Punatsangchu Hydropower Project-I: The Mystery Deepens

Few days back, one of my Blog’s readers anonymously forwarded to me the following video clip that firmly validates what I have always known - that it was never in the scheme of things of the Project Authorities that the PHP-I should ever see the light of day.

 https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSg2SE2jy/

The person who produced the above video clip says that he worked on the project from day one the construction of the PHP-I began – in 2008. In other words, you are hearing this from the horse’s mouth – a Bhutanese employee who was bodily present at both the work sites – the right bank and the left bank of the dam site.

This person makes the following points:

The project authorities began the construction work by drilling two test drills on the left bank of the dam site – to determine the earth formation and stability of the mountain side. He says the test results were POSITIVE!!!

Next, they began drilling the same number of test drills on the right bank of the dam site … no doubt because they also had to establish the stability of the right bank for the purpose for which it would be used.

But even after drilling to the depth of 180 meters, they failed to hit hard rock. The narrator goes on to say that all that they encountered was loose earth and sporadic lumps of boulder. In fact, according to him, they had to reinforce the mountain face by ramming metal rods and injecting cement mortar into the mountain side – to prevent it from sliding down while they were prospecting below for hard rock. He goes on to say that what we are seeing today (the mountain face of the right bank of the dam site) is not the mountain’s natural formation - but the cement and mortar cladding they dressed it with – as a stabilization measure - to prevent sliding.

The narrator goes on to say that finally, during April of 2009, they decided to terminate further drilling and abandon the investigations – obviously the Project Authorities came to the conclusion that they were unlikely to ever find any solid/hard rock formation at the location!

This means the Project Authorities became aware – as far back as 2009 – that the location was/is NOT SUITABLE FOR BUILDING A DAM that would be required to store water mass weighing few trillion tons.

This then begs the question: If it was proven that the geology of the area was not suitable for dam construction, what was/is the reason why the PHP Authorities adamantly continued working on the project to this day – 18 years after the dam site was conclusively determined to be unsuitable for the purpose? What exactly was it that justified the Project Authorities to continue to crank up the project cost to close to 500% of the original estimate – even while they knew very well that the dam can never ever be built at the same location?

The PHP-I Project people are literate people - they would know that the Great Himalayas began forming some 25-30 million years back … So, if the hills and mountains in the project areas did not harden to their desired temper in that many million years, they know that there is not a rat’s ass of a chance that hard rocks would begin to form in 18 years.

It is a huge mystery!

What exactly transpired after the discovery of “no rock formation” was made? What considerations justified the Project authorities to orchestrate such charade as wanting to build a barrage in place of a dam?

Beyond certain educated but unproven guesses, I suppose we will never know. But I do hope that I live long enough to see how the Punatsangchu Hydropower Project Authorities will bring this monumental hoax to its conclusion – in a manner that it will bear some semblance of credibility.

But one thing is now proven beyond doubt - Mr. Khazanchi the decorated hero of the PHP-I imbroglio was being cute when he grandiosely coined the phrase “geological surprise”. Because now it is proven that he knew damn well that the “surprise” was never a surprise but a tested and proven reality – which he blatantly chose to ignore - for reasons only he can explain!

The Traffic Copper Knows His Rules

Pleasant surprises, like angel visits, are extremely rare … Not to say that such rare occurrences do not occur – they do. To prove it … let me recount what happened to me few days back. I mean it was so ticklish …. !

I was driving down from the Department of Culture office – intent on making it to the BNB – before they down shutters for the day.

As I veered off to the right of the Round-About below the BT office, the Traffic Copper keeping watch over the busy intersection flagged me down.

The correct and safe way to change lanes

Now what???? Well .... you don’t mess with the Traffic Copper …. so I meekly parked my car a little further away from the Round-About … on the Left Shoulder of the bridge.

“Lobey Traffic, gachi beyi?”

The Copper stretched out his palms and asked:

“Your documents please ….”

“Document mey tey … ”

“You don’t have Blue Book …?”

“Nope …. while you and I were sleeping, the RGoB conspired behind our backs and quietly went digital iimbey … They no longer issue hard copies of documents…. Hehehehe. ”

“But I did renew it and it is valid. I can’t remember if a Money Receipt was issued … and if it was … I don’t know where it is. But you can punch in my CID and I am sure the record will show up”

“Anyway …. What did I do wrong? What is my offence …?”

