Yet Again, The Shingkhar-Gorgan Road Rears Its Ugly Head

Towards the end of their tenure in 2013, the erstwhile DPT government had realized the folly of their intentions and had quietly terminated the construction of the proposed Shingkhar-Gorgan bypass. The agencies such as the NEC and the Department of Forestry, including some environmentalists, who have been vociferous in their resistance to the idea of this road, heaved a sigh of relief that something unlawful and potentially catastrophic had been brought to its just end.

Exactly one year later, the ruling PDP has again resuscitated the foolhardy venture. But this time they are smart enough not to promote the idea that it is a farm road because it certainly does not fulfill the prescribed guidelines for construction of farm roads.

However, this time round, the government does not seem to be all that educated in what they are putting out to the public. The Works and Human Settlement Minister has come on record to state that: “The road could also help travellers, especially by not having to pass through Thrumshingla that remains covered in ice in winters”. This flagrant misinformation can only mean that the Minister has not been told the truth - that Singma-La, over which the Shingkhar-Gorgan road needs to pass, is even higher than Thrumshing-La pass. If the Minister was appropriately appraised of the real situation, she would understand that the incidence of snow and icing on the road would be even more severe at Singma-La than that encountered at Thrumshing-La pass. Are some interest groups intentionally misguiding the government with false information and withholding of truth?

The other reason given is that it will shorten travel distance from the East to the West by about 100 Kms. That is a good reason to consider the road - except that there is some mathematical error in the calculation of the distance. According to what I know, the distances are as follows:

    Shingkhar to Singma-La      6  Kms
    Singamala to Pelphu          30  Kms
    Pelphu to Zhongmay           5   Kms
    Zhongmay to Selibi-zam     6   Kms
    Selibi-zam to Gorgan          5   Kms

Even beyond the numerical error, what the ruling government and its concerned Ministry has not been told is the fact that the ascend from the valley at the bottom of the mountain to Singma-La requires a total of 26 zigs or bends or turns - before hitting the Singma-La top! You can well imagine the gradient of the road! To my memory, there is no road in Bhutan with that kind of steep gradient. This should tell you the kind of geography and topography you are dealing with. To carry out so much cutting into the mountainside will destabilize the already fragile soil structure of the area. Additionally, I am told that this area is most of the time shrouded in mist and fog. Therefore, even if the whole mountain does not end up at the bottom of the ravine, the road will remain perilous and unusable most of the year.

Therefore, even if we were to accept that the distance would be shortened, what will be the volume of traffic the road will carry? Has the government done a cost benefit analysis of this venture? Would it justify the tens of billions of Ngultrums that will be spent in the construction of this road?

Is it enough that the people of Lhuntse makes a request to the Works and Human Settlement Minister and the government has the wherewithal to grant them that kidu? The government has to be mindful of the fact that there are parts of the country where there are no roads at all - let alone a road that can get them to the West in the quickest of time.

In recent times, the Bhutanese lingua franca has been permeated by a newly coined phrase: geological surprise! This new coinage attempts to justify and condone the expensive disaster at Punasangchu I, the consequences and implications of which the Bhutanese people do not seem to fathom or be bothered about. On the floor of our Parliament, elected leaders speak with practiced deftness, of geological surprises as something commonplace and as an act of God that deserves compassion, understanding and forgiveness.

No one is being held accountable for the horrendous disaster; no one seems to point out the fact that such “geological surprises” are not acceptable in a project the size and scale of Punasangchu I. No one seems to care that the project authorities had obviously failed to carry out proper investigation to safeguard against such surprises.

In all likelihood, the geological disturbance caused by the construction of the stretch of road between Singma-La and Zhongmey will cause the entire mountain to collapse at the bottom of the ravine.

Does the present government hope to be indemnified of all blame - because this too can be conveniently written off as another “geological surprise”? I don’t think so, because in this case, fair warning has been given - that the venture is unlawful, meaningless and environmentally disastrous.

The erstwhile DPT government saw through the futility of this undertaking and stopped it in time, at the behest of the people whom they represented. I urge the present government to do the same. Even if not entirely - until a thorough investigation is carried out and until after amending the law that currently prohibits construction of any kind within the core park areas.

