Sherubtse College, Kanglung 5 October, 2011 – Using the expertise of its faculty and potential of its students, the country’s premier tertiary institute, Sherubtse College in Kanglung, Trashigang, is all set to spearhead climate change-related studies in Bhutan.

On October 1, it formally inaugurated its “Centre for Climate Change & Spatial Information” at the Department of Geography & Planning, which will research and disseminate information on climate change and its impact on Bhutan.

The centre will mainly undertake research, collect, create and share data, contribute to policy making, organise and participate in national and international events, and develop and deliver academic courses and training. Some of its research areas are land use and land cover, sustainable development, adaptation and mitigation, disasters and policies.

By Staff reporter

RBP Ground, Thimphu 4 October, 2011 – Just as thousands of Thimphu residents were rushing to the Trashichhodzong for the Lhamoe Drubchen, another special event was also going on at the Royal Bhutan Police ground yesterday.

Wearing a white shirt and maroon shorts, 16-year old Tashi Lhamo, who stands three feet tall, took home a bronze medal in a walk race in the first Olympic for children and youth with disabilities.

But she seemed slightly dissatisfied for not bagging gold, and said she had been first during the practices. “I wore slippers during the practice, and wearing shoes today slowed me,” she said.

The embroidery student from Changmey, Trashigang, joined Draktsho’s only branch in the east at Rongthong in Trashigang.

Children waved to the cheering and emotional crowd, as they lined up for the parade, and then began participating in some 27 field and track events, such as 100 m race, walk, hurdle, throws and dancing.

One of the mothers said she never thought her speech-impaired son could perform such activities prior to his admission in Draktsho. “I feel happy and proud to see my child participate, but at the same time my heart feels heavy to see my child struggle,” she said, watching her son run the 100 m dash.

Founder and director of Draktsho, Jigme Wangmo, said the special Olympic would be an annual event. “It was organised to build confidence, create awareness, exposure and interaction with society for the students,” she said.

A trainer and teacher said they took about a week to train the students, who were grouped according to their capabilities to compete in the field.

The biggest challenge they faced while training the children was in making them run on the track and in the throw events.

Training children with disabilities is a challenging task, and one should have patience while dealing with them, teachers said. “Bhutan needs specialised professionals in training the children,” program coordinator Deki Zam said. “Today we only have two, who have done short term courses.

Her Majesty the Queen Mother Ashi Tshering Pem Wangchuck attended the event, which also coincides with Draktsho foundation day. Established in 2001 Draktsho today has more than 140 children, of whom 54 participated in the event. Tashi Beverages, Coca Cola Bhutan and Bhutan Agro Industries helped fund the event.

By Lhaki and Nima Wangdi

International Union of Architects 30 September, 2011 – Despite not having an architectural background, Prime Minister Jigmi Y Thinley delivered a keynote speech at a global meeting on architecture being held in Tokyo, Japan.

The triennial meeting, hosted by the International Union of Architects, serves as an event for thousands of architects, engineers, researchers, and students from around the world. Its theme this year was to provide an opportunity for participants to discuss the future of architecture and cities. The hosts invited Lyonchhoen to speak on architecture and its relation to a sustainable and happy society.

“It’s almost always the grand structures and edifices that withstand the ravages of time, and the elements or their remnants that tell us the stories of great civilisations of the past,” said Lyonchhoen in his speech. “It is the architects, who create living spaces, choose the materials and build the structures, arranging them in ways that enable access to services. Through their works, they define life, social systems, culture, destiny and how man relates to nature.” He added, “Architects are at the heart of what makes and interprets human experience. They are the ultimate narrators of human story.”

Lyonchhoen then pointed to social and environmental problems that, he said, are threatening humanity’s very existence. “We need to change the architecture of human society and its economy,” he said. He added that the way forward would be for all nation states to be committed to a collective vision: “one that is based on an understanding and acceptance of the ultimate human desire and the direction for the advancement of civilisation.” He said that the universal value of happiness allowed for “true societal progress in ways that are meaningful, joyful and lasting.”