“You made an Illegal Lane Change…”

“What??? Are you serious? I mean, you actually noticed that? Zaiiiii … you actually know that improper Lane Change is a violation of traffic rules??? And since when did that become an offence in this country?”

“What do you mean … ofcourse I know my rules … I am a Traffic Police. If you were intending to filter right, you should have been driving on the Right Lane …. But you were on the Left Lane and suddenly veered off to the Right …. That was illegal … and dangerous …. that is not allowed.”

“Lobey Traffic … I know the rules of the lanes …. I mean I have driven in few countries around the world where most of the roads are Multi-Lane Roads. The truth is that the fellow behind me was Tailgating me as if he was a suckling baby …. And he did not indicate in which direction he was headed … that is why I couldn’t dare filter to my rightful lane …. I deemed it unsafe and dangerous.”

“Well … I cannot accept that as an excuse to allow you to resort to dangerous driving …. I have to fine you for dangerous driving.”

“Lasso, lasso … I accept that what I did was wrong .. so I will pay…. But Lobey you have to also accept that there are bound to be situations when common sense must override rules – I think it is important that we have to apply common sense – particularly when one is faced with an uncertain, potentially dangerous, situation.”

The Copper looked at me a little longer than necessary … he was clearly flustered …. Finally, he said;

“OK never mind …. I will let you go this time …. but please do not repeat this again”.

“Lasso Lasso … I will not la … Kadrinchey la.”

“But you know Lobey … I am hugely encouraged …. I mean you do know your rules … hehehehe.”

I suspect that the man saw sense in my uncommon, not-in-the-book logic … I think that is why he felt generous enough to let me go.

I did not want to push my luck at this time… but the next time I have another run-in into the Copper … or his lot, I do want to take up the issue of 90% of Bhutanese drivers paying scant attention to the Solid White Lines drawn at the Edges, as well as in the centre/middle, of the Roads … including their confusion of the Hazard Lamp (sometimes called the Warning Light) for that of the Parking Light (at times called the Sidelight). I get this feeling that road users (vehicle drivers) in Bhutan have come to believe that as long as they keep flashing their Hazard Lamps, they can do no wrong - wherever their vehicles are parked. This can only mean that they are clueless about certain traffic rules and road manners.

The Bizarre Himalayan Mystery

I am aghast!! – I was under the impression that the construction cost of the mysterious Punatsangchhu Hydropower Project-I (PHP-I) - would have by now spiraled to around Nu.100.00 billion or so – from its initial estimate of Nu.35 billion when the project construction began some 18 years back - in 2008. It appears that I am way off in my estimations - the latest news report by TheBhutanese informs us that the cost has actually escalated to a staggering Nu.170.00 billion!! And all that the PHP-I authorities has to show for it is a cute little Buddhist stupa constructed to appease the wrathful Gods who kept conjuring up slides after slides, a dozen or so metal billets grouted into the mountain side that is destined to come crumbling down anytime soon, and a disgraceful indecision as to whether to do a dam or a joke of a barrage - for a project that is still touted as a run-of-the-river project.

Sometime in 2024, quiet obviously, in shameful frustration, Dr. Yash Pal Shardha, a retired senior engineering geologist from the Geological Survey of India, Government of India, came on record and publicly declared as follows, in relation to PHP-I:

“This project is the best example of deceit and dishonesty by project people. A very good investigative Detailed Project Report at one place was done but the project was shifted to another place without conducting any investigation and whatever investigations were done were cooked up data knowing fully well we are going to face problems and we went for the tender stage and drilled a few holes and the project started for construction and now see fate of the project and will it ever be completed.”

Including this post, I have already written 85 articles on the subject of the perils associated with our hydropower projects – mainly surrounding PHP-I. So, let me keep this one short and sweet, and to the point:

AAA. Given that the young, fragile Himalayan geology of the project site has been totally destabilized by the incessant blasting of the rock formations during the initial stages of the project’s construction, no one is in any doubt that even a minor seismic activity will bring down some sections of the dam site crumbling down into the ravine – burying everything below, including shutting off the flow of the mighty Punatsangchhu that currently turns the turbines of the PHP-II downstream. The dam site has already seen three major, repeated slides on its right bank.

BBB. Seismologists have repeatedly warned that the Great Himalayan region, where Bhutan is located bang in the middle, is due for a massive earthquake – of magnitude 8 and upwards. Look what happened in neighboring Nepal during April of 2015. It is not a question of if, but of when, the mother of all tremors will strike. Recent events related to a nature that is in furious turmoil, should tell us that the “when” is not too distant in the future.