The construction of this road was, and still is, a great concern to all of us who care for the environmental health of this country. In June of 2013, I trekked up to Singma-La top - to see for myself what was involved. The following photographs will tell a small bit of the larger story that is the Shingkhar-Gorgan road.

The Singma-La Pass. One can see that the pass is way above the tree lines meaning it is over 4,000 Mtrs.

Thrumshing-La Pass at under 3,800 Mtrs. As opposed to the barren top of Singma-La, you can see trees atop the Thrumshing-La Pass. This means that this pass is much lower than Singama-La.

View of the beautiful Shingkhar Village from atop the Singma-La.

 

 The endless wilderness between Singma-La Pass and Pelphu Goenpa through which the run will run, if the construction is to resume.

View of the road from Gorgan side that has reached Pelphu Goenpa at which point the erstwhile DPT government had halted further construction. Notice the number of zigs/turns already. The road has to climb further 30 KMs to reach the Singama-La top. One can imagine how many more zigs/turns it will require until the road is able to reach the top of the pass.

 A long shot of the wilderness between Singma-La and Pelphu Goenpa

 

Perhaps Bhutan's oldest forest stand of Silver Fir that will be desecrated if the road gets constructed.

Some pretty houses in Shingkhar.

CONGRATULATIONS, Modi Bhai

What exactly is Shri Narendra Modi Bhai? A genuine do-gooder or a master theatrician? Whatever he may be, inviting all the SAARC Heads of States to his swearing-in ceremony is unprecedented in the annals of Indian diplomatic as well as political history. Certainly it sends out a good message - it is a praiseworthy gesture that has been received well.

It remains to be seen if he is the much touted change India needs - and India certainly needs a bullock-cart full of changes. A strong and progressive India is good for the region. India seeks and deserves, to be the regional leader. Unfortunately their big brother attitude and posturing has left them all alone and spited. Bhutan today is the only country among a cluster of hostile neighbors, whom they can call a friend. And here too, their bullying tactics is driving us away from them.

What happens in India has a direct bearing on Bhutan. Every government change in India is a cause for anxiety for the Bhutanese people. BJP forming the government with such a huge mandate is both a cause for elation as well as worry for Bhutan particularly. But Modi Bhai has certainly sent out a very, very encouraging message to all its neighbors. He seems to be a man with a completely different style of governing. What is now to be seen is whether he brings with him a change in the traditional Indian mindset.

I wish him the very best and hope that under his leadership, India will start to rebuild and regain the trust deficit among its neighbors. Inviting all the SAARC leaders to his swearing-in ceremony is a move in the right direction.

I offer him this beautiful flower from my garden, photographed this morning specifically for him, as a gesture of goodwill from the people of Bhutan.

मॅँ आपको बधाई देता हूं, श्री नरेन्द्र मोदी  

What does Yellow flower symbolize?
There is good reason why we smile when we spot a bouquet of bright daffodils or a pot filled with sun-drenched chrysanthemums - the color yellow evokes feelings of joy and lightheartedness. Also a symbol of friendship, a bouquet bursting with yellow blooms sends a message of new beginnings and happiness.

Rotary Club of Thimphu is Two Years Old

The Rotary Club of Thimphu is two years old. The Club celebrated its 2nd Anniversary yesterday, the 9th of May, 2014 at the Clock Tower. On the day, the Chief Guest Hon’ble Lyonpo Damcho Dorji, Minister for Home & Cultural Affairs, released the Club’s magazine. A complimentary copy of the magazine was distributed to the invitees to the celebrations.

The Cover of the Club's maiden publication features my photo of the pretty Mt. Jichu Drake with the frozen Tshophu lake in the foreground:

Upon its Charter on 24th April, 2012, The Rotary Club of Thimphu (RCT) became the 216th member of the Rotary International. The investiture ceremony took place at the Convention Center on 30th April, 2012, which was presided over by the then Deputy Prime Minister, Lyonpo Yeshey Zimba. The then President of Rotary International Mr. Kalyan Banerjee flew into Bhutan especially for this occasion, accompanied by a host of Members and Officials from a number of Rotary Clubs from Nepal and India.