Lyonchhoen wound up his address by putting forth a number of questions to his audience. “What stories should the timeless monuments of your creation tell through their structures, materials, scale and aesthetics?” he asked. How future generations would view today’s architecture in relation to social and environmental problems has to require consideration, said Lyonchhoen. For one, he asked if a code of ethics that would bring about changes in building methods and materials to make the industry more ethical and environmentally sustainable could be established for all voluntary adherence by architects.

“Will our progenies and theirs look to our generation as the one that had the luxury of choice and did not fail to seize it for the good of all sentient beings? Or, will you bear the guilt of having contributed to the demise of the human race, leaving none to read the narrative?” said Lyonchhoen.

The prime minister leaves Japan for Kolkata, India, today.

By Gyalsten K Dorji

Courtesy : http://www.kuenselonline.com/2010/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=20941

Poultry Ban 29 September, 2011 – More than the consumers, it was the farmers in Tsirang and Gelephu, who were affected by the recent ban on import of poultry and its products.

The farmers were concerned about sustaining their business without the day-old-chick they had to import from India that was disallowed following recent reports of bird flu outbreak in Assam.

While some were concerned about repaying loans in instalments they had availed for the business should the ban continue for long, others began thinking up alternatives like requesting import of the day-old-chicks from Southern or Western unaffected parts of India or from Nepal.

Livestock department officials at National Poultry Development Centre, Sarpang assured that unless there was a disease outbreak within the country, the department could meet demands for day-old-chicks for every poultry farmers.

The centre’s program manager Tshewang Tashi said unlike in 2009, poultry farmers today would not face shortage of day-old-chicks, as they had put in place strategies to produce sufficient number, both layers and broilers, in keeping with the present demands of the farmers.

There are about 1,030 poultry farms across the country, with 350,000 birds, for which, every year, the centre supplies about 125,000 layers on an average.

Tshewang Tashi said it would be expensive for farmers to import the chicks from outside the country apart from the possibility of compromising on the quality of the chicks if imported from unrecognised areas.

“The centre has produced and met every demand for day-old-chicks across the country,” he said. “Farmers should not think of importing, especially at this hour.”

He said the department had three poultry breeding farms in Paro, Lingmethang in Mongar and Sarpang besides its three other private hatcheries producing day-old-chicks in Sarpang, Pasakha and Samdrupjongkhar.

The poultry development centre imports only parent stock as day-old-chicks from New Zealand.

From the inception in 2009, the centre has imported about 6,000 layers and 6,000 broilers. Tshewang Tashi said for 2011 and 2012, they had received demands for 187,872 layers from all 20 dzongkhags.

He said the centre had the capacity to produce and supply more than 209,161 and can produce about 300,000 broilers within 2011 and 2012.

So far the centre has produced and supplied 201,000 layers and 137,965 broilers in fiscal year 2010-2011.

From July 2011 until September 22 this year, the centre has supplied 47,985 layers and 37,467 broilers to poultry farmers across the country.

By Dawa Gyelmo

Courtesy : http://www.kuenselonline.com/2010/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=20927

Nganglam-Pangbang Road 28 September, 2011 – Already delayed by three months, the Panbang-Nganglam highway project is expected to be delayed further without details of compensation to affected landholders along the proposed highway.

Project coordinator Tenzin Jamtsho for roads department said although tendering and notification of work award was already issued, the contractor could not begin the work until landowners of affected areas were compensated.

“We’ve to send proof of compensation to Asian Development Bank that is providing the grant before they can release any,” he said. “We’ve yet to receive compensation status from the dungkhag.”

He said the schedule for the project itself was also tight because along with the 55km Panbang-Nganglam highway, they were working on four other road construction works spread across the country.

“The initial work should have begun three months back,” he said. “But because of numerous formalities we couldn’t start.”

The work initially was supposed to start from March this year.

“It was impossible with other road constructions going on simultaneously,” Tenzin Jamtsho said.

The two-lane Nganglam-Panbang national highway is one among the five road package projects included in road network project (RNP-II) under ADB grant.

