First Zhabdrung Dagnangma
Thongdrel unveiled

Hundreds of people
g a t h e r e d w h e n
a Z h a b d r u n g
Dagnangma Thongdrel (giant
appliqué scroll) was unfurled in
Semthokha Dzong in Thimphu
coinciding with the death
anniversary of Zhabdrung
yesterday.
The Thongdrel is believed to
be the first one in the country
out of many manifestations of
the Zhabdrung. It was created
with the support of sponsors and
ex-students of the Institute of
Language and Cultural Studies
(ILCS) who were at the institute
from 1961 to 2012.
According to Kunzang Dorji,
a Community Secretary, the day
is significant in the Buddhist
calendar.
It is believed that the mere
viewing of the unfurled Thongdrel
will cleanse viewers of their sins,
earn them merit, and misfortune
awaiting them will be averted.
The Thongdrel which is 14 feet
long and 16 feet wide is preserved
at Semthokha Dzong and will be
unfurled during every Zhabdrung
Kuchoe( death anniversary of
Zhabdrung ).
The works on the Thongdroel
began last year with a budget of
Nu 1.7 mn.

7 dead in three caraccidents

Three Indians from
West Bengal and two
Bhutanese nationals
were killed in a car accident in
Taktikotey in Chukha around 5
pm yesterday.
The Santro car carrying
five passengers including the
driver were heading towards
Phuntsholing from Thimphu.
According to police officials,
the car fell about 200 meters
below the road when it took a
slight turn and veered off the
road.
Among the two Bhutanese
nationals who died the 24 yearold
driver was from Trashigang
and the other 26-year-old
deceased was from Dagana.
The three Indian passengers
were construction workers
with a Bhutanese Construction
company and were heading
towards their hometown.
The dead bodies of the three
Indian workers were handed
over to their families as soon as it
was recovered from the site. The
bodies were recovered with the
help of Bhutanese construction
company owner and the rescue
team.
All the deceased had died due
to severe head injuries.
This is the third car accident in
a week which saw 7 deaths due to
vehicle accidents.
A car accident in Buddha point
in Thimphu killed one student
at around 2 pm on 1st May,
2012. In another car accident in
Khaling, Trashigang the vehicle
carrying a whole family fell about
100 meters below the road and
killed one while the other family
members was referred for critical
care.
The police are still
investigating the probable causes
of all three car accidents.
According to the police
officials car accidents are usually
caused either due to negligence
or mechanical failure.

Two killed in car accident

By Tanden Zangmo | 28 April 2012

A 35-year old teacher and 32-year old warden of Sengdhyen Lower Secondary School in Dorokha under Samtse dzongkhag were killed in a car accident which occurred around 9pm on 26th March.

There were five passengers in the car, all of them school staff. They were travelling to a place called Yabala, a small barn to shop for cheese and butter to celebrate Sherig Century  on 2nd May.

The driver was the school principal.

Police stated that the Tucson car dived about 200 meters from the road when it took a slight turn.

The incident happened in Choitari Dangra in Dorokha about 3kn from Yabala. The car was believed to have veered off the track when the back tire slipped.

According to Samtse hospital authorities, of the deceased, one died on the spot while the other one who suffered from intensive chest injury died after being administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

One of the survivors said that due to heavy downpour the place was foggy and they waited for a few hours for the rain to stop but when the rain failed to cease they started out on the journey.

One of the deceased was from Damphuchen in Dorokha and the other was from Sarpang.

Three other passengers suffered minor injuries and they are undergoing treatment in Samtse hospital

Meanwhile the police are still investigating the probable cause of the accident.

A nature park for each dzongkhag

By Tanden Zangmo | 25 April 2012

A few years from now, almost all the twenty dzongkhags in the country might have a nature recreational park each.

The success of the pilot Royal Botanical Park (RBP) at Lamperi has given the Department of Forests and Park Services (DoFPS) enough confidence and reasons to start replicating it in all dzongkhags. In fact, Thimphu Dzongkhag already has one at Kuensel Phodrang with two more in the making.

“Inception of such parks at Samtse and Bumthang are already in the pipeline.  In addition, as of now, more than seventy proposals have been received from dzongkhags, territorial divisions and parks for inception of nature recreational park,” remarked an official from Nature Recreation and Ecotourism Division (NRED).

“However, translating such ambitious plans into actions will depend upon the availability of funds and human resources, since establishment of such recreational facilities entail lot of investment – both financial and technical,” clarified Sonam Choden, Offtg. Chief Forestry Officer, NRED.

Even if the structures take time, the lands will be acquired and registered to be developed as nature recreational parks. This, according to NRED officials will prevent lands being used for constructions of buildings. The land will remain within the custody of the government and will be available for development into parks when required.

The basic amenities in the recreation park according to Sonam Choden will consist of nature trails, picnic spots, signage, toilet facilities, resting canopies, children’s play ground and other facilities.

The Lamperi Park in its last six years of existence has fulfilled most of its inception mandates of identifying and securing appropriate areas for the benefits of the public  namely nature recreation and ecotourism programs. Besides, the conservation of flora and fauna, the park also imparts environmental education programs to create awareness about conservation issues and garner support towards conservation of Bhutan’s natural heritage. The park receives educational visits by many teachers and students from Thimpu, Paro, Wangdue and Punakha Dzongkhags besides local and international visitors. “The families from these urban towns also come during the weekends to avail the facilities,” mentioned one park official.

