The fire below Drametse, Mongar as seen from Kanglung Photo : Pankaj Thapa, Sherubtse College
10 March, 2010 –
A forest fire, which started yesterday afternoon from Chenari, near Chazam in Trashigang, has burnt down an automobile workshop, three cars and 25 two-wheelers kept for repair there, as the fire spread, fanned by fierce wind.The fire also burnt down a sawmill along with construction material, a house and makeshift labour camps at Kheri, about two kilometres from Trashigang town. The fire also damaged 150 disc insulators of the Chenari powerhouse when the store caught fire.
The store was saved from being completely damaged. A jersey cow was also roasted alive. Dzongkhag officials were still compiling damage reports around 10:30 pm.
No casualties were reported as of last night.
Dzongkhag officials said that the strong afternoon winds fanned the fire beyond control, even as villagers, forestry, dzongkhag and Dantak officials, police and volunteers from Sherubtse college in Kanglung tried to fight the fire.
The dzongrab, Dorji Sangay, told Kuensel that volunteers, however, prevented the fire from spreading towards the dzong and catching to the only fuel station at Kheri. “The rugged terrain and the dry undergrowth added fuel to the fire,” said the dzongrab. “We can’t imagine the damage, had the fire caught the fuel station where LPG cylinders were also kept. The dzong is safe.” The cylinders were relocated to safer ground as the fire spread and reached the fuel station.
Two firefighting engines, one brought from Mongar, municipal and DANTAK tankers, were still fighting the fire around 10 pm last night, together with volunteers. Dorji Sangay said that all the villages and government institutions in Kanglung and Rangshikhar were alerted about the fire.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Meanwhile, firefighters said that another forest fire had started below Narang gewog and was spreading towards Drametse at around 10:30 last night.
On command of His Majesty the King, UNICEF emergency kits were immediately distributed to the victims. Affected families were assured government support and assistance, said the dzongrab.
By Tshering Palden
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Bathpalathang Airport: The govt. owned land in Bumthang identified for the purpose
Single operator of domestic air service to be decided on March 15
Domestic airports 9 March, 2010 – Work on the domestic airport at Bathpalathang in Bumthang will begin early next week to have it ready for use by the end of September this year.
Civil aviation director general Phala Dorji, on a field visit in Bumthang, said tenders for the work were already floated to bidders, which will be opened on March 15.
“The first phase of the government-funded project will include an airstrip and a small transit shelter,” Phala Dorji said.
Officials from the dzongkhag administration and civil aviation have begun cadastral survey and installing metrological equipment at the identified site, about two kilometers away from Bumthang town, which used to be a pasture land for a cattle breeding farm in Bumthang. Following the completion of the survey they will determine what land area the airport would cover.
Since the land identified for the airport belonged to the government, civil aviation officials said that their work would be competed in a couple of days.
“We’re trying to avoid encroaching on private land to hasten the work,” Phala Dorji said.
District engineer Langa Dorji assured that the existing industries in the vicinity of the airport would be unaffected, given the ample space in the area.
Phala Dorji, however, fears that a few individuals would be affected in some ways from the river diversion work necessary during the airport construction.
The second phase of the project, which includes diverting the Tamzhing feeder road that runs right through the airport area and erecting security fencing around the airport, would have to await necessary funds.
The domestic airport is expected to save tourists from making the arduous 250 km long and winding road trip to Bumthang, a popular tourist hotspot, from Thimphu.
Meanwhile, Yonphula airport in Trashigang is expected to be complete by May end, since it only required some repairs and a transit shelter.
“By end of this year two domestic airports will be connected with Paro,” Phala Dorji said.
Having got the wind of government’s plans to begin domestic airports, civil aviation received four proposals from private parties to run the first ever domestic air service in the country.
Two proposals, civil aviation officials said, were from private Bhutanese companies and the other two from outside the country.
Phala Dorji said that a committee, chaired by the information and communication minister, were in the process of evaluating the proposals.
The committee will pick only one of the four interested companies to operate the domestic air service between Gelephu, Yonphula, Bumthang and Paro.
“Since the business has limited market, it will be given to only one operator,” Phala Dorji said. The successful proposal of the four will be decided on March 15 after the meeting of domestic air service committee. The decisions will be forwarded to the government for approval.
By Samten Yeshi
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March 04: The Election Commission of Bhutan (ECB) is moving a step further in the area of Information technology. The Commission will soon introduce a technology known as biometric system. The system will be able to capture the information of a voter through a thumb impression.
The Commission is hopeful that the service will be used during the local government elections. The voters will not have to worry should they misplace their Voter Photo Identity Cards (VPIC) or forget it to bring during the polling day.