It is, roads officials said, probably one of the largest grant assistance to Bhutan so far from ADB.

The other roads under the project RNP-II include the 37km Manitar-Raidak road, 25km Raidak-Lhamoidzingkha (Kalikhola) highway, 23km Samdrupcholing (Bangtar)-Samrang road and a 62km feeder road from Tsebar via Mikuri to Durungi in Pemagatshel dzongkhag.

Once the Nganglam-Panbang highway is complete, roads officials said people of Zhemgang would no longer have to travel through Indian border roads as the country would have its separate internal route, which would be safe too.

Nganglam dungpa Nima Gyeltshen said they were working towards completing the compensation processess bearing in mind the boon the road would be to the people of Zhemgang.

“The works on compensation is almost complete,” he said. “We’re only waiting for the compensation approval from National Land Commission.”

The dungkhag land record officer, Rinzin said the compensation work was delayed because many landowners wanted land substitutes from Rinchenthang, where the new Nganglam township has been planned.

“Many wanted land substitutes instead of cash compensation,” he said. “But there is no area left for land substitution in the new township.”

Land record officer said 136 households from Norbugang gewog are affected because the highway passes through Norbugang farm road.

“They can’t ask for a land substitute in the planned new township in Nganglam since their lands fall under rural area,” he said. “Rinchenthang is under urban land.”

After discussing several times, dungkhag has finally identified Tanzemo village under Norbugang gewog for land substitution, which is about 6km from the new town area.

“People have finally agreed to accept land replacement from Tanzemo,” he said. “Those who will lose less than nine decimals will get cash compensation of Nu 2,250 a decimal.”

Tanzemo village, land records officials said was a vacant government land cultivable and fertile.

“There is enough water sources too,” one officer said.

Tenzin Jamtsho said once the compensation detail comes through, they would send it to ADB for release of compensation funds and that of the highway construction as well.

“It will take some time so we cannot say when the actual work will begin,” he said. “We were supposed to start all the road constructions eight months before but we couldn’t.”

Rinzin said surveyors are in dungkhag to allocate land but are still waiting for cash compensation approval from finance ministry.

“Then only we can compensate villagers,” he said. “We received compensation approval from land commission too.”

Meanwhile, the works on Samdrupcholing (Bangtar)-Samrang highway is expected to begin next week.

“We’ve already issued the work order,” Tenzin Jamtsho said. “All formalities are complete.”

By Yangchen C Rinzin

Courtesy : http://www.kuenselonline.com/2010/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=20918

The first of the four hydro-turbine units was commissioned sometime in September 1986, before three additional units followed in 1988.

Together, the units, during peak season, which is the monsoon, generate more than 1,800M units annually, or sometimes more than its capacity of 336 MW.

Druk Green Power corporation’s project department director Dorji Pavo Phuntshok said the unit broke down on September 14.

He said a certain portion of the unit, the stator winding, a copper wire wound around a metal that assists in generating electricity required repairing.

“That damage occurred much before the recent earthquake and it can’t also be related to age,” he said, adding there was some ground disturbance on September 14, but the cause of the damage was yet to be established.

The rest of the units, he said, were fine and that it was not like the other units would follow suit and require repairing.

“We have people working round the clock,” he said. “We’ll bring it back by September 28.”

More than the amount that would go into repairing the unit, Dorji Pavo Phuntshok said, it was the production loss that was going to be substantial. With the unit having been rendered unable to roll for more than two weeks, Dorji Pavo Phuntshok said the project lost about 30M units so far since it broke down.

“That is equivalent to Nu 60M,” he said. “The unit generates about 8.4M units a day.

The project powered by Wangchu is the country’s first and the oldest mega power project.

The building of the Nu 2,460M government of India (GoI)-funded power plant began sometime in the ‘70s under 60 percent grants and 40 percent loan scheme.

The amount was to be repaid at 5 percent per annum in 15 years in equated annual installments.

The project was commissioned in 1986 and later in 1991 handed over to Bhutanese management.

That loan was, however, cleared in December 2007, making Chukha hydro power plant, one of the biggest contributors to the country’s exchequer today.