The formation of the Club was so important and historical that its founding was announced to the nation by the then Prime Minister, His Excellency Lyonchen Jigmi Y. Thinley, in his State of the Nation speech delivered on the floor of the Parliament on 9th July, 2012.

Lyonpo Minjur Dorji was appointed the first President of the Club. Today, RCT has 13 Charter Members and 3 Honorary Members, headed by the incumbent President Rinzin Ongdra Wangchuk.

In the coming months, the RCT will send out invitations to a privileged few - to join the RCT and be part of a group engaged in selfless service to society.

Membership to the Club is by invitations only.

The following are some of the photographs taken during the Club’s founding and from yesterday’s Anniversary celebrations:

The President of Rotary International, Mr. Kalyan Banerjee, called on Lyonchen Jigme Yoezer Thinley. Present in the photo are two other persons who were pivotal in the founding of the Club - Lyonpo Minjure Dorji and Dasho Penden Wangchuk:

The investiture ceremony at the Convention Centre:

Celebrations at the Clock Tower on 9th May, 2014:

Event backdrop erected at the Clock Tower where the celebrations of the Club’s 2nd Anniversary took place:

Welcome address by the President of the Rotary Club of Thimphu, Mr. Rinzin Ongdra Wangchuk:

Address by the Hon'ble Chief Guest, Lyonpo Damcho Dorji, Minister of Home & Cultural Affairs:

Address by Jaya Rajya Laxmi Shah, President Elect of District 3292 for the year 2015-2016. She was one of the 20-members delegation from RI District 3292 in Nepal:

The day also marked the award of two Awards to the Rotary Club of Thimphu: The 4-Way Test Award and the End Polio Now Award:

Mr. Ashok Mehta, Director of Membership and Website of Rotary Club of Mumbai North Island visited the celebrations and presented his Club's flag to RCT President:

During the celebrations, five of the RCT Rotarians received their Paul Harris Fellow Certificate and Pin. The five are: Karma Gyeltshen, Seargent-at-Arms; Dr. Lam Dorji, Club Secretary; Rinzin Ongdra Wangchuk, Club President; Ugyen Dorji, Charter Member and Yeshey Dorji, Vice President.

The following are my Certificate & Pins:

Paul Harris Fellow Certificate:

My Paul Harris Fellow Pin:

My Rotary Pin as the Club's Vice President:

The celebrations ended with a group photo session of the Members of the RCT with the Chief Guest:

 

The Chief Guest poses with the Rotarians and guests:

The day’s celebrations were brought to a close with a dinner hosted by the Members of the RCT in honor of the visiting Rotarians from Nepal. It was a modest affair held at the Folk Heritage Museum Restaurant. The highlight of the evening was when the Hon’ble Prime Minister Lyonchen Tshering Tobgay sauntered in, quite casually and all alone - sans Patang, sans Kabney, sans Tshoglham and sans security personnel - but with loads and loads of charm and allure. The Prime Minister’s complete lack of pomp and pageantry had the Nepalese guests completely floored in disbelief and awe!

The next night (10th May, 2014), Rotarian Thinley Gyamtsho, Rotarian Ugyen Dorji, Sonam Zangmo (Club's AES) and myself - we voluntarily elected ourselves to play host to twelve Nepalese guests and took them to a Karaoke Bar - the spacious Serkhor Restaurant opposite the Changlam Plaza. The Nepalese guests danced to Nepalese and Bhutanese tunes until the wee hours of midnight. The lithesome wiggle by Rotarian Ugyen Dorji set the dance floor on fire - until equally energetic and gaiety Rajendra Lal Shrestha announced that he was out of breadth and out of energy and could not continue any further.

We called it a day - happy in the thought that the bonding that has taken place between the Rotarians from our two countries would go a long way in paving the way in fomenting closer ties and understanding between the people of Nepal and Bhutan. The unbridled friendship and camaraderie that was evident during the entire period we were together should dispel all doubts we may have had about each other.