CCC. Thorthormi Tso (Lake) - that feeds into the Punatsangchu river where the PHP I & II are located, is all primed to come unbridled. Our authorities are all frantic preparing for this eventuality which we know is as sure as day and night. When that happens, all that we can do is gape in consternation, while both the PHP-I & II are swept away to their final resting place – in the Bay of Bengal, via the Brahmaputra.

DDD. It is now amply clear – absolutely no doubt whatsoever – that the PHP-I will never, ever get done – absolutely, conclusively NOT! So, what is the meaning of being so adamant about going on and on and on?

EEE. Alright, even if, by some miracle the project gets done, we can foretell that the cost will likely touch upwards of Nu.400 billion. At that cost of production, try and imagine: what will be the unit cost of electricity produced by this project? Do we hope to be able to sell the electricity from this project at that exorbitant cost? Which idiots will buy? You may recall that even as far back as 2015 – that is eleven years back! -  we were already having a hard time selling our electricity from Dagachu Hydropower Project – at Nu.2.90 per unit.

I have dealt with the Indians from the time I was 8 years old (even my late father worked as an interpreter to Project DANTAK’s first Chief Engineer) – I have interacted with them in India during my 7 years stint in Calcutta, India as Bhutan's head honcho for third country exports, as well as in many other countries across the globe - in both the hemispheres. As a race, I know them to be among the most brilliant. Therefore, I refuse to believe that they do not see the futility of their doggedness with this PHP-I enterprise ….

To be fair, for the Bhutanese partners in the project … WE ARE BETTER OFF IF THE PROJECT DOES NOT COME ON LINE AT ALL - for the simple reason that if the project does not start to generate and start earning – we are not liable to pay back the loan component (60% of the overall project cost) of the project, at 10% p.a. interest.

That being beside the point, can you guess what exactly is the mystery surrounding this Project? Two Chetrums for your thoughts!

As the Indians would say:

Daal mey kooch kala toh jaroor hai! 😅

Bhutanese Women: Unequal Among Equals

Early this month, a senior reporter – a woman – called me and asked my opinion as to why, despite the fact that women voters outnumber the men in every one of our Dzongkhags – women still lost out to males during the recent Thromde elections. I answered:

“Funny that you should ask me this - you damn well know that it is not only the Thromde elections – but even in the Parliamentary elections, women contestants have fared miserably thus far.”

“But why? What do you think is the reason?”

“Simple - because women elected Members have given no reason for voters to consider their candidature with any confidence or optimism. Actually, I believe that women do not trust women – they write them off as: Aamsu gii chikha michoebey - it is as simple as that”

“Come on, how can you say something like that”??? She sounded incredulous.

“Aamsu gii chikha michoebey” is not a fair statement – there is not an iota of truth in it. Regardless, what is true is that such a perception does prevail within the Bhutanese society – not because women are less capable than men – but because women elected Members have so far failed to demonstrate that they are capable of walking the extra mile – as opposed to their male counterparts.

We Bhutanese have traditionally been a matriarchal society – in their role as the Nungii Aum, we empowered our women with moral authority and family leadership – meaning that we treated them as more man than men. In every sphere of family life, the Nungii Aum had authority over most decisions – the male’s role was solely to gather food from outside – and plough the field - every other life’s decisions were in the domain of the Nungii Aum. We treated them with respect – we depended on their wisdom – we looked up to them for guidance.

But now, the modern Bhutanese society seems to treat our women as something less than equal to men. I cannot imagine at what point in our evolution we came to be this way. When, and what, caused the waning of our respect for women we historically held in high esteem?

I speak of this in the context of our law that provides that if a child is not fathered by a Bhutanese man, even if the child is born to a thoroughbred Bhutanese mother, the child will not be considered a natural born citizen of Bhutan. It appears to be of no consequence that the mother is a Bhutanese.

This is such a shameful law – it reeks of gender bias, it is unfair, it is uneducated, it is primitive, it is grossly incorrect, and it is an insult to our women. It blatantly promotes disparity among equals.

As good looking and healthy as they appear - one cannot fail to see the sadness in the faces of these children photographed in 2009 in a rural village in Eastern Bhutan.

The fact that such a shameful law exists can only mean that as a society we are in a state of regression – whether we accept it or not. It should not be acceptable that such gender-biased law that treats our women as being something lesser than a man, is allowed to perpetuate. We pride ourselves as a mindful society, a society whose life and living are touted to be guided by the high-mined and lofty principals of GNH.

