་ལས་ རྒྱལ་ཁབ་ཀྱི་ གོང་འཕེལ་འོས་འབབ་ ལྷན་ཐབས་འབད་ནི་དེ་ གལ་གནད་ཅན་ཅིག་ཨིན་ཟེར་ཨིན་པས།
ནང་འཁོད་སྤྱོད་འཐུས་ཕོག་ཚོད་༢༠༤༠ འི་ སྙན་ཞུ་དང་འཁྲིལ་བ་ཅིན་ འབྲུག་གི་ནུས་ཤུགས་མཁོ་འདོད་དེ་ གི་ག་ཝཱཊ་༦,༤༠༧ ཡོད་མི་ལས་ སྤྱི་ལོ་༢༠༣༠ ནང་འཁོད་ལུ་ གི་ག་ཝཱཊ་༡༣,༠༤༤ འབདཝ་ད་ བརྒྱ་ཆ་ལས་བརྒྱ་ ཡར་སེང་འགྱོ་ནི་བཟུམ་ཅིག་ཡོདཔ་མ་ཚད་ ད་རུང་ བརྒྱ་ཆ་༡༦༠ བཟོ་གྲྭ་འཕྲུལ་ཁང་གསརཔ་ཚུ་ལུ་ དགོ་ནི་ཨིན་པས།
འཆར་གཞི་༡༣ པའི་ནང་ གཞུང་གིས་ གློག་མེ་དང་ ནུས་ཤུས་ལས་སྡེ་ཚུ་གིས་ སྤྱི་ལོ་༢༠༢༩ ལུ་ ནང་འཁོད་ཐོན་སྐྱེད་ཡོངས་འབོར་ལུ་ དངུལ་ཀྲམ་ཐེར་འབུམ་༥༦ ལྷན་ཐབས་འབད་ནི་ལུ་ ཚོད་རྩིས་བཏོན་ཏེ་ཡོདཔ་བཞིན་དུ་ ལོ་བསྟར་འཕར་ཚད་ བརྒྱ་ཆ་༡༠.༦ འགྱོ་ནི་ཨིན་པས།
འཆར་གཞི་༡༣ པའི་ནང་ གློག་མེ་ལས་འགུལ་༡༠ འགོ་བཙུགས་ནིའི་ འཆར་གཞི་ཡོད་མི་གིས་ མ་འོངས་ལོ་༥ འི་ནང་འཁོད་ལུ་ གློག་མེའི་ནུས་ཤུགས་ མེ་ག་ཝཱཊ་༣,༡༡༩ རྐྱབ་ནི་ཡོདཔ་ལས་ ཡོངས་བསྡོམས་ལུ་ རྒྱལ་ཁབ་ནང་ གློག་ཤུགས་གི་ག་ཝཱཊ་༥,༥༠༠ ལུ་ ཡར་སེང་འགྱོ་ནི་ཨིན་པས།
འབྲུག་གིས་ རང་བཞིན་ནུས་ཤུགས་ཚུ་ སྣ་མང་འབད་ནིའི་ འཆར་གཞི་ཡོདཔ་བཞིན་དུ་ ཉི་དྲོད་དང་ རླུང་ ཇི་འོ་ཐར་མ་ དེ་ལས་ བའི་འོ་གེསི་ཚུ་ལུ་ཡང་ གཙོ་རིམ་བཟུང་ནི་ཨིནམ་ད་ དེ་ནང་ མེ་ག་ཝཱཊ་༥༠༠ སྐྱེལ་སྤྲོད་ཉི་དྲོད་ལས་འགུལ་དང་ མེ་ག་ཝཱཊ་༡ འབད་མི་ སྔོ་ལྗང་ནུས་ཤུགས་ ཨའི་ཌོ་ཇཱན་ལས་འགུལ་ དེ་ལས་ མེ་ག་ཝཱཊ་༢༣ འབད་མི་ རླུང་གི་གློག་ཤུགས་ མཇུག་བསྡུ་ནི་གི་ ལས་རིམ་ཚུ་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
འབྲུག་ཡུན་བརྟན་གོང་འཕེལ་སྲིད་བྱུས་༢༠༢༡ ཅན་མ་དང་འཁྲིལ་བ་ཅིན་ འབྲུག་གིས་ གློག་མེའི་འོས་འབབ་ མེ་ག་ཝཱཊ་༣༦,༩༠༠ ཡོད་མི་གིས་ ལོ་བསྟར་གློག་ནུས་གི་ག་ཝཱཊ་༡༥༤,༠༠༠ ཐོན་སྐྱེད་འབད་ཚུགས་ནི་གི་ ཚོད་རྩིས་བཏོན་ཏེ་ཡོད་པའི་གནས་ཚུལ།

