The Third Bhutan Exploration – Day 3
Rangdelbi, Komshar, Baldo
April 24, 2024, is the third day of the survey in Bhutan with the experts from Korea.
After having breakfast with the experts from Korea at the accommodation, Venerable Pomnyun gave T-shirts and cosmetics, which were brought from Korea, to the Bhutanese government officials and the drivers who were accompanying the survey.
At 6:30 AM, they departed from Nabji Chiwok and headed towards Rangdelbi Chiwok. The journey required traveling for 4 hours along an unpaved road carved into the cliffside.
After driving for an hour by car, they arrived at the Gemgang rest area. Now, the team has crossed from Trongsa to Gemgang. The planning officer from Gemgang Dzongkhag greeted them warmly and they briefly shared some tea together.
We had to switch vehicles as the next stretch of the journey would be on unpaved roads. All the luggage from the van was transferred to a four-wheel-drive vehicle.
They resumed their journey and began the official tour of the Gemgang region. After traveling for about 30 minutes, they met briefly with the person in charge of the region’s forestry. Venerable Pomnyun explained the purpose of the visit.
“We are currently surveying the Gemgang region to achieve sustainable development that improves human lives without destroying the environment. The goal is to implement a carbon-neutral way of living. For a sustainable life, people must be self-reliant and live in harmony with the environment, without emitting carbon. However, if living conditions are too harsh, people cannot be happy, so basic needs like food, clothing, and shelter must be improved. From my observations in this region, about the bottom 20 percent of the population would benefit from an improvement in their living standards. However, I do not support any further development beyond this and will not respond to such requests.”
“The Gemgang region is 94% covered by forest, and there are many wildlife species that are protected as natural monuments. The residents are not allowed to kill these wild animals.”
“However, when I met with the residents, they expressed concerns about crop damage caused by wildlife. They would complain, saying, ‘Are you going to protect the animals but not the people?’ (laughs)”
“There are many medicinal plants and herbs in the Gemgang region, so we will have one of our forestry experts accompany you. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have.”
“Thank you.”
Afterward, the forestry expert, Mr. Choi Won-kyu, along with the other experts from Korea, were introduced, and everyone exchanged greetings. They then took a forestry expert from Gemgang and continued on their way.
The unpaved road began in earnest. The bumpy mountain path stretched on.
On the way, the vehicle got a flat tire and had to stop. After it was repaired, Venerable Pomnyun followed in another car and continued on the journey.
After 4 hours and 30 minutes of travel since leaving Nabji Chiwok, they arrived at Rangdelbi Chiwok at 11:00 AM. In Rangdelbi Chiwok, the JTS activists had selected the poorest household to create a sample for housing improvement.
During the previous survey, only the interior was renovated, but today we held a completion ceremony after finishing repairs to the roof and exterior as well. Two households lived in this house, and through this project, the two units were clearly separated. As a result, ribbon-cutting ceremonies were held separately for the left and right houses.
First, Venerable Pomnyun performed a traditional Bhutanese ritual by dipping a leaf in water and sprinkling it around the house.
Then, the monk cut the ribbon on the door.
“One, two, three!”
The families living in the house and the JTS team all clapped their hands and celebrated.
They entered the house and had a conversation with the family. Inside the house, carpets borrowed from various parts of the village were spread out. On one side of the wall lived an elderly couple, while on the other side, a large family consisting of the daughter, son-in-law, and grandson, along with the parents-in-law, all gathered together to live.
“Is there anything uncomfortable after fixing the house?”
“We are very happy. There is nothing uncomfortable.”
The family was so satisfied with the improvement of the house that they had no further wishes. Professor Park Jin-do asked a few questions.
“What is your main source of income? How do you support your living?”
The elderly grandmother of the extended family answered.
