These days early morning vehicular traffic gridlock extends from Lungtenphu RBA camp to all the way to Luntenzampa overhead bridge. And while you are waiting to untangle yourself from the snarl-up, your attention is drawn to the following scene on the hillside across the river to the left of you:
Kuensel Phodrang as seen today - littered with make-ship blue plastic sheet tents
Kuensel Phodrang was/is supposed to be a sanctified space of prayer and worship – a sphere of unhindered greenery. In June 2 of 2015, this green space saw the setting of a world record - Bhutan entered the Guinness Book of World Records when we planted 49,672 tree saplings in an hour.
In June of 2021, yet another initiative saw the plantation of few thousand tree saplings by a voluntary group called the Bhutan Forest Restoration. I was so taken up by the initiative that I wanted to help build water tanks in order that the plantations can be watered from time to time. I even started to work on a Global Grant Project in the USA and the UK – for the supply of 2 mobile Water Tankers. Sadly, I was informed that no structures constructed with manmade artificial material (plastic/cement/metal) would be allowed to come up within the periphery of the plantation area.
The next best thing I did was donate an automated mechanical Earth Auger Machine that could dig 3 sapling holes into the parched earth of Kuensel Phodrang - every one minute. The idea was to make the process of digging less laborious, and to hasten the speed of digging the pits for planting the saplings. It cost me close to Nu.70,000.00 of my private money.
And now - what do I see? - another example of the mindlessness of the Bhutanese people. How could they have allowed setting up of plastic tents in such a holy place that has seen repeated greening efforts?
Can you imagine the state of the plantation in Kuensel Phodrang? It is enough to make you want to cry in helplessness!