Mapping the fault lines
Kuensel, 2 October 2009
2 October, 2009 - Narang gewog in Mongar, where at least five people died and
74 houses collapsed in the September 21 earthquake, lies almost directly above a
“reverse fault line,” which caused the 6.3 magnitude earthquake, according to a preliminary assessment report prepared by a team of Bhutanese engineers.“A reverse fault line occurs when the younger formations of the continental plates go underneath the older formations,” said officiating director general of geology and mines department, Yeshey Dorji, one of the team members. http://www.kuenselonline.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=13598
Record rainfall
Kuensel, 8 October 2009
Major rivers swelled, all Druk air flights were cancelled, landslides blocked national highways, Chukha shut down for three hours and paddy cultivation in some areas is in danger of being damaged because of the heavy rainfall over the past two days, the highest ever recorded for the month of October since
1996.There is more to come, with forecasts of continued showers till Friday evening, according to the meteorological section and the flood warning section.The rainfall, which started around 7 pm on Tuesday evening, has hit all 20 dzongkhags, with the heaviest showers in southern Bhutan, followed by western
Bhutan. http://www.kuenselonline.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=13657
Wamrong razed to the ground
Kuensel, 9 October 2009
9 October, 2009 - The row of shops lining the Samdrupjongkhar-Trashigang highway that has defined Wamrong town for decades went up in flames yesterday afternoon, burning to the ground 12 houses in Trashigang dzongkhag’s largest fire accident in recent memory.No one was injured.The fire comes at a time when the eastern dzongkhags are still reeling under the shock and damage from an earthquake and a windstorm. http://www.kuenselonline.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=13666
His Majesty to meet the people in affected areas
Kuensel, 10 October 2009
His Majesty the King will be visiting the areas most affected by the recent earthquakes in the coming week. His Majesty will also be visiting the Wamrong town area, where many houses were gutted by fire on October 8.Following their earlier visit, the prime minister, the home minister, and the office of Gyalpoi
Zimpon (OGZ) have submitted a detailed report to His Majesty. This has been supplemented by regular reports from the technical assessment team in the field, as well as the relief efforts operation centre run by OGZ in Trashigang, according to the royal office for media. http://www.kuenselonline.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=13671
Democracy conference starts Monday in Paro
Kuensel, 11 October 2009

A three-day international conference being held in Paro on ‘deepening and sustaining democracy in Asia’ will begin on Monday.The conference will be inaugurated by the prime minister Lyonchhoen Jigmi Y Thinley and UNDP assistant administrator Ajay Chibber on Sunday evening.Ministers and members of parliament from 12 Asian countries will participate in the conference.
Representatives of the government, NGOs, CSOs, UN and other international organisations will also be taking part in the conference.The conference will cover a wide range of topics related to democracy. Seminars included are talks on the experiences and challenges of democratic practice in the participating countries. http://www.kuenselonline.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=13675
Two RBA soldiers injured in Sarpang blast
Kuensel, 12 October 2009
Two Royal Bhutan Army (RBA) soldiers were injured after an improvised explosive device planted in a bunker in Gaden village, Umling, Sarpang, exploded around
6:40 am today.The bunker is manned only during the day from the RBA outpost at Umling said a RBA spokesperson. He said the explosive device could have been planted at night.Villagers saw some men running towards the border after the explosion. The militants took away two rifles carried by the soldiers according to the RBA spokesperson.“The attack is suspected to be carried out by Maoist militants from the camps in Nepal,” said the spokesperson. http://www.kuenselonline.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=13686
Nu 2b bill for rebuilding
Kuensel, 14 October 2009
September 21 Earthquake Update 14 October, 2009 - The government would require Nu 2,080m to finance and implement early recovery, reconstruction and disaster risk reduction in the aftermath of the September 21 earthquake, according to a draft financial assessment report prepared by a team from the government, the World Bank and the United Nations.The report, which is yet to be submitted to the cabinet, has also estimated the losses in homes, religious sites and government infrastructure affected by the quake at Nu 2,439m. http://www.kuenselonline.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=13708
Power to the people
Kuensel, 15 October 2009
The Druk Green power corporation has initiated a Nu 16 billion hydropower project, which could give ordinary Bhutanese a chance to invest in a hydro project and also supply assured power to a data centre being planned by the Druk holding and investments (DHI).Feasibilities studies on the project, the 208 MW
Nikachu hydro project, proposed on the Nikachu, a tributary of the Mangdechu between Wangduephodrang and Trongsa, is already being carried out. “Nikachu is one of our most feasible medium sized projects, which could be completed by
2015 once the feasibility study and DPR are done successfully,” said the DGPC managing director, Ugyen Chewang. “There is strong interest from the private sector and Bhutanese people to invest in hydropower, so we’re proposing to allow people to buy these shares and get assured returns of 14 to 16 percent,” he said.