ཨོ་རྒྱན་རྡོ་རྗེ།

Thukten Zangpo

The Bhutan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) highlighted significant milestones in private sector development during its 36th annual general meeting in Thimphu on September 27.

BCCI President Tandy Wangchuk highlighted BCCI’s role in securing loan deferment for the private sector after Covid-19 to help in the economic recovery.

He also said that the Chamber managed to reduce the cooling period for foreign workers from six months to one month and revise dolomite rates for domestic consumption from Nu 1,200 to Nu 770.

The BCCI established MoUs with international chambers like KOTRA (South Korea), Swiss-Asian Chamber of Commerce, Geneva Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services, and Board of Trade of Thailand, according to BCCI President.

The BCCI engaged with international financial institutions such as the Asian Development Bank, the International Finance Corporation, and the World Bank to explore and identify investment opportunities in agriculture, renewable energy, food processing, tourism, and small and medium enterprises.

The Chamber also engaged in the review of the inconsistent regulatory process, insolvency Bill, land leasing initiatives, and foreign direct investment policy, among others.

Highlighting some of the revisions in the policies, the BCCI President said that the land lease period was increased to 99 years from 30 years and a new component of ‘sweat equity’ has been included in the new FDI policy.

The chief guest of the event, Speaker of the National Assembly, Lungten Dorji, underscored the private sector’s vital role in the economy, contributing  30 percent of the total employment in the country and 24 percent to Gross Domestic Product.

“There should be favourable regulations to facilitate private sector development, improve business ecosystem and access to finance,” the Speaker said.

Currently, 47 Acts need to be harmonised, he added.

The Dzongkhag Business Development Committee chairpersons expressed their concerns on the need to fast-track the construction integrated check post in Samdrupjongkhar to boost business.

A chairperson highlighted the need to increase the carrying capacity of vehicles, which is currently restricted by the Bhutan Construction and Transport Authority. At present, Eicher DCM trucks are allowed to carry only 5.5 metric tonne (MT), 12MT for trucks, and 2MT for Bolera trucks.

BCCI has allocated Nu 32.9 million budget for various programmes in fiscal year 2024-25.

It includes activities like trade fairs and exhibitions with a budgeted amount of Nu 7.83 million and Nu 2.88 million for sensitisation and awareness programmes.

About Nu 2.25 million has been allocated for the network building and linkages, Nu 2.8 million for research studies and private sector development dialogue, Nu 15.14 million for business start-up and upskilling, and Nu 2 million for building the Chamber’s institutional capacity.

The Chamber has plans to allocate Nu 11.5 million for the promotion of the Phuentsholing Food Bazaar and Family Night Out event, the Rhododendron Festival in Merak, and other events. This fund is yet to be secured.

Gembo

Dechen Dolkar

The Department of Tourism honoured two individuals with “The Believers” award for their dedication to the tourism sector on World Tourism Day on September 27.

The award, according to the department, symbolises unwavering commitment to promoting and preserving Bhutan’s tourism industry and landscape over many years.

One of the recipients, Gembo, a veteran tour guide and environmental advocate, was recognised for his dedication to the tourism industry and his efforts in championing Bhutan.