It became evident to me that we Rotarians should act as goodwill Ambassadors of each other’s countries - to repair any cracks in our relationships, whether real or imagined. I know that twenty Nepalese will take back happy memories of their time in our country - as I did when I returned from the District Convention I attended in Pokhara, Nepal early this year. I was totally enthused by my experience in Nepal. It was not only the happy moments we shared with the Nepalese Rotarians while there - but the bonding that took place among our own members that caused the Thimphu Rotarians to take on the cause of Rotary with renewed vigor and pace.

After the Charter Day Celebrations, the following members of RC Thimphu attended a training session on “New member Orientation”:

President Rinzin Ongdra Wangchuk
Secretary Dr. Lam Dorji
Treasurer Tshering Choki
Sergeant-at-Arms Karma Gyaltshen
Rtn. Ugyen Dorji
Rtn. Sonam Wangmo
Rtn. Rinzi Om
Rtn. Kesang Tshomo
Rtn. Thinlay Gyamtsho

Group photo after the training session:

 

The training was conducted at the Business Center of Hotel Druk, Thimphu. The trainers were following officials from RI District 3292 in Nepal:

Past District Governor Ratna Man Sakya
Past District Governor Tirtha Man sakya
District Governor Nominee Jaya Shah
 

The Assistant Governor Rajendra Lal Shrestha facilitated the training session.

As a part of the training course, DGN Jaya spoke on “Rotary Policies and Procedures”,  PDG Tirtha Man Sakya spoke on “Rotary History & Achievements” and PDG Ratna Man Sakya on “Opportunity of Service in Rotary”. 

The participants were awarded Certificates of Participation:

At the end of the session, RC Thimphu President Rinzin Ongdra Wangchuk expressed his satisfaction at having undergone such a useful training course. He stated that all the members of the RC Thimphu were now more confident of the Rotary movement in Bhutan. He hoped that there would me more opportunities in the future for similar courses. He thanked the Assistant Governor Rajendra for his role as the focal person who managed the entire arrangement without a hitch and for the flawless logistical support he rendered to his colleagues from Nepal.

Education City

What exactly is happening to the Bhutanese people? Are we slowly going insane? What happened to our capacity to think objectively and rationally?

Take, for instance, the case of the Bhutan Education City project. Everybody seems to be intent on killing it. Why and by what authority? In all frankness I am not so sure of its commercial viability but we should understand that huge investments have already been made - in hundreds of millions.

But what is even more irksome is that the whole project is now being touted as something illegal. From what I know, both the Upper, as well as, the Lower Houses of the Parliament had passed the Bhutan Education City Act. Even beyond that, it received Royal Assent on 3rd September, 2012. So there is no authority in this country who can say that this project is illegal and that it should be shut down. If it has to be shut down, there are procedures to follow - before making such pronouncements. The Land Commission has no authority to challenge a decision passed by the King and the Parliament.

If it has now been determined that the Education City project is commercially not feasible, then it certainly is a good idea to look at other options, but don’t call it illegal and remember that only the King and the Parliament can decide to pronounce its burial.

In the meantime, if we are smart and unique as we claim, let us look at how we can recoup our investment - through better ideas. If the Education City was a bad idea, let us come up with a better one.

I have a proposal: lease some portion of the land to IMTRAT. They have become an eyesore being located bang in the center of Thimphu city. And, lease some portion of it to the RBA and relocate them from Lungtenphu. Also, it would be a good idea to consider moving out the Bhutan Oil Distributors - one of these days, the BOD is going to cause a major catastrophe.

KUENSEL - The Grand Old Dad Among Bhutanese Newspapers

One of the first things Dasho Kinley Dorji (currently the Secretary of the Ministry of Information & Communications) did, as soon as he took over the Kuensel as its CEO some two decades back, was to redesign the Kuensel’s masthead. The paper’s present masthead was conceived and adopted by him.

