A reader of my blog has posted the following new updates on: "My Advise to a Tour Operator on the Destruction of the Jumolhari Base Camp Trek".
I was investigating issue further and situation is actually being even worse. The transmission line is being built further upto Lingzhi (up to villages of Goyoul and Chebisa). That effectively means, that the trail of Laya-Gasa is affected even more severaly as the people will be trekking along the transmission line till the half of the 14 days trek...
See the BPC bidding documentation of the project. Very sad reading.
http://www.bpc.bt/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/biddoc0202.pdf
From the above, it is now clear that the government does not intend to stop their destruction of the environment at Jangothang - they are going to carry it through until Gongyuel, beyond Lingzhi Dzong. Lingzhi and Gongyuel villages are on the route to the world’s toughest trek called the Snowman Trek. I have done this trek both from Punakha side, as well as from Bumthang side.
For those of you who may not know, Gongyuel is the village where perhaps Bhutan’s oldest Dzong is located. The Dzong is called Lingzhi Jagö Dzong. Written historical records show that this Dzong is more than 400 years older than Lingzhi Yügyal Dzong which was built in 1668 by Druk Desi Chögyal Minjur Tenpa (1667 to 1680).
It is so shameful what we do - a world proclaimed carbon negative country!
I want to know - are there hearts and minds attached to those mouths that speak of 72% forest coverage as of now and makes a Constitutional commitment to maintain 60% forest coverage for all times to come?
How do we go about maintaining 60% forest cover when what we do is cause destruction to ecologically fragile alpine forests such as those in the Thangthangka and Jangothang areas; dig up nearly a thousand kilometers of road from Thimphu to Samdrupjongkhar that help bury forests that are thousands of years old; threaten to do the most illegal and meaningless Shingkhar-Gorgan road?
The original intention of the ADA aid money was to bring electrification to a remote location through less environmentally destructive method – building mini/micro hydro projects. Now look what we – the world leaders in environmental conservation - have done!
See the BPC bidding documentation of the project. Very sad reading.
http://www.bpc.bt/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/biddoc0202.pdf
From the above, it is now clear that the government does not intend to stop their destruction of the environment at Jangothang - they are going to carry it through until Gongyuel, beyond Lingzhi Dzong. Lingzhi and Gongyuel villages are on the route to the world’s toughest trek called the Snowman Trek. I have done this trek both from Punakha side, as well as from Bumthang side.
Lingzhi Yügyal Dzong
For those of you who may not know, Gongyuel is the village where perhaps Bhutan’s oldest Dzong is located. The Dzong is called Lingzhi Jagö Dzong. Written historical records show that this Dzong is more than 400 years older than Lingzhi Yügyal Dzong which was built in 1668 by Druk Desi Chögyal Minjur Tenpa (1667 to 1680).
Lingzhi Jagö Dzong
It is so shameful what we do - a world proclaimed carbon negative country!
I want to know - are there hearts and minds attached to those mouths that speak of 72% forest coverage as of now and makes a Constitutional commitment to maintain 60% forest coverage for all times to come?
How do we go about maintaining 60% forest cover when what we do is cause destruction to ecologically fragile alpine forests such as those in the Thangthangka and Jangothang areas; dig up nearly a thousand kilometers of road from Thimphu to Samdrupjongkhar that help bury forests that are thousands of years old; threaten to do the most illegal and meaningless Shingkhar-Gorgan road?
The original intention of the ADA aid money was to bring electrification to a remote location through less environmentally destructive method – building mini/micro hydro projects. Now look what we – the world leaders in environmental conservation - have done!
Following is the present Prime Minister's comment in his website in 2010 during his tenure as Opposition Leader. Well, I guess he is not anymore concern about our pristine environment and tourism. or simply forget what he said!
ReplyDeleteJanuary 9, 2010 by Tshering Tobgay
"Visiting tourists"
.....We continue to enjoy the rewards of tourism (government revenue, jobs and international attention) without sacrificing our culture, our environment, and our way of life. Equally important, our tourists swear, time and time again, that their experience in Bhutan has been nothing short of pure magic.....
We are now creating a magical experience by destroying our beautiful landscape, trekking trails and damaging the east-west highway, hurriedly & rashly cutting into unstable slopes de-stabilising the mountains.
DeleteTCB should play vital role in such issues ...why they are so silent? As an individual we can't do anything but if organisation joins in hand and discuss the matter like the one for "closing every Tuseday for Taktsang " than things will be in place la
ReplyDeleteNice post.
ReplyDeleteWe may take pride that we are carbon negative, but I think we are also equally responsible for the destruction of this beautiful planet just like anyone. Because we also use cars, enjoy processed foods, burn fuels, use papers bills, etc etc. It's just that we don't make them in our country because we are not yet capable technologically, otherwise we would have spoil everything, as people are not that concerned in fact. Thanks
Come on....Bhutan is absorbing tons of China and Indian carbon. What do we get in return not even more than few claps in UN.
ReplyDeleteWhen electricity is to be given to farflung village, we tend to be so worried about environment and ofcourse we complain to BPC and write in media if light goes out more than five minutes in town.