The biometric system will capture a voter’s information through thumb prints, which will be added in the electoral roll. On the poll day, one just has to walk in to the polling booth and press the device.
“Instead of looking for sheets and sheets of papers, you just have to press your thumb impression. The voters do not have to waste time unnecessarily,” said the Chief Election Commissioner, Dasho Kunzang Wangdi.
The system is being introduced to make the voting procedures as friendly as possible. The software will also help make verify a voter’s information. The system is also expected to help minimize the electoral related errors.
“If you are the right person, the computer will show the picture. This will help in minimising the electoral roll errors and also help people going through arduous process of verification,” Dasho Kunzang Wangdi said.
If the system is not in place during the local government elections on trial basis the Commission will use it during the parliamentary elections in 2013.
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Department of geology and mines (DGM) identified tunnel sites
Technical and possible financial help from Norway
Tunnel Proposal 4 March, 2010 – Travel time within the country could be reduced from days to hours and even minutes if a government plan to build tunnels through mountains connecting major valleys is implemented.
The department of geology and mines (DGM) has already identified three potential sites for tunnels. The first and most probable is a tunnel from Thimphu to either Punakha or Wangduephodrang.
The second is a 12 km tunnel between Bumthang and Mongar bypassing the Thrimshingla pass, which is expected to cut 30 km of travelling distance on the East-West highway. The third is from Khasadrapchu in Thimphu to Shaba in Paro, with a tunnel length of nine kilometers, reducing travel time from 45 to 20 minutes.
Pre-feasibility studies have already been done by DGM, indicating that they can be done.
“The Wangdue/Punakha tunnels can decongest Thimphu and allow people to settle in these two valleys and also reduce the travel distance and time by around 40 km,” said DGM chief geologist, Ugyen Wangda.
DGM is considering the Norwegian geotechnical institute (NGI), regarded as one of the international pioneers in tunneling as its partner. NGI already has some ongoing projects with Bhutan that have to do with landslides and stabilisation of surfaces.
A NGI team is expected to visit Bhutan again on March 16 to carry out feasibility studies on the tunnels, especially on the Thimphu-Punakha/Wangdue route.
“NGI has the technical expertise to guide the construction of tunnels and is also looking for funding for these tunnels from the Norwegian government, which could be given as grant,” said Ugyen Wangda. He said that funding would make the difference from changing these concepts into reality.
According a department of roads engineer, the Norwegian government in 2005 had already assured NGI of fund to construct a one-kilometre tunnel to bypass the Jumja slide site, but the government did not take up the offer.
The DOR engineer said, “Dantak came forward and said they would take up the project, so the project money and technical assistance from Norway went back.”
Dantak officials, however, told Kuensel that there is currently no plan to build any tunnel at Jumja and that the project had been shelved.
A major challenge, according to DGM, will be the cost, as each km of tunnel would cost above Nu 200 mn.
Ugyen Wangda said that a priority for government is also in reducing the distance between north and south Bhutan like Thimphu-Phuentsholing.
A concept is a tunnel from Damchu near Chuzom till Ganalakha, which could reduce the 170 km distance between Thimphu and Phuntsholing to just 80 km, which in time is down from six to two hours.
“Though the costs will be huge, it’s economically worth it as marble deposits are running out in the south for cement industry but mountains of it are available in the north,” said Ugyen Wangda. The Transport Master plan till 2027 also identifies 12 tunnels to reduce distances.
Ugyen Wangda said that tunnels would be easier to build in the north and west of the country due to the hard and more stable rock face.
Explaining the technology behind tunnels, Ugyen Wangda, who did his thesis on Norwegian tunnels, said that, after the surveys, tunnel-boring machines would first bore the mountain. It would then be lined with heavy steel frames, concrete support and also rock bolting in required places.
“Unlike a hydropower tunnel, people will be travelling through the tunnels, so it’ll have to have very high safety standards” he said.
By Tenzing Lamsang
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accident this afternoon, the driver of a coaster bus lost control and damaged 12 vehicles parked along Phendey Lam, popularly known as the Hongkong market.
The damaged vehicles include a brand new Toyota Prado, two Toyota Hiluxs, a corona car, a Mahindra Scorpio, four Maruti Altos, a Maruti Swift, a Maruti 800, and a Maruti van.
The accident took place around 2.45 pm. Police described reckless driving as the cause of the accident.
The driver of the bus and two other drivers of the vehicles damaged in the accident are in critical condition. They are being treated at the national referral hospital.
According to the owner of the bus Tandin, the bus is not insured.
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