Before the masthead was adopted, I was among the few Dasho Kinley consulted as to the appropriateness of the masthead. In particular he was in serious doubt whether the sentence “THAT THE PEOPLE SHALL BE INFORMED” was grammatically correct. Of that one I wasn’t sure either - but of one thing I was sure and I told him so - that the background color of the masthead - blue - looked YUCKY! The color did not change and neither did my opinion about it, to this day. However Dasho Kinley went ahead and adopted the current masthead - yucky color and grammatically doubtful sentence et all. As far as Dasho Kinley was concerned, he made sure that he went through the motion of seeking popular opinion but as the top dog of the paper - he did exactly as he pleased - opinions be damned!

Since then, Kuensel never failed to INFORM the people. But the words “THAT THE PEOPLE SHALL BE INFORMED” did not bind them to MISINFORM the people from time to time. Infact, they did so with unfailing regularity.

Look at the following. The Prime Minister dedicates the project to the IVth Druk Gyalpo - but Kuensel says that it is to the Prime Minister.

The following news report in the Kuensel is encouraging. The civil servants are going to be given free plots of land - to grow vegetables. That is a great idea - it will boost vegetable production and one never knows -  this may be one job at which they might excel!

Best of luck to the new breed of farmers.

Bunakha Reservoir - Damming The Wangchu

Well, it seems like it is finally happening! For the past many years I have gone hoarse making noise that the way to go is NOT TO build disastrous projects such as Punasangchu I & II, but to dam the Wangchu river in order that we can harness the excess water during monsoon which otherwise go to waste. It is shameful that a net exporter of electricity that we claim to be, have to import electricity from India during the winter months.

Power generation at Chukha and Tala drop drastically during the winter months - as a result of freezing of the glacial lakes that feed the Wangchu. As a result there is insufficient water to drive the massive turbines, resulting in poor generation. This means our earnings, (if there is any) suffer during the winter months, in addition to forcing us to import power from India.

The solution to this perennial problem should have been simple enough - dam the Wangchu river so that the excess water that go to waste during the monsoons can be harnessed - to augment the fall in water volume during winter months. This will not only solve the problem of falling revenue from these power projects, but it will prevent us from importing power from India.

Building a dam across the Wangchu river is so much cheaper than building a hydro-power plant. And, the construction is faster - therefore, the return on investment is quicker.

Therefore, the PDP government’s recent approval of the Bunakha project is a welcome move.

Unfortunately, my bubble burst when I realized that the reservoir construction is tied to the construction of yet another hydro-power project - the 570MW Wangchu Hydroelectric Project - at the current projected cost of Indian Rupees 29.5 billion. Add to this cost the customary and unfailing cost escalation of 400% - and the final figure will stand at close to Rs. 240.00 billion. I know that His Excellency Economics Minister Lyonpo Norbu Wangchuk said that there would be no cost escalations. At this point, the only thing I can say is that His Excellency is young enough that he will live to see what a poor soothsayer he made.

Will it not be more beneficial if we simply build the reservoir at about Rs. 5-6 billion, rather than go into another potential Punasangchu I disaster? Some one with some accounting basics should do some mathematics to find out which is more beneficial - return from the increased revenue from increased generation from Chukha and Tala during the winter months - as opposed to investment in a Rs. 240.00 billion Wangchu Hydroelectric Project that may see the light of day - some 20 years from now, if the dam does not sink, yet again.


I know, I know -- I am not entirely oblivious to the real truth that surround hydroelectric projects is Bhutan but I can't help it - I am a romantic at heart and lofty ideals and wishful thoughts are intrinsic to my nature :)-

Anyway, if this is a well-intended gift from India, it has to be the parting bonus from Ambassador V P Haran. Now lets see what the new Ambassador His Excellency Gautam H. Bambawale will bring - as his tofa to the Bhutanese people. Given his background, lets pray that his expertise will be another bonus for Bhutan.

Tengney Police Namgay

On the morning of 22nd February, 2014, I was on my way to Paro Rinpung Dzong - but was undecided as to how to approach it - whether on foot over the Paro Ngami Zampa cantilever bridge or, by motor road running through the Paro Tshongdu. While I struggled with the indecision, I had parked my car by the roadside close to the Chortens at Ngami Zampa - to contemplate the merits and demerits of the two approaches to the Dzong.