http://www.kuenselonline.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=13718
ECB reiterates reservations
Kuensel, 16 October 2009
The election commission of Bhutan (ECB) has raised some doubts over whether the Local Government Bill 2009, passed by Parliament is in keeping with provisions of the Constitution, Election Act and National Referendum Act.The chief election commissioner, Dasho Kunzang Wangdi, put forward the reservations of
ECB in a letter to the Speaker on September 18, 2008.It says the LG Bill’s provision of not establishing thromde tshogde (elected municipality) in certain dzongkhags violates section 2 and Article 22 of the constitution, which calls for thromde tshogdes in all 20 dzongkhags. “Unless this is made consistent with the constitution, the law may face difficulty in implementation,” says the letter. http://www.kuenselonline.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=13728
Begana power project proposed
Kuensel, 17 October 2009
The Bhutan power corporation (BPC) is planning a power project in upper
Thimphu, Begana, with the potential to solve the capital’s drinking water shortage and provide energy security.The 20 MW hydroelectricity project along the
Thimchu river, with its main base in Kawang gewog, will divert water from the
Thimchu river from Kawang gewog into a 6.3 km tunnel and pipeline to turn turbines at the power house near Begana, said BPC managing director, Bharat
Tamang.The project, estimated to cost about Nu 1.113 billion, also has the potential to earn carbon- trading revenue. http://www.kuenselonline.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=13733
Loosening the license regim
Kuensel, 18 October 2009
The economic affairs ministry has initiated a series of regulatory reforms to create a more enabling environment for business.One of them is drawing up an
Enterprise Act that will require all types of businesses, where micro or large, to register and give recognition to various types of enterprises.“Existing rules and regulations does not recognise all types of enterprises,” said the ministry’s registrar of companies, Ugyen Dorji, who made a presentation at a two-day workshop in Thimphu yesterday. http://www.kuenselonline.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=13741
Passed but flawed
Kuensel, 19 October 2009
The election commission of Bhutan (ECB) has said that the current problem with the local government act 2009 could have been avoided if lawmakers and the government had heeded their concerns over flaws in the act before it was endorsed.Recently the LG bill has come under scrutiny with the ECB saying that it is not in line with the Constitution and other electoral laws.Contrary to popular

thinking that LG elections could be held after the Act was passed, it now emerges that one more session of Parliament is required to get approval for changing boundaries of LG government and a list of thromdes before the elections can be held. http://www.kuenselonline.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=13751
Rising inflation and falling Nu
Kuensel, 20 October 2009
Kitchens of middle and lower middle income groups and people below the poverty line could be hit by a sharp increase in food prices, which went up by 9.88 percent in the third quarter, with the major contributors being meat (23.11), vegetables (20.42), fruits (11.58) and fish (10.96).This pushed inflation to 3.42 percent from 2.96 percent in the second quarter. The purchasing power of ngultrum (PPN) has declined to 0.72 chhetrums this year from the 100 chhetrums baseline in 2003.“This kind of inflation in food, along with decreasing purchasing power of money, could lead to an increase in poverty,” said the national statistics bureau director, Kuenga Tshering. http://www.kuenselonline.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=13761
Plan to triple food reserve
Kuensel, 21 October 2009
The agriculture ministry (MoA) is recommending tripling the country’s national food reserve from the current 1,658 metric tonnes (MT) to at least 5,850 MT, mainly in cereals, to cope with emerging food security challenges.The current reserves will not meet the needs of vulnerable communities, if natural calamities affect large parts of the country, according to MoA. A reserve of 5,850 MT would meet the needs of vulnerable communities for three months at least.“Bhutan is faced with decreasing agricultural production, increasing erratic weather and natural disasters affecting agriculture, outbreak of food diseases, increasing food prices and a global food crisis, so it’s important to revisit our food stock,” said the agriculture director, Chencho Norbu. http://www.kuenselonline.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=13772
Thromdes much in demand
Kuensel, 22 October 2009
The ministry of works and human settlement (MoWHS) has come up with a tentative list of dzongkhag thromdes and dzongkhag yenlag thromdes (see box), based on the criteria set by the local government bill, 2009.The ministry has so far received numerous demands for multiple dzongkhag thromdes and yenlag thromdes from most dzongkhags. Some dzongkhags like Mongar have asked for up to five yenlag thromdes.Officials say that these demands for towns are with the belief that towns would bring faster development in these areas and make rural life easier. MoWHS has accepted a few, but rejected most, though it is yet to finalise a final list to be sent to Parliament for approval. http://www.kuenselonline.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=13782