Chukha and four other hydropower plants in the country were all run-of-the-river type without storage, therefore, being subjected to seasonal river flows that peak during monsoons.

The other power plants in the country of similar scheme and that runs on four units are the 1,020MW Tala, 64MW Basochu and 60 MW Kurichu projects.

By Samten Wangchuk

Feeder Road 26 September, 2011 – What could come as a disappointment to the people of Sakteng, Trashigang dzongkhag officials are skeptical if they will complete the construction of the 37km long feeder road to Sakteng.

Officials said that the construction could be delayed by another year and spill over to the 11th Plan.

Although the first phase, 12.4km until Janjanma village under Phongmey gewog, is complete, the second phase, from Phongmey to Sakteng, which should have begun by now is yet to begin. Dzongkhag engineer, Pelden Norgay said thick forest and cliffs have to be cut, and it will consume a lot of time, delaying the work. “Given the topography of the cliff, it isn’t possible to cut even a single metre in a day,” he said. “We’re trying our best to complete it on time, as the government has asked us to complete it in the 10th Plan.”

The engineer said the work order for the second phase was not issued yet because the construction cost had exceeded the budget. The construction would cost more than Nu 150M, which, according to rule, the dzongkhag has no authority to allot. “In such a case, the ministerial level tender committee should decide,” he said. “But we’re yet to submit the documents to the ministry of works and human settlement and the work is stuck.”

The road will start from Rangjung and end at Thakthri village, three hours from the dungkhag centre. Rangjung is 18km from Trashigang, and Sakteng is officially three days walk from Rangjung. “With a road, patients can be referred to the hospital in Trashigang much more quickly,” said a Sakteng farmer. “Sometimes, patients die on the way to Trashigang.”

Few nomads said the road would help them in transporting goods and spare the people and animals from the drudgery of back breaking work. “It becomes more difficult during rainy season,” villager Rinchen said.

Gewog administrative officer, Pema Tenzin said dungkhag can perform work on time and plans can be met on time, once Sakteng is connected with a road. “Plan activities are usually delayed and spill over to the next financial year.”

Some nomads said a few have started learning driving and plan to have a car.

Meanwhile, the second phase for Merak gewog feeder road is also stalled, because of lack of clearance certificate from National Environment Commission. “We’ve been trying for more than five months to obtain the certificate,” a dzongkhag official said. “But NEC said there could be environmental damages.”

Official said if the certificate is not issued on time, the construction could be delayed. The road to Merak is 28.54km with 15 km in the ongoing first phase.

By Yangchen C Rinzin

Courtesy : http://www.kuenselonline.com/2010/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=20903

25 September, 2011 – The price of eggs, which have risen from Nu 4 and 5 last month to Nu 7 and 8 recently in Tsirang, is not because of the outbreak of bird flu in Assam, India.

Livestock officials said it was because of the rise in the price of trays and carton boxes they come in.

Although Damphu town residents say the price hike must have resulted from the bird flu in the border town, the dzongkhag livestock officer, Dorji Drukpa, said this time the increase in price is caused by the price rise in packing material.

Poultry farmers said the egg packing cartons, which can fit in seven trays, that cost Nu 20 a year ago, increased to Nu 35 some months ago. “It has risen to Nu 42 now,” a poultry farmer, Choden, 32, said.

The trays, which they purchased for Nu 2 and 3, have now increased to Nu 7 and 8.

An elderly poultry farmer from Goserling said they had to increase the price for the poultry product as the money they fetch from eggs is not sufficient to cover the cost they invest in buying feed.

“Rice and maize were the only alternative feed for chickens, but the cost is also high and it isn’t as nutritious as Karma Feeds,” she said. “So we have no options but to increase the price of the egg.”

But the assessment on egg production conducted by the dzongkhag livestock sector has a different finding.

The assessment report states that a poultry owner would still make profit if they sold eggs at Nu 4.7 to 5, after including all the expenses they incur. “But until now, no one had sold eggs below Nu 5,” said Dorji Drukpa.