Then I saw him - the dreaded Police Namgay - the bane of most Bhutanese motorists. He was in civilian clothing, smeared in white paint and he had a surgical glove covering his palms.  He was hovering over a number of people engaged in painting white lines on the paved space that served as parking lot. Intrigued, I got out of my car and walked over to him and asked:

“Wai Lobey Namgay, gachi bedo?”

“Aaaaa …. I am trying to create an orderly parking space saa. In the absence of a properly defined parking space, it is madness at this spot. People park haphazardly and there is chaos every time. As in-charge of the traffic in these areas, maintaining order is a problem. Once in a while I have to pull up some drivers for poor road sense --- but in the absence of a well-defined parking spots, I believe that it is not fair to penalize people. So I am marking out the space for organized parking”.

“OK … but why is a Traffic Police Officer responsible for painting the white boxes?”

“Actually it is the responsibility of the Thromde … but they have this excuse that they do not have budget to do the job. I am so fed up that I decided to take on the job myself with help from some of my johnnies. Those guys doing the painting are traffic policemen. I got the Thromde to give us the white paint … and I encouraged some of my team of traffic policemen to put in the labor. We started the work last Saturday … but it rained in the night and washed away all the paintwork. So we are redoing it today. Once the markings are carried out, the parking will be lot more organized and as you can see, we can now fit in more than double the number of vehicles that would usually occupy the parking area. Once the parking lot is well defined, there is no excuse for anyone to be errant in the way they park their vehicles. If they do, I can kick their butts without feeling guilty about it”.

What a pleasure to come face-to-face with a rare Bhutanese who goes beyond the call of duty! Whenever one refers to Namgay, people have a tendency to say; “Aani Tengney Police Namgay ya?”

A few more Tengney like Police Namgay would certainly be welcome. I salute him for his service and initiative.

A Splendid Isolation: An Essay on Bhutan

Madeline Drexler, a friend and a celebrated writer in the US who has recently released an essay on Bhutan, writes to me as follows:

---------------------------------

Hi Yeshey --

I am very curious what the reaction to the book will be in Bhutan. Will Bhutanese readers understand the nuanced picture that I aimed for in this book? Will they be critical? I have no idea. What do you think?

Incidentally, here are the websites where Bhutanese can download the e-book. The first two will cost $2.99 per book. The Scribd site offers a PDF of the book for free -- and if you could post the Scribd link (and the others, if you like) on your well-read website, I would be very appreciative.

Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/Splendid-Isolation-Lessons-Happiness-Kingdom-ebook/dp/B00I8R2532/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391564206&sr=1-1&keywords=a+splendid+isolation+drexler
 
Smashwords.com:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/407155

Scribd.com:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/206230098/A-Splendid-Isolation-Lessons-on-Happiness-from-the-Kingdom-of-Bhutan

Anyway, I hope you are well. More soon…

-- Madeline
--------------------------------

I have read the essay and I loved it. I am amazed how an outsider who lived in Bhutan only few weeks can get to understand us and our confusions so accurately. I loved the title of the book too - "A Splendid Isolation":

To tell you something about the author:

Madeline Drexler is an award-winning journalist, author and travel essayist. She is editor of Harvard Public Health magazine and a senior fellow at Brandeis University’s Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism. Among her national honors: the 2012 Sigma Delta Chi Award for Public Service in Magazine Journalism; the 2012 Clarion Award for Feature Articles; and a 1996-1997 Knight Science Journalism Fellowship at MIT. Drexler’s articles have appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Nation, The American Prospect, The New Republic, The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, Nieman Reports, Good Housekeeping, and many other national publications. Her book Emerging Epidemics: The Menace of New Infections (Penguin, 2010), originally issued in 2003 as Secret Agents: The Menace of Emerging Infections, drew wide critical praise. Drexler began her career as a staff photographer for The Associated Press.

Madeline has allowed the Bhutanese readers to download the Scribd version and read for free.

ENJOY!

Emerging Sophistication Of The Bhutan Palate

Did you know that there is a meat shop in Thimphu that sells canine meat? Order your supplies from the following meat shop located in Chang Bangdu area:

But please remember that canine meat does not necessarily mean that you are getting dog meat. Canine could also refer to all dog-like mammals such as wolves, coyotes, jackals etc. So please state your preference clearly: dog? coyote? jackal? wolves?