Since 1998, Gembo has been integrating clean-up campaigns into his guiding services, focusing on high-traffic tourist areas. Recently , he extended his efforts across 22 dzongs and 19 cremation grounds in 20 dzongkhags over 94 days, dedicating every Saturday to waste collection and raising awareness on waste management.

He said that since June 27, 2019, he promised that he would conduct a cleaning campaign every Saturday, on every holy occasion, on important global days, and on significant days in Bhutan, such as  King and Queen’s birthdays. “I will continue this commitment for the rest of my life.”

Expressing his gratitude for the recognition, he said: “I am incredibly thankful for this award. I hope it inspires many others in our country, especially those in the tourism industry, to join me in keeping Bhutan clean.”

The second recipient, the chief tourism officer of the Standards and Compliance Division, Department of Tourism, Phuntsho Gyeltshen, was honoured for his 19 years of service to the department and his contribution to the tourism sector.

Phuntsho Gyeltshen has played a pivotal role in mentoring and guiding young colleagues, encouraging them to excel and pursue their ambitions with passion and dedication.

According to the department, his commitment to nurturing the next generation of tourism professionals not only strengthened Bhutan’s tourism sector but also fostered a culture of support, excellence, collaboration, and growth within the department

He said that his motivation to mentor new colleagues stemmed from a belief that shared knowledge and guidance empowers individuals to thrive as a team.

“Every new individual brings unique potential. I believe in fostering confidence, encouraging growth, and passing forward the support I have received throughout my journey to help them achieve their personal and professional best. I will continue to support them in their pursuit of excellence,” he said.

The Director of the Department of Tourism, Damcho Rinzin, said that the award was introduced to recognise outstanding individuals for their contributions to enhancing tourism and championing Bhutan.

“These individuals are driven and committed to bringing positive changes for tourism and for Bhutan. They believe that individuals can bring change, and that change must start from oneself,” he said.

The department plans to present this award every month to encourage continued dedication within the tourism industry.

The automated waste treatment plant in Babesa cleans six to eight million litres of waste water daily

YK Poudel                                            

Residents of Babesa, living near the open-air sewage ponds, can finally breathe easy, thanks to an advanced automated waste water treatment plant that processes between six and eight million litres of waste water daily.

This facility, operational since 2022, is a major upgrade from the old open-air sewage ponds, boasting a capacity of 12 million litres per day compared to the previous 1.75 million litre a day.

As part of the Green Infrastructure and Open Spaces Plan under the new Thimphu Structure Plan, efforts are underway to transform the old sewerage ponds into a recreational or ecological park.

This state-of-the-art facility, the only one of its kind in Bhutan, employs a fully automated sequential batch reactor system. Managed by Technofab Engineering Company and a dedicated team of 20, it operates under the supervision of Thimphu Thromde. The current contract runs until April 2027.

The plant handles a wide variety of waste, including raw vegetables, plastics, bottles, cloth pieces, electrical appliances, and at times, even dead bodies of infants.

Kinzang Dorji, who oversees the programmable logic controller and SCADA systems, said that the treatment consists of six stages (aerotic fill, react, settle, decant, idle and static fill) ensuring that wastewater is adequately purified before being released into the Wangchhu River.

At the headworks building, wastewater goes through three screening stages, effectively filtering materials down to 6mm. “Recovered plastics are sent to Memelakha, while organic waste is transformed into manure for local farmers.”

“The entire treatment process takes around four hours, concluding with chlorination before the water is released back into the environment,” he said.

The plant is designed to handle a total of nine million litres a day from Thimphu and an additional three million litres from the Babesa area.

Powered by electricity and generators, the facility incurs a monthly electricity bill exceeding Nu 200,000, which is covered by Thimphu Thromde.

According to Thimphu Thromde officials, the mechanised in-house treatment plant was established to address the growing population in Thimphu and to mitigate the unpleasant odours that plagued Babesa residents.

“After the completion of the contract, the Thromde may take its ownership or outsource it to a private firm based on its cost and efficiency,” the Thromde official said.

Currently, there are no plans to extend the plant’s services to other areas.