“With ever increasing developmental activities and urbanization, the access to  natural recreational facilities is being   increasingly  felt,” noted Tshering Phuntsho from Royal Society for Protection of Nature (RSPN). According to Sonam Lhamo, Nature Club Coordinator of Yangchenphug Higher Secondary School, the concept of taking such recreational facilities into other urban cities is an exceptionally good idea.

Combating forest fires need new equipment

By Tanden Zangmo | 14 April 2012

Fire on slopes travels four times faster than fire on flat ground, according to studies.

And battling forest fires in a mountainous country like Bhutan becomes a daunting task especially  at areas where there is no road access. Steep mountainous terrain coupled with lack of effective fire fighting tools make it even more difficult for the fire fighters.

Water bag and locally available tools are the only effective equipment.

Apart from prevention programs, the Forest Fire Management Section (FFMS) under the Forest Protection and Enforcement Division are into procuring most effective hand tools to be distributed in the field.

“The fire suppression in difficult topography is very challenging since we heavily depend on manpower,” said head of FFMS, Bap Tandin Dorji.

He added that besides effective tools, public and armed forces support is very crucial as the forestry personnel under the department alone cannot do much when battling a fire on the mountains.

“Conventionally, fire fighters use tree branches to douse fires and this is detrimental from the environmental point of view,” he said adding that it is also scatters the burning embers which poses risk of fire in another spot.

“Although most wild fire outbreaks in the country occur within the road network because of human activity, fire   sparks off in other inaccessible areas,too” Chief Forestry Officer, Sonam Wangchuk said.

“However where there is no motorable road, it takes quite a long time for us to reach the fire spot in the first place. By the time the fire fighters reach the spot, fire would already have spread in larger areas and gained intensity.”

Bap Tandin Dorji said that “the recent fire in Namselling took us three days to suppress which if it had been within the road accessibility would have been doused within one day.”

The most effective tools that has been recommended should be bought are Fedco Back Pack water pump which can hold 20lts of water. The water from the back pack can cool down the fire which is then suppressed further with the use flapper.

Besides, the section is also trying to purchase power chainsaw; Pulaski axe which is a dual-headed implement used both as a chopping axe and as a ‘grub-hoe’-style pickaxe for aggressive digging especially in rough, rocky terrain.

The fire that occurs in blue pine and other conifer zones, fuelled by strong winds often travel about six meters from one tree to another. In such  cases, power chainsaw can be useful and handy to cut down trees and create a small clearing to create a fire break.

“Other fire fighting tools and equipment such as knives, knapsacks, water pumps, flappers, racks, spades and axe are some of the equipment which is effective,” added Divisional Forestry Officer Phento Tshering.

Red Panda cub yet to be relocated

By Tanden Zangmo | 21 April 2012

(Photo Courtesy Sangay Dorji Forest Officer)

Although there are plans to relocate Phub Dem, a Red Panda rescued from Trongsa by Forest Protection and Surveillance Unit (FPSU) of Department of Forests and Park Services (DoFPS) as a two-month old cub, to Lamperi Botanical Park (RBP), it could not be done till date.

This according to officials of the Wildlife Conservation Division (WCD) is due to budget constraints.

“Lamperi has been identified as a setting close to the Red Panda natural habitat but we need to put in place certain structures such as fences and barricades which are required to protect the panda from predators,” said Sangay Dorji of WCD. The Red Panda is commonly predated upon by the common leopard, and wild and domestic dogs which frequent the area.

Phub Dem has now attained an age of about seven months. According to the literature review done by Sangay Dorji for his MSc thesis on Red Panda, it attains sexual maturity at an age of about 18-20 months. The fences or the barricades will be built to ensure that a male panda can climb inside and mate her.

He also added that the Red Panda will be moved to Lamperi for educational and advocacy purposes. The visitors to the park will be able to see the panda for real and understand the animal better. This will help towards protecting and conserving the animal in the wild.

The cub could not acquire its natural survival instinct since she lost her parents at a very tender age. Hence, the forest officials wanted to make sure the panda cub is ready. “The cub survived with cow milk, later substituted with fruits and digestive biscuits,” said Sangay Dorji adding that since bamboo is the primary diet of panda, the cub had to be trained to accept the change in diet. “At first the cub suffered from diarrhea when we fed it bamboo leaf treated with honey. Now, it can feed normally and is very healthy too.”

The cub was in custody of a businessman in Trongsa when FPSU rescued it on 18 August last year. He is said to have found the cub by the roadside on the Trongsa-Bumthang highway during one of his routine business trips.

Ex-monk impersonating Druk Air official arrested

By Tanden Zangmo | 25 April 2012

A 32-year old ex-monk from Haa who impersonated a Druk Air official was arrested for conning a 35- year old woman on April 20.

According to the victim’s statement, she knew the suspect through talking with him over the phone. They had been in contact for a month.

The victim asked for her “call-friend’s” help in procuring dollars when he claimed to be a Druk Air official and promised to help her.

On March 22, the victim met with the suspect at the Druk Air office with Nu 0.2 mn  for exchange.

The man is suspected to have disappeared from the other exit with the money while the woman waited the whole day.

Finally, when the suspect did not turn up, she informed the police who arrested him at Chunzom while he was returning from Phuentsholing because right after the act, he went to Jaigaon and Falakatta.

Police could not recover the money but the suspect has confessed to the crime and the case is still under investigation.

This is the fourth con case reported this year.