This is why I say that the women elected Members have failed their lot – they have done nothing to change things – to abolish this evil law. This is why I say that Bhutanese women voters hesitate to choose women over men. They do not believe that women have it in them to stand their ground – there is no past record of their legitimacy!

It is not as if we are unaware of the fact that it is the women who bear the unborn child for nine months inside their bodies – the unborn child’s umbilical cord is tied to the women’s womb for nine months. Therefore, there cannot be a shred of doubt that if biological purity is to be the determining factor, mothers, and not fathers, have greater legitimacy. Where the father is concerned, who is to know? We cannot deny that there is always an element of doubt – whether the father is actually the real father as claimed.

This law has the potential to create a serious long-term social disharmony. I am told that in one small pocket of Chhukha Dzongkhag alone, there are upwards of 3,000 unregistered children born to mothers who cannot name the progenitors of their children, or that the fathers are non-Bhutanese. We know that there are similar cases in other Dzongkhags across the country, leading me to believe that there may be tens of thousands of unregistered fatherless children in the country.

No doubt, these children are growing up facing whole lot of insurmountable obstacles related to their movement, education, business opportunities and, even worst, social stigma caused by their unregularized census status. They are bound to be growing up with resentment against the state - for the suffering and shame they bear – for a reason that is not of their own doing. I am told that some mothers, out of sheer desperation, have gone as far as to shamelessly name their own fathers as the father of their children. This is not a good situation and needs to be addressed at the earliest.

Women elected Members should begin to put their dainty feet forward and start to earn their keep and, in the process, gain the trust and confidence of their lot!

As early as 2010/2011, when I was asked to speak at some gathering at Kanglung College – sponsored either by the UNICEF and/or UNESCO (I can’t remember which one) – there were two lady MPs in the gathering. I spoke to them about the matter and urged them to take up this issue. But to this day I have never heard any one – whether women or men – broach the subject during the last eighteen years of Parliamentary debates. I believe that since this is an issue related to women, our women MPs should take the lead and attempt to bring fairness in our legal provisions.

For the record, it is not as if this is being brought up in the public domain for the first time. The matter was discussed earlier – please read up at the following:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZat4LDQAQc

https://yesheydorji.blogspot.com/2011/06/normal-0-false-false-false_21.html

https://globalvoices.org/2016/03/03/no-country-for-bhutans-fatherless-children/#

https://yesheydorji.blogspot.com/2016/03/on-this-international-day-of-women-give.html

I am fully aware that there is no such thing as a perfect world – but that is no reason why societies cannot try to strive for one.

I have said this before through this blog – that, to achieve greatness, it is not always necessary to accomplish monumental tasks – even being able to dismantle evil that go to bring ease and happiness in the lives of the ill-treated and the downtrodden, is greatness; that GNH is inconsequential – if you do not have GPH.

Please consider – we cannot claim to be a just society even while such a vile law exists in our country! Since the first time I traveled to the outside world in 1979, every time I mentioned that I am from Bhutan - it never failed to bring on a twinkle in the eyes of the foreigners.

Let us uphold our reputation as a country worthy of emulation!

One Giant Leap For Q Yeshey, One Small Step For Bhutan

On the afternoon of August 21, 2026 at 2:08 PM, I photographed a strikingly pretty moth. Later, upon arrival at home, while looking up for the name of the moth, it turns out that I had unwittingly photographed a moth that is said to be endemic to Taiwan. I was intrigued! – I mean, what is a moth that is supposedly endemic to Taiwan doing in Bhutan? I delved deeper and I realized that I had a potential record in my hands. Material available in the internet confirmed that the moth was never before officially recorded in Bhutan.

Nothomiza flavicosta moth - recorded for the first time in Bhutan

I called up Karma Wangdi at the Ugyen Wangchuck Institute for Conservation and Environment (UWICE) - another Khengpa – one of the four authors of the most authoritative book on moths of Bhutan titled “Moths of Bhutan” – published in The Netherlands in August of 2022. I requested him to look up his records and let me know if the moth has ever been recorded before in Bhutan.

On the morning of August 23, 2026 (today) at 8.11AM, Karma Wangdi confirmed over the phone that my moth photo of Nothomiza flavicosta was indeed the first evidence of the moth’s existence in Bhutan. He said that he consulted his own records, including all of the published records in his possession --- he said that none show that the moth was ever recorded in Bhutan, before my discovery.