Thimphu Thromde does not have data on the number of households connected to the existing wastewater treatment plant.

Financed through a cost-sharing agreement with the Asian Development Bank and the government—totaling USD 8.87 million and Nu 74.86 million respectively—the plant construction began in November 2016 but faced delays due to the pandemic, ultimately becoming ready for operation in 2021.

There are seven sewer treatment plants developed by Thromde at Dechencholing, Taba, Jungzhina, Hejo, Lungtenzampa, and Babesa.

Incessant rains in the past few days cause several roadblocks across the country

Yangyel Lhaden

The final stretch of monsoon rain following the Blessed Rainy Day has wreaked havoc in the Hindu Kush Himalayas, causing roadblocks, stranding travelers, triggering landslides, flood, and damaging vital water transmission lines across the country.

The Department of Surface Transport has recorded around 30 roadblocks trom September 26 till yesterday.

In Thimphu, a landslide on September 28 damaged water pipelines from the Dodena source, disrupting water supply to several parts of the capital city.

The Thimphu Thromde also alerted the public about the risks of flooding, landslides, and sewage blockages within the city, sharing images of the damage on social media.

The monsoon’s effects have extended beyond Bhutan, severely impacting neighbouring Nepal, where at least 148 lives have been lost due to flooding, with over 100 injuries as of yesterday, according to the BBC.

Intense rainfall began on September 27, leading to some areas of Kathmandu receiving up to 322 mm of rain in just 24 hours—the highest levels recorded since 1970.

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development had earlier warned that this monsoon season would be particularly challenging for the Hindu Kush Himalaya region, predicting above-average temperatures and higher rainfall across Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Pakistan.

In August, Bangladesh suffered devastating floods that resulted in over 70 deaths, displacing more than 500,000 people and affecting around 5.8 million individuals.

Afghanistan also faced severe flooding this year, with significant fatalities reported in multiple provinces. In May, floods in Faryab and Ghor provinces caused about 80 deaths while heavy rainfall in July led to 40 fatalities in the eastern regions, particularly around Jalalabad. Earlier in April, floods claimed 90 lives across multiple provinces in Afghanistan.

In Bhutan, the National Centre for Hydrology and Meteorology (NCHM) predicted above-normal rainfall and the likelihood of extreme weather events for the remainder of the monsoon season.

‘Above-normal’ rainfall refers to amounts exceeding 10 percent above the average recorded between 1996 and 2023.

From June to August, Bhutan experienced above-normal rainfall, with several extreme weather events reported.

Notable extreme weather events between July and August include a flash flood at the Begana Guru Lhakhang stream in Thimphu on July 15.

On August 5, a flash flood occurred at the Bumthang Lamay Gonpa stream. Another flash flood hit the Dechenphu stream on August 10.

On August 17, heavy rainfall affected Isuna, Paro, and Gidakom areas in Thimphu.

On August 18, a flash flood in Gangtey, caused by heavy rainfall from the Bayta Chhu  impacted Beta, Gela, and Tokha villages in Gangtey gewog.

The forecast from September 26 till October 24 warns of above-normal rainfall in first three weeks, followed by a potential decrease in the last week.

The minimum temperature is likely to remain above  normal during the first two  weeks, with more stable conditions anticipated for the rest of the month , according to the forecast released on September 27 by the NCHM.

Sherab Lhamo

Over a thousand people have downloaded the “Bhutan Road Safety Watch” app on android, developed by the Department of Surface transport (DoST) to provide real-time information on road blocks in the country.

Travelling in summer is challenging with numerous road blocks. Last year, around 340 roadblocks were recorded. In the last one week, following incessant rainfall, about 30 roadblocks were recorded.

The DoST urged and notified the public to use the app for timely information on roadblocks since last Tuesday.

The app is updated with real time information from more than 100 site engineers spread across the country to give real time information on road conditions. The app is not limited to monsoon roadblocks but also roadblock due to snowfall, slope failures, rock and debris fall, and landslides.

