This Report of the Standing Committee on Water Resources (2021-22) deals with the action taken by the Government on the Observations/Recommendations contained in their Twelfth Report (Seventeenth Lok Sabha) on ‘Flood Management in the Country including International Water Treaties in the field of Water Resource Management with particular Reference to …
South Asia needs up to $2.5 trillion of investment in infrastructure by 2020 if the region is to make further gains in battling poverty and provide for its growing population, the World Bank said on Wednesday. Despite boasting similar economic growth rates to East Asia, the region lags significantly in …
The fire that started at 5:15pm between Lungtenphu and Samazingkha area destroyed about 15 acres of forest by the time foresters, police, army and desuups contained it by 6:30pm. Thimphu territorial forest officer Phento Tshering said foresters would map the fire area today to ensure that it did not rekindle. …
With 13 households refusing to approve clearance for Kuenphen Norden mine at Khariphu to renew its lease, the mine will be closed from today. The lease term ended yesterday. Following Thimphu dzongkhag’s investigation in to complaints filed by villagers, the Department of Geology and Mines (DGM) suspended its submission of …
By the end of 2014-2015 fiscal year, 77 percent of works on Punatsangchhu I will be completed, 62 percent of Punatsangchhu II, 55 percent of Mangdechhu, while Dagachhu will be commissioned. That is, if the economic affairs ministry is able to fulfill the performance agreement, economic affairs minister signed with …
Phobjikha Valley is one of the largest high-altitude wetlands in Bhutan and an important habitat for various species including the vulnerable Black-necked Crane. The area provides a wide range of ecosystem services to the local people, and is becoming a major tourist attraction. However, in recent years, Phobjikha has experienced …
A drought monitoring system is being developed in South Asia, in a collaboration between GWP and the IWMI. A first Assessment Report has been released by GWP South Asia and the GWP-WMO Integrated Drought Management Programme (IDMP). Over one billion people in South Asia are dependent on agriculture for their …
A makeshift hut that was damaged by the recent windstorm in Samdrupjongkhar Assessment: Damaged caused by the recent windstorm in Samdrupjongkhar may cost the Royal Insurance Corporation of Bhutan (RICBL) Nu 1M. This is excluding the major structural damages caused to two households, one at Thongpashing and the other in …
The country will receive the polio-free certification from the World Health Organisation today Health: It has been almost three decades since Bhutan recorded the last clinically compatible polio case. And for that achievement, the World Health Organisation (WHO) will award polio-free certification to the country today. Timely vaccination or immunisation …
Four mines in Gedaphu, near Jemina in Mewang Gewog, Thimphu are being investigated following complaints from villagers through Meet the People program to the Prime Minister. Villagers complained that their drinking water was drying up, noise from one of the grinding units was disturbing, and that their irrigation water has …
The March 21 storm damaged eight houses in Punakha, including one that was under construction. Royal Insurance Corporation of Bhutan Limited’s (RICBL) branch office in Shengana said the roof of two affected houses were blown off. In Talo gewog, storm caused minor damage to the roof of a two-storey house, …
India’s PSU hydropower companies are setting up projects entailing combined investments of R20,000-25,000 crore in Bhutan, report Noor Mohammad & Huma Siddiqui in New Delhi. The Himalayan kingdom has allocated four projects to NHPC, SJVN and THDC for implementation in joint ventures with Bhutan’s state-owned companies. Indian banks and financial …
The country’s target to harness 10,000 MW of hydropower by 2020 got a huge boost with the government of India giving the green signal for the construction of four hydropower projects. This was decided at the 12th Empowered Joint Group (EJG) meeting held yesterday in the capital. The four projects …
Per capita vegetable production in Asia and the Pacific has increased some 25 percent over the last decade. Yet, while Asian countries produce more than three-quarters of the worlds vegetables, they and other producers worldwide will need to dramatically increase their vegetable production by 47 percent to meet the nutritional …
Health: Although the increase in multi drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB) cases could partly be due to good diagnostic services, public health officials find the surge from two cases in January to 27 in December 2013 at Gidakom hospital alarming. Gidakom hospital’s TB ward has 28 beds and, except for …
Terming Bangladesh the closest and time-tested friendly neighbour, Indian prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Tuesday assured his Bangladesh counterpart of providing additional 100MW electricity to Bangladesh’s national grid from Tripura. Dr Singh came up with the assurance at a bilateral meeting with prime minister Sheikh Hasina at Myanmar International …
Year ender (Wildlife) The year of the snake came to the rescue of its kin, the reptilian tokay gecko. The nocturnal Asian lizard, believed to be prized for its medicinal value in the illegal wildlife trade circuit, kept foresters in the southern belt busy, and the mainstream and social media …
New hybrid forms of climate change adaptation combining local and nonlocal/scientific knowledge are emerging across the Asian Highlands region. Yet, while local adaptive capacity can be based on place-based knowledge that governments often lack, communities still need assistance from states to better adjust to climate change and socioeconomic impacts. Using …
A Mahindra e2o is charged at the Singye agencies’ charging station in Thimphu EVs: Less than a week after the Nissan Leaf was launched, another electric vehicle (EV), Mahindra’s e2o, was launched yesterday in Thimphu. e2o is the next generation of Mahindra’s Reva I, which did not gain much popularity …
Samdrupjongkhar drangpon Ugyen Jamtsho and CFO Ugyen Namgyal sensitise villagers on the importance of the cameras First national survey of the big cat is to be carried out shortly Wildlife: A team of Bhutanese will carry out the first nationwide tiger survey in a week’s time using camera trap technique. …
The cause of the blaze and the extent of damage are yet to be ascertained Disaster: After battling for two and half days, officials and volunteers managed to contain the forest fire that damaged hundreds of acres of forest in Langjophakha, Thimphu yesterday afternoon. Forest fire management section’s head, Tandin …