Nothomiza flavicosta is a species of moth belonging to the family Geometridae, commonly known as geometer moths. This species is said to be endemic to Taiwan. It was described by the English entomologist William Warren, in 1894.

For the record, when I went through my stockpile of moth photographs, it turns out that this was actually my second sighting of the moth – I was not aware that I had already photographed the moth - almost a year earlier, as follows:

     Moth Name : Nothomiza flavicosta

     Photographed at : Pangrizampa, Dechenchhoeling, Thimphu

     Date : September 5, 2025

     Time : 7:40 AM

Karma Wangdi tells me that Bhutan’s current record of moths stand at close to 2,000 species. However, he believes that Bhutan could be home to upto 5,000 species of these most beautiful of winged insects - collectively known as Lepidoptera.

Good Money Behind Bad "Torms": II

A reader of my blog commented as follows – after reading my earlier blog “Good Money Behind Bad "Torms": I”

About superstition, religious practices and humanity. Your post is intriguing. Why are Torms poisonous to animals (thereby to also human beings)? And if so, why Dratshang and religious institutions have not cured and remedied to it? They hold responsibility for the damage and for not taking action. Thank You Yeshey for your investigation. Hope it draws the attention it requires.

Instead of responding to the reader individually, I decided to post my following response here so that others also have an understanding of the issues:

Most of the modern day "Torms" are no longer fashioned the traditional way. In the bygone era, "Torms" used to be sculpted using natural material that were safe, bio-degradable and environmentally friendly. The base materials were either kneaded dough of maize or wheat flour, or pounded clay, and decorated with natural fibres and colored with vegetable/mineral dyes or earth pigments. But these days, most of the "Torms" contain indestructible synthetic material and are dyed with toxic chemical paints that are harmful to the birds and animals that consume the "Torms" that are left out in the open spaces.

Around the world, problems of death of the wildlife caused by the use of chemicals, industrial/domestic paints, pesticides/weedicides/herbicides, pollutants in the water bodies etc. etc. have been reported. In some cases, extinction of entire species has been caused by the unmindful use of harmful modern materials.

Although it appears that the menace of the irresponsible celebration of Vishwakarma Puja has now been controlled to a large extent, Bhutan did go through a period of whole-sale dumping of the "Torms"/Effigies in our water bodies …. Please read at the following how it used to be done:

https://yesheydorji.blogspot.com/search/label/Vishwakarma%20Puja

In truth, it is not just the "Torms" or the Vishwakarma Puja celebrations that must bear the blame for the defilement of our natural world – another unmindful practice that continue to cause even greater problems is the unfurling of the prayer flags.

Few KMs long prayer flags have been strung across the lush, green hilltop above Lungtenphu. It is my hope that those who are responsible for them had the good sense to use fabric of natural fibres and environmental friendly ink to print the prayers on the flags. Even if not, I hope those who are responsible (I get the feeling that it is a group or organization called GKOR - one cannot miss the four alphabets clearly standing out among the assemblage of prayer flags) for this act has the sense of responsibility to gather them up and dispose them off safely - before they cause the kind of problem they did in remote and far-flung places such as Laya and Lunana - as reported by VAST Bhutan.

The above is not the only case - just take a look at our green hillsides all around you --- they are poke-marked with similar prayer flags - thankfully not a profusion of colors as the ones in the above.

The problem has become so rampant that VAST Bhutan brought this to the attention of the nation through their “Lungta Art Festival 2026” early this year. Please read about it here:

https://yesheydorji.blogspot.com/2026/03/unfurling-loongtah-of-mindfulness.html

At the most fundamental level, a religious act is supposed to be good for the soul, for the body and for the mind and, even more, for all the sentient beings of the world. But is that the case?

Bhutan’s urban literate are not even willing to forego the use of plastic shopping bags ….. I ask you:

What is the point of being literate if you are not educated?

Good Money Behind Bad "Torms": I

Yesterday morning a senior member of our Chat Group suggested to me the following, during our chat related to birds and animals becoming too familiar with the human population:

“You are a lover of nature …. educate religious persons to propagate. I was told Thimphu has no Olas (Large-billed Crow) because of poisoned Tormas”

It is rather eerie but it was as if some unseen force was steering me in some invisible ways. This morning, when I was headed to town, instead of using the shorter and newer road that is wider and better paved which would deliver me to Thimphu city faster, I opted to take the older and longer route that passed through Taba town. As I passed the forest between Taba and Lanjopakha, my attention was drawn to the following signboard erected on the shoulder of the road to my right. I stopped to take a closer look:

Thimphu Thromde's signboard at Taba

Underneath, in Dzongkha script, the signboard warned that dumping of other trash at the site was prohibited!

