Bhutan Daily News 24-04-23

The irrigation channel worth over Nu 18 M in Kanakha village of Dagana is expected to be completed within a few months. It was supposed to be ready by October last year but the pandemic and procurement of pipes delayed the work progress. Since the paddy transplantation season is next month, the villagers of Kanakha in Kana Gewog are worried that they will not be able to cultivate paddy this year.

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Tsherzam motorable bridge in Trashi Yangtse which was in dire need of maintenance is finally renovated. The district administration has replaced the old wooden panels with new ones which are also blacktopped. The bridge connects Yangtse town to Bumdeling Gewog.

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Long before the arrival of science based medical treatment, Bhutanese ancestors resorted to hot stone baths, locally known as Menchhu, to cure diseases. A Hot stone bath is a method of soaking in fresh water heated by roasted river stones for medicinal and therapeutic purposes. Although still in practice among some Bhutanese today, this tradition is vanishing in some places of the country. In Chhoekhorling Gewog of Pema Gatshel, the villagers are trying to revive this tradition to turn it into an income generating venture.

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Situated in a high-altitude region, Gasa is known for its extreme climatic conditions which is not suitable for agriculture most times of the year. Add to this is what the locals call impacts of climate change which has made the climate even more erratic. To encourage the farmers there to practise agriculture, the district administration is exploring different alternatives. This year, the district is trying out a new method of using infrared heating system to grow fresh vegetables during cold and long winter season.

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The people of Serkhagphu-Yengkhartshing Chiwog of Dramedtse Gewog in Monggar are disappointed with their hazelnut production. According to the growers, they were told that the hazelnut trees would start bearing fruits after three to four years and boost their income. However, even after a decade, the trees have yet to bear fruits. There are more than 60 households that have planted hazelnut trees in the chiwog.

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His Majesty The King concluded a 9-day Royal Tour of the southern dzongkhags and arrived in Thimphu this evening. During the Tour, His Majesty visited Punakha, Tsirang, Sarpang and Gelephu, Samdrup Jongkhar, Samtse and Phuentsholing, meeting with members of the community represented by sector heads, civil servants, local leaders, and the private sector. His Majesty also granted Audiences to the participants of the 57th Batch Accelerated Desuung training programme. The 57th Batch training is ongoing simultaneously in Dewathang, Tendruk, Tashicholing, Jigmeling, and Tashigatshel. With 1,159 participants, the 57th batch training takes up the number of DeSuups trained so far to 38,935. His Majesty also visited the Gyalsung Academy site being developed in Jamtsholing, Samtse, and met with the people working on the site, including participants of the Desuung for Gyalsung programme, who are being trained on the job in high-quality infrastructure development works.

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The Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa revealed six candidates in Trashigang yesterday. The candidates will represent the party from constituencies in Pema Gatshel, Samdrup Jongkhar, Trashigang, and Monggar.

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Two-day Takila Annual Tshechu ended today in Lhuentse with Guru Tshengye Wang to the public. People were able to witness the Tshechu in-person for the first time after the Covid pandemic. More than 1,500 people gathered from the nearby districts to witness the Tshechu.

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The Jigme Namgyal Wangchuck Super Fab Lab will be hosting the International Fab Lab Fest in July. The event is expected to run a diverse range of programmes, talks, panels, and workshops ahead of and during the event. As a build-up programme for the international fest, the Super Fab Lab is conducting a National Fab Student Challenge in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Skills Development.