RCT Invites Applications for Rotary International Peace Fellowships

The Rotary Club of Thimphu (District 3292) is calling for applications for Rotary Peace Fellowships from all eligible Bhutanese scholars and students.

Additional details can be found at the Club’s FaceBook Page at:

www.facebook.com/RotaryBhutan
 

Rotary Peace Fellows study at one of the 6 Rotary Peace Centers around the world and can either earn a professional development certificate in peace and conflict resolution or a master’s degree in international relations, public administration, sustainable development, peace studies or a related field. These fellowships cover tuition and fees, room and board, round-trip transportation, and all internship/field study expenses.

To apply for a peace fellowship, please download the Application Form available at:

www.rotary.org/rotarycenters

Please complete the applicant portion of the Form and submit it via email to the Rotary Club of Thimphu at:

rotarybhutan@gmail.com

.........................................................................................................

The deadline for submission of applications is 31st March 2014 
...................................................................................................................

All communications to the Rotary Club of Thimphu may be addressed to:

Ms Sonam Zangmo, Assistant Executive Secretary

Other than one, there is no restrictions on who can apply - nor a limitation on the number of applications. The Rotary Club of Thimphu will be happy to receive and process all the applications it receives.

This is a community service of the Rotary Club of Thimphu and it is hoped that a large number of Bhutanese students and scholars will qualify for the scholarships.

Please rush the applications and BEST OF LUCK!

NOTE: Persons related to Club members are not eligible to apply for the scholarships.

Experience & Capability = Complete Package

From what KUENSEL reported recently, it would appear that if the National Council were to have its way, we will finally see some much needed change in our electoral laws - particularly those that pertain to the experience required to be able to contest in the elections to the Upper as well as the Lower Houses of the Parliament.

As of now, as per Article 23 of our Constitution, any person aged 25 and with a college degree can qualify to contest in the elections. There is no talk of a requirement of adequate experience.

If the proposed amendment is approved by the NA, then we can be sure that our elected Members of the Parliament in future will be better experienced than those of the sweepers working at the Shearee Square Super Store or the Tractor drivers of M/s Kelwang Pvt. Ltd. I had discussed this matter in my earlier post dated May 8, 2013.

 

Here is a Thumps-Up to the Members of the National Council.

Singapore's Rare and Valuable Visitor: Not so Rare After All

My last post claiming the rare and first time sighting of the White-bellied Heron in Singapore aroused a huge interest among the birding community around the world - only to find that it was nothing more than a false ID by me. It turns out that the bird is not a WBH but another heron called the Great-billed Heron (Ardea sumatrana). OBC, London and senior and experienced bird watchers in Singapore and Japan have confirmed this. I took a closer look at the bird's images posted on the internet and find that I was wrong - my apology for the mistake - but certainly the similarity between the two herons is striking. The following images of the Great-billed Herons will show you how similar they are - except that the belly of the GBH is not as white as that of the WBH. It also looks smaller than the WBH.

In comparison, the following image of the White-bellied Heron I photographed in Rurichu clearly show the difference - in that the WBH has a pure white belly while that of the GBH is greyish.

As I said in my earlier post, it would have been fantastic if the bird were to be WBH - I guess it was just too much of a wishful thought.

Singapore's Rare and Valuable Visitor

Historically, the range of the world's rarest of rare herons - White-bellied Heron (Ardea insignis) - is believed to spread from Nepal and Bhutan in the north to India in the center, into Myanmar in the south. There has been no report of sightings of this bird outside and beyond these four countries. Its global population is said to be anywhere from 50 to 250, of which Bhutan has a recorded population of 28 individuals, found in two locations - Punasangchu areas (both Phu-Chu and Mo-Chu) in the west and Berti, Zhemgang in south-central part of the country. In Nepal, it is said to have gone extinct - as of few years back.

It has so far been believed that the birds do not migrate. One other behavioral characteristic attributed to the bird is that they are very shy and therefore, solitary feeders - generally avoiding human habitat.