This has to be the height of religious fervorism! I mean Thimphu Thromde (Municipality) has actually allocated a special space for dumping of, what they prefer to call:  "Torms" (Effigies)! And they are categorical that littering by any other trash/garbage is prohibited. Imagine!!!!

I wondered – is it possible that there are other spaces around Thimphu where littering by "Torms" in designated places is legit? I drove to Motithang … and fair enough – there was one there too:

Thimphu Thromde's signboard at Motithang

I drove towards Chamgang …. None! Then I drove towards Khasadrapchu …. None! I turned back and drove towards Yusipang --- none there either. But look what I found:

A bunch of exquisitely constructed "Torms" dumped by the roadside at Memelakha

Some people had dumped some exquisite looking "Torms" by the road side about 500 Mtrs. before Memelakha Municipal Dump site! I was intrigued …. How come they came all the way to Memelakha but dumped the "Torms" few hundred meters before the city dump site? Why couldn't they have dumped them at the Dump Site just a few hundred meters above the road?

Then it hit me – the disposal of the "Torms" after the performance of the ritual is done with, is governed by some set rules – it cannot be done any which way you like. The direction in which the "Torms" can be disposed-off is determined by the monks or the Lam performing the ritual …. The location and the placement of the "Torms" is also pre-determined – you just do not dump them wherever it is convenient or wherever you please, or any place that some authorities command.

In other words, Thimphu Thromde cannot determine where the "Torms" can be disposed off ..... meaning good money behind bad "Torms"!

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

UPDATE:

Today (14.08.2026) I located one more "Torms" Dump Site - this one at Dechencholing, at the point of diversion towards Dechenphug Lhakhang:

Thimphu Thromde's signboard at Dechencholing

Is Druk Yuel Headed The Merlion City Way?: I

Recently a friend from abroad sent me some intriguing comments that read, in part, as follows:

“………. Interesting articles you put up there .. the Bhutanese exodus to Australia! 40,500 & growing - almost a third of Thimphu population.

They are not there just for study and work – a large number of them will be there for the rest of their lives as many hold PRs.

The last time that happened to Singaporeans leaving Singapore and with the added problem of lower birth rate, the Prime Minister set up incentives to entice them to return home. 

That did not work. Then the policy shifted to granting PRs & Citizenship to foreigners. Today, the true-blue original Singaporeans are <50%!

Another problem was when foreigners began to flip property & other businesses, then relocate the monies elsewhere.

If Bhutan copies Singapore model all the way through, this will be the way”

This friend fears that there are clear signs that we are headed the Singapore way – we are faced with the same twin problems that Singapore faced decades back - outward migration of our youth and falling birth rate!

Hon'ble Prime Minister of Bhutan - sounding the alarm bells

The problem of outward migration is a tricky issue – we may have to live with it for a while – unless there occurs an upheaval in the Bhutanese migrants’ psyche – and decides to prefer life over livelihood. Frankly, I am not very hopeful of that ever happening, or even that if that will be seen as meaningful.

In the context of falling birth rate, the PDP government is already trying to address the problem – by offering cash incentives to encourage making of more babies. Time will tell if this program will succeed … but even if it does, this has to be seen as a long-term solution that may not salvage us from our imminent short-term woes that are not very difficult to foresee.

So, the question then is: Is it likely that we too will arrive at that point where we have to invite foreigners to be our citizens?

Maybe … or maybe not.

But Bhutan has one off-the-rack solution - even if just a marginal one - that Singapore did not have …. What remains to be seen is whether we are willing, and have the courage, to act and grab the bull by the horns!

………..to be continued.

Purity of Intention – Not The Show Of It Matters

One day on a Drukpa Tse Zhi, a pensive Buddha in heaven wondered if His devotees on earth remembered Him as He hoped that they would. He walked to the edge of the gate of heaven and looked down at the earth.

He was pleased that He was indeed alive in the minds of His millions of devotees on earth …. He gazed with immense satisfaction close to a billion butter lamps shimmering and lighting up the night sky.

As He was about to return to His abode, He noticed that one particular lamp burned with unusual brightness – brighter and more luminous than all the rest of over a billion butter lamps. He was intrigued – why is it so?