This monsoon has been challenging as predicted by the National Centre for Hydrology and Meteorology with above-normal rainfall and the potential for extreme weather events for the remainder of the monsoon season.

In September, there were around 38 roadblocks and around 32 roadblock in August—around 70 roadblocks in the span of two months alone. This data was collected through the roadblock post posted on the DoST Facebook page under the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport.

While analysing the data, it was learned that the most common occurrence of roadblock was at the 15km from Gelephu (Box Cut) on Trongsa-Gelephu Primary National Highways (PNH). Within the two months around 19 roadblocks occurred.

Majority of the roadblock incidents were reported in the eastern and the southern regions. Landslides were the primary cause of roadblocks, affecting several route sections in Chhukha, Zhemgang, Wangdue, Trongsa, Gelephu, Dagana, Samdrupjongkhar, Mongar and Bumthang.

Although the app is developed to provide timely information on roadblocks to the public, it is not very popular among regular commuters.

A taxi driver said most do not use the app but rely on their Whatsapp group chat to get information on roadblocks.

Many regular drivers rely on personal connections with traffic police, Bhutan Construction and Transport Authority officials, or WhatsApp groups for roadblock information rather than using the app.

The application was developed at the cost of Nu 800,000.

There are about 300 downloads of this application in IOS.

KP Sharma

To assist unemployed youth and individuals interested in pursuing vocational education, the first nationwide Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) fair kicked off in Thimphu on Saturday.

The event is part of a larger initiative designed to raise awareness about ongoing reforms in the TVET sector and highlight the opportunities available in vocational institutes across the country.

The initiative is expected to encourage more young people to view vocational skills as a viable path to meaningful employment, making the sector as an important element of Bhutan’s workforce development.

The fair provides a platform for students, unemployed youth and the general public to explore career and training opportunities.

By showcasing the growing demand for skilled labour, the fairs reflect international trends where vocational education plays a pivotal role in shaping future employment, especially in sectors such as construction, information technology, and hospitality, all of which are projected to grow in Bhutan.

The fairs will be held in four cluster dzongkhags, featuring 10 Technical Training Institutes (TTIs), each presenting their programmes, courses, and career prospects.

The participants will have the opportunity to engage directly with institute representatives through hands-on demonstrations and expert consultations, bridging the gap between formal education and employment.

Such interactions are seen as crucial in challenging the misconception that TVET is a fallback option for academically struggling students.

The need for skilled workers has never been more urgent for Bhutan, as emerging industries and infrastructure projects demand a highly trained workforce.

Further, strengthening the TVET sector is seen as a potential solution to Bhutan’s youth unemployment crisis, one of the country’s major challenges until now.

Speaking at the event, Education Minister Yeezang De Thapa highlighted the fair’s role in advocating for key reforms and initiatives, including the introduction of new high-level courses.

Lyonpo said that the ministry was committed to supporting the Bhutan Education and Skill Training (BEST) project, which would play a central role in the development of the TVET system in the country.

Funded by the Government of Canada and implemented by the International Development Institute of Humber College in partnership with Bhutan’s Department of Workforce Planning and Skills Development, the BEST project spans from 2022 to 2027.

It aims to enhance Bhutan’s TVET sector by improving access to vocational education, especially for women and persons with disabilities, while developing market-relevant courses to ensure that graduates can successfully transition into the labor market.

Lyonpo said that four new internationally accredited diploma courses have been introduced such as Solar PV, Heat Ventilation and AC, Graphic Design, and Electrical Engineering Technician.

These courses, Lyonpo added, aligns with the national skills roadmap, which was developed based on a skills needs assessment carried out by the ministry.

By the end of the 13th plan, the ministry aims to have 50 percent of the workforce with vocational tertiary qualifications and 80 percent by 2033.

According to the BEST project’s country coordinator for Bhutan, Lobzang Dorji, the focus is on the internationalisation of the curriculum, ensuring that Bhutan’s TVET sector remains competitive and forward-looking.

These reforms come at a time when the TVET sector is facing growing criticism for slow progress and inability to attract more people.