However, Dorji Drukpa said that, to curb the price rise, the livestock department had ordered 1,000 cartons from Sarpang national poultry development centre, which sells the cartons for Nu 22 each. “These egg cartons will be distributed to the poultry farmers on cheaper rates in coming weeks,” he said.

He also said the livestock sector has also been providing free poultry vaccines to farmers, who owned less than 1,000 chickens. “Poultry farmers, who had more than 150 chicks, were considered commercial farms and charged for poultry vaccines before.”

There are more than 150 poultry farmers, having more than 100 birds, and about five commercial poultry farmers having more than 1,000 birds in Tsirang.

Meanwhile, about 49.35M eggs were produced across the country generating an income of about Nu 224M.

By Dawa Gyelmo

Courtesy : http://www.kuenselonline.com/2010/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=20894

In the aftermath of the September 18 earthquake, some people in Paro are living in temporary sheds, while others are putting up with relatives and friends.

In Jakarthang village, one of the many villages affected by the earthquake, several houses have been damaged. The walls of the severely damaged houses have developed wide cracks and the walls threaten to collapse anytime.

The occupants are living in temporary shelters. Sturdy poles have been used to hold the walls of their homes upright.

Kaka, one of the residents, is devastated. “We cannot live in the house. We have spent all we have on the house. I have to begin all over again to construct a new house.”

Dawa Gyeltshen, another resident, said “the walls are falling apart. Cracks have appeared in three, four places. If a strong wind blows, what remains will collapse.”

Kinley Peldon and her family members are still “very scared.” They are now “staying with neighbours.”

As it gets dark, the students sit down to do their homework under a dim light in the temporary shelter as other members of the family watch TV tucked in one corner of the tent.

They cannot even go and retrieve their belongings from their damaged homes. They are too scared.

Across the country, the earthquake has damaged 4,000 homes, 12 dzongs, 175 Lhakhangs, 71 chortens, 63 schools, 11 hospitals, basic health units, and outreach clinics, 20 Gups offices, 15 renewable natural resource centres, and 22 other infrastructure.

Bank of Bhutan 21 September, 2011 – The country’s oldest bank, the Bank of Bhutan, remained closed for business yesterday because of power problems, frustrating clients and customers all across the country.

Day-to-day banking activities were stalled since 2 am because of problems with the transformer, which feeds power to its main data centre, at its headquarter in Phuentsholing.

Without the primary source of data banking, services in all its 27 branches were non functional. BoB officials are uncertain whether the Sunday earthquake is responsible for the damage to the transformer. The damage was discovered seven hours later.

The bank’s IT head, Sonam Kinzang, said it might be possible, because the transformer is mounted between two poles, and the slightest vibration could cause some disturbance inside the transformer.

The bank notified its customers that its ATM services, SMS and internet banking, and daily transactions are temporarily down due to power failure in head office in all the 27 branches.

While electricity was restored six hours after the damage in the data centre, banking services remained unavailable. BoB officials explained that it took time for the internal server to stabilise after the disconnection.

Frustrated customers, who had come for transactions, currency exchange and withdrawals, had to return from the door, where a notification read that services were down.

A corporate employee, who was supposed to travel to Bangkok this morning, said she had to resort to borrowing money from her friends, since all the services were down.

The transformer, which belongs to Bhutan Power corporation, could not be repaired, and the bank was supplied with temporary power from a nearby extension at the RICBL office.

BPC engineers restored power supply at around 8am the same day. “It’s not very sure whether the earthquake caused the damage, because the transformer was in its original place and the damage was inside,” a BPC official said. The bank’s chief support officer, Kinga Jurmi, said while data recovery centres and power back up solutions are in place, it could not be used since it might take a lot of time for the services to start, as it will have to be done in sequence with each service. Such backups are used only in a worst case scenario.

Banking services are expected to be available this morning, according to BoB officials. “We’ll be looking at extending our services to clients to make up for the time lost,” another official said.

Bank officials could not give any figures on the amount of business lost from the disruption in services.

By Nidup Gyeltshen

Courtesy : http://www.kuenselonline.com/2010/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=20846