He shut His eyes and delved deep into His inner Buddha mind and, through His clairvoyance, He saw that the radiant light emanated from a lamp lit by a half-clad, aged lady with unkept grey hair. The butter lamp (Kaami Kom), fashioned out of clay was torn at the edges and was placed on a weathered piece of wooden plank. A look of sublime peace and serenity on her face, her hands folded – she knelt in front of the lamp and stood motionless – deep in prayer and veneration.

The Buddha delved deeper and it was revealed that the lady was so poor that she had no butter or oil to fire the lamp – instead, she poured what remained of the oil with which she was oiling her hair, stuck a wick in the center of the clay Kaami Kom … and lit the Kaami (lamp).

Moved by the purity of her intentions, the Buddha in heaven too knelt on His knees and offered a prayer of thanks – that He had such true devotees on earth.

NOTE:

Few days back, I narrated this Buddhist parable to a friend who intended to spend Nu.80,000.00 to buy an ornate Choeshum for the prayer room. I explained that a carved and colorfully painted Choeshum will only serve to feed one’s vanity – not enhance the wholesomeness of one’s prayers.

Drukpa Tse Zhi: Observed and celebrated as one of the most sacred days by the Buddhists in Bhutan, Lord Buddha is supposed to have delivered His first sermon after His enlightenment, at the Deer Park in Sarnath, India.

Recognizing The Real Calamity

To be fair, those of us who are resident in Thimphu – whether Bhutanese or not – have to be considered among the most blessed. If the Royal Government of Bhutan’s periodic mock drills of emergency rescue and evacuation exercises are anything to go by, we should feel a sense of uneasy relief that not everything will be a case of disaster and mayhem. It is not a very comforting thought – but there is now abundant proof that nature induced disasters and calamities will be a part of our daily lives – we have already tasted its ferocity in recent times - in multiple locations around the country and with uncommon regularity.

That said, let us not be in any confusion - these mock drills to test our preparedness has to do with how efficiently we will handle “the aftermath” of the destruction caused by natural events such as earthquakes, fires and floods. It has nothing to do with handling the disaster itself. When natural disasters strike, all that we can do is gawk and gap in awe at its ferocity …. and run for dear life. The power and ferocity of nature has to be seen to be believed!

It is commendable that we are readying ourselves to deal with the destruction that will be caused by nature induced calamities …. But I ask you – what of the calamity of the other kind? …. A calamity that is looming large right in front of our eyes?  A man-made calamity that is more calamitous than those caused by nature … a calamity that is building up at a break-neck speed … a calamity called:

!!  TRAFFICE CONGESTION  !!

But this is a calamity that we have the power and the means to control and mitigate …. no need for mock drills and test runs! Sadly, we are so numbed by a sense of complacency …. that we do not seem to be wanting to do anything about it.

It would appear that people fail to understand that this is a calamity which, unlike the natural ones that will likely happen once is a year, or in five years, or in ten years, or in half a century, the one that we are ignoring, when it arrives, we have to live with it every day, and every waking hour of our lives!

If we do not address this looming calamity now, in the coming five years or so, Thimphu will be unlivable …. Traffic congestion will be so severe that we will see road-rage on a daily basis. It will derail smooth flow of life – I mean there will be so many problems that the situation will throw up – we have no idea as yet.

We are fully aware that in our condition road expansion cannot happen beyond a certain point. Thus, the way to go is to be inventive, think of creative ways to ease or lighten traffic congestion – create conditions so that we can accommodate the burgeoning vehicular traffic, or redirect it elsewhere – away from the core. If we do not do this NOW, we are in serious trouble.

Look at the situation prevailing already – in the last one year, vehicle dealership has ballooned exponentially …. vehicle population has increased at an alarming rate. You would have already experienced the crushing traffic congestion in the morning hours and in the evenings.

If we put our minds to it, it is not a problem that cannot be surmounted …. Therefore, let us be sensible and focus on solving smaller problems that we can solve …. instead of chasing big dreams which, given our situation, most often remain nothing more than dreams.

To be caught with our pants down every time is not a sign of an evolved society. We need to transcend verbosity and get down to addressing real issues with timely planning and execution. Time is of the essence …. Let not the opportunity pass us by.

Look! And Thou Shall Find!