Quake costs 10th Plan
Kuensel, 23 October 2009
The September 21 earthquake has cost the government Nu 2.5 billion and could delay programmes in the 10th Plan, which is already short by Nu 4.8b for the second year (2009-2010) of the plan period.The government needs Nu 2,192m for early recovery, reconstruction and disaster risk reduction, according to the final cost assessment report released yesterday. The amount is almost 70 percent of the annual net revenue of Tala, the country’s biggest hydropower project.Prime
Minister Lyonchhoen Jigmi Y Thinley said that the government is concerned that the earthquake would cost programmes in the 10th Plan, but “there has been a heartening response from the international community and developing partners, especially India, UN and Turkey to support the reconstruction”. http://www.kuenselonline.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=13789
6 months late, work begins
Kuensel, 26 October 2009
With all major contracts tendered, construction of the 114 MW Dagachu hydropower project officially began on October 1, six months behind schedule.“The Hindustan construction company (HCC) has begun mobilizing manpower and equipment to start the civil works,” said the recently appointed chief executive officer (CEO) of the Dagachu hydropower corporation limited,
Dorji Pavo Phuntshok. http://www.kuenselonline.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=13801
Burglary outbreak in capital With at least one house getting robbed every
two days in Thimphu this y
Kuensel, 27 October 2009
Burglary outbreak in capital With at least one house getting robbed every two days in Thimphu this year, the royal Bhutan police warns residents to stay vigilant and explore all ways to keep their homes and offices safe.Police recorded 136 burglary cases as of October this year, an increase from 99 cases in 2008, excluding cases from rural Thimphu.But the good news, according to police, is that at least a third of all burglaries can be prevented. “Theft can be curtailed by proper, inexpensive and preventative methods. This can start with neighbour’s watching neighbour’s homes which, by the way, is decreasing,” said a police spokesperson. “In most cases, the tenants don’t know each other nor do they interact.” http://www.kuenselonline.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=13814
Water level lowered by 86cm
Kuensel, 28 October 2009
Operation Thorthomi 28 October, 2009 - The water level of the Thorthormi lake, which has the potential to cause glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) if not mitigated, was reduced by only 86 cm in two months during the operation
Thorthormi.Glaciologist Karma Toeb, leader of the team to Thorthormi, said that initial target for this year – from July to September - was to reduce the water level of Thorthormi by 1.67 m. “But the Cyclone Aila in May hampered the mitigation work and the target was brought down to one metre,” he said.

http://www.kuenselonline.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=13825
Reducing red tape in phases
Kuensel, 30 October 2009
Beneficiaries of an efficient government service delivery system will have to wait until the end of 2011 to see major changes in the government’s administrative burden (AB) and red tape.That deadline for reducing AB in 33 essential services has now been extended until 2011 end due to the “huge size of the task”. Earlier this year in April, the prime minister gave all government agencies a nine-to twelve-month deadline to reduce AB, which has been introduced by the government to reduce red tape and speed up services in all 63 public agencies. http://www.kuenselonline.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=13845