If that were true, what is the bird doing in a concrete metropolis such as Singapore? Incredible? But it is true - the lone tourist was sighted by the shores of Singapore on 23rd January, 2014 at 11.00AM by Ms Shirley Koh - a 63-years old photo enthusiast.

Ms Shirley had accompanied her writer husband who wanted to swim at the Tanjong Beach Walk - a man-made lagoon in Sentosa island (Blue Lagoon revisited?). While her husband splashed in the warm water, she was scanning the banks of the lagoon to kill time while waiting for her husband to finish his swim.

That is when she noticed a large bird perched on a boulder that somehow looked familiar. Shirley is neither a bird watcher nor a bird photographer but she had seen the photo of the bird - in the process of doing a calendar project for a local law firm - a calendar comprising of thirteen of my bird photographs. Of the thirteen photographs, one of them was that of the rare White-bellied Heron.

She began to photograph the bird with her point-and-shoot camera: SONY Cyber-shot DCS HX10V. The clarity of the images are such that I am sure she managed to get extremely close to the bird - as close as about 20 ft. - otherwise such a miniscule camera could not have gotten such amazing quality images. All the following incredibly detailed images were photographed by Shirley - with her point-and-shoot SONY Cyber-shot. She sent me the images for validation; if she hadn't, I would have laughed the whole thing away as a joke.

For comparison, here is a photo of the bird photographed by me in Rurichu (Wangduephodrang) - some eight years back. There is no mistaking the bird - it is indeed a White-bellied Heron - beyond a shred of doubt.

Here is a photo of the camera that captured the rare bird with such clarity and detail - it is almost unbelievable. This camera must be something!

I do not believe that the bird is a resident of Singapore - no sightings have ever been reported here before. Singapore simply does not have the habitat to support such a large and shy bird. This could only mean that it is a visitor from some place in the proximity of the island state. Which one? The closest place where this bird is reported is Myanmar - few thousand KMs away to the north. Thus, it is near impossible that this bird originated there. In any event, the heron is not known to migrate. So then, how can the existence of this bird by the shores of Singapore be explained?

Tanjong Beach Walk where the bird was sighted is by no means a secluded spot - the place is buzzing with activity - there are buses and trams carousing around; there are joggers, swimmers and even sunbathers kicking up a racket. Gigantic ships and tankers box the place in - hooting loudly from time to time.

Here are some photos of the location where the heron was photographed:

So what is a shy and solitary bird doing in the middle of all this cacophony? Is the bird deaf, is it blind, or both? If it is neither deaf nor blind, how come it allowed Shirley to come so close? It took me five years to get a decent photograph of the bird - with a 500mm bazooka of a lens. I have never been able to get close to it - no where close to even 500 Mtrs. Every time I approach it, it would fly away. And this bird allows Shirley to photograph it with an idiot camera? This is incredible! If it is no longer shy of human intrusion, how did it become so?

In my view there is only one answer - it is quite probable that the bird is a resident of Malaysia. Since these birds are known to fly close to hundred KMs in search of food - Singapore is within that range from Malaysia. Strangely, how come few thousand birders in the region did not sight the bird before - until Shirley sighted it while patiently waiting for her husband to finish his swim?

Notwithstanding all the questions that remain unanswered, this is an important discovery for the nearly extinct birds. It could be that there are lot more of these birds than earlier believed. This important discovery could alter the bird's demography - and certainly it extends its range to beyond what is traditionally believed. May be even the belief that they do not migrate could be a myth. More importantly, this is good news for the birders in the region - they can finally begin to hope to see and observe one of the most critically endangered birds in existence.

I am going to get in touch with some birders in Singapore and see if a concerted effort can be made to determine the residential address of these birds. May be some ornithological societies in the region can get involved - to gain better understanding of this rare bird.

STRANGE COINCIDENCE: At exactly the same time Shirley was photographing this extremely rare bird, I happened to call her on her mobile. It is almost eerie that even as the rare bird is being discovered in Singapore for the first time, I, one of its most vocal campaigners in Bhutan, happen to call the discoverer at that precise moment. Is there something Karmic about this? Even Shirley thinks this is very strange!