At times I get this sense that life is constantly conspiring to give a photographer a hard time …. I mean it is not uncommon for us to find ourselves in a situation where everything falls into place - just perfect!! - but nothing works, regardless 😠

Yesterday was one such day for me. I decided to arrive my usual haunt earlier than usual – at 5.30AM. I am aware that that is an unGodly hour to attempt to do any photography – I mean lighting would be so poor. But my pursuit was not photography as such – I wanted to see if some uncommon moths can be sighted in the wee hours. My thinking was that maybe I can see them before the resident birds consume them for breakfast.

And I was right! I did see a beautiful lifer (in bird watching/bird photography, a lifer is when a new bird is sighted/photographed for the first time) – lodged inside a dim crevice. It was nothing short of Bo Derek in her sublimal prime! Alas! as excited as I was, there was no way I was going to be able to photograph it. So, I gingerly went about trying to coax it out of the crevice so that I have it in full view. It was game – it did crawl out of the dank hole and presented itself in its entirity. What a moth!! Sadly, the light was so dim …. I could barely see its outline.

So, given that there is nothing else I could do, I sat down in front of the moth – and, like a vigilant sentinel, I decided to keep a patient watch over it. The long wait began ..... I waited, and waited and waited ---- for the morning light to improve. Finally, by around 6.20AM – after about 50 minutes of patiently keeping watch over it - the light was good enough …. so I began shooting the beautiful, uncommonly shaped and bi-colored moth. Thank God!! the moth was completely pliable – I first shot its Left Profile:

… Then I gently twirled it around so I could shoot its Right Profile:

 … Then I shot its Back/Top Profile so that I have its full wing pattern:

… and finally I went down on my belly and shot its Snout as well - the Frontal Profile!! It was pretty crazy … I mean no one shoots a moth’s snout – in fact I did not know that it had a snout – but it turns out that it actually does – the following will prove it .... and what a SNOUT!:

By the way, the moth is called Green Fruit-piercing Moth (Eudocima salaminia), a moth belonging to Erebidae within the superfamily Noctuoidea.

ENJOY!!!

Celebrating Life & Life Forms

There can be absolutely no doubt - the month of June has got to be very special – atleast for Bhutan and the Bhutanese people. Everything seems to be falling into place during this month – I mean look at the number of events that have been celebrated during this month – I have lost count. Some of them are still ongoing!

But for me personally, something that is truly fulfilling, is the documentation and release, early this month, of three powerful books of meaning and celebration – books that prove that Bhutan and the Bhutanese people matter – that even in the face of utter helplessness, that even when we are quite sure that humanity cannot help but bring doom to itself through our greed and recklessness, that we care – and that we are willing to give it a try, nonetheless.

Two books released by the Royal Society for Protection of Nation (RSPN) documents two of the world’s rare birds: one bird - the Black-necked Crane – a bird that has been rescued from the brink of extinction and, another, the White-bellied Heron – a bird that, from all indications, is headed for extinction.

The Black-necked Crane
The bird is still in the IUCN's (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Near Threatened list – but happily it is now out of the Vulnerable list – thanks to the efforts of Bhutan’s earliest environmental NGO – RSPN, in collaboration with other range countries.

But I suspect that Bhutan has paid a heavy price in the process. I fear that the beautiful valley of Phobjikha – the principal wintering grounds for the birds – is terminally ill and needs urgent resuscitation. I believe that it was in part because of the restrictions put on the valley - in our relentless quest to protect and safeguard the Black-necked Cranes.

The White-bellied Heron
This is the world’s rarest heron. Its global population is said to be fewer than 60 birds. Bhutan holds the pride of place as the country with the largest known and recorded population of this near-extinct birds. As of this year, we have 31 of these birds. This places huge responsibility on Bhutan. Due solely to the competent and dedicated stewardship by the RSPN, the birds’ population has seen steady rise over the years. But this could change fast.

RSPN’s book on the bird released early this month is a peerless record and science on everything related to the birds. I am proud that minuscule Bhutan can actually produce such a towering work – the invaluable information and knowledge related to everything about the birds contained in this book is unmatched anywhere else in the world. RSPN does the country proud – and their many donors who have contributed generously.

Birds of Bhutan - Habitat and Distribution
The third book I speak of – published by Bhutan Birdlife Society (BBLS) is another humongous book – it features beautiful photographs of a staggering 611 bird species found in Bhutan. I mean that is close to 80% of the total birds so far recorded in the country!! That is a near impossible feat. As a bird photographer myself, I am aware as to what it takes to achieve such a record. What a book!

The sum total of these three books go to prove that Bhutan is a country worth protecting ….. and fighting for. Let no one tell you otherwise!