“The village is underdeveloped, so our sources of income are limited. We grow ginger and corn, but ginger is prone to pests, and the corn yield is not very high, so it’s just enough for us to feed ourselves. People with more land grow oranges and cardamom. My son-in-law is from Punakha, and he came here after getting married. He hasn’t been here for long, so he’s still adjusting. Since we’re all elderly, my son-in-law is the hope of this family.”
The elderly couple also answered. The grandfather is 76, and my grandmother is 79.
“We had three children, but two of them passed away, and one is in Australia, but we don’t hear from him often. We have very little income, and sometimes we go to other houses to help with work and get paid a little.”
Venerable Pomnyun asked the daughter, who primarily manages the household.
“How do you feel about the kitchen improvement? If other houses in this neighborhood were renovated like this, would that be good? What else could be improved?”
“I’m satisfied. First of all, it’s great that there’s no smoke inside the house. The women from the neighboring houses came to see it and said they would like to do the same. However, during the summer, there’s a lot of rain, so the house gets flooded, and the water doesn’t drain well. It would be good to create drainage paths to let the water flow out. Also, the sewage system could be improved.”
“Yes, right now the sewage from each house flows directly into the mountains or rivers, so it seems that a purification facility is needed. A proper drainage system is also necessary.”
Finally, the monk spoke to the son-in-law.
“I hope you live happily in this remodeled house. And I hope you will help a lot in the future when remodeling the homes of poor families in this village, based on your experience.”
“Yes.”
The son-in-law replied willingly. Venerable Pomnyun then addressed the father-in-law, who had previously been drunk every day.
“Please don’t drink too much anymore and take care of your health.”
“Yes, thank you.”
When Venerable Pomnyun first visited this house, the father-in-law had been lying down, drunk. Today, he greeted them with a clear and bright face, expressing his gratitude.
After taking commemorative photos with each family, they departed from Rangdelbi at 12 o’clock.
On the way from Rangdelbi to Komshar, they encountered a landslide and had to stop for a moment due to the collapsed road. It seemed that construction was urgently needed before the rainy season began.
“Here, a large pipe should be buried underground and covered with concrete. During heavy water flow, the water can run over the top, and under normal circumstances, it can flow through the pipe. For areas affected by landslides, the soil and stones should be cleared, and retaining walls need to be constructed.”
There were about 20 such sections where the road became muddy or blocked due to water flowing over it.
After driving for another 1.5 hours on the rough mountain roads, they finally arrived at Komshar Chiwok.
After having lunch prepared by the village, they immediately went to inspect the agricultural irrigation channels for the terraced rice fields. First, they checked the irrigation channel that flows down from the first water source.
Due to a landslide, the irrigation channel had been severely damaged. The head of the village suggested that it would be good to lay a 1km-long irrigation channel with a width of 1 meter and a depth of 65 cm.
Venerable Pomnyun inspected the site and offered his opinion.
“How about leaving the main water flow as it is and working on the irrigation channels leading to the fields with cement? For areas that have collapsed, it’s necessary to build retaining walls and apply cement. However, undertaking construction for the main water flow would be too extensive. Is there currently any issue with using this water as it is?”
“There’s no problem with using the water at the moment. However, the water coming from the second reservoir is completely unusable, so repairing the channels is essential.”
They continued to follow the irrigation channel down. The channel from the water source to the rice fields was made of cement, but from the fields onward, no work had been done, causing a significant amount of water to be lost along the way.
After completing the agricultural irrigation channel site visit, discussions were held with the Baldo Gewog officials. Currently, the Baldo Gewog has proposed to repair the irrigation channels from the first water source using pipes under Bhutan’s 13th Five-Year Plan. However, it is still uncertain whether the project will be approved, and even if the budget is granted, immediate implementation might not be feasible.
Venerable Pomnyun asked the officials from Baldo Gewog.
“What are the cultivated areas for the first and second water sources?”
“The cultivated area for the first water source is 36 acres, and for the second water source, it is 165 acres.”
“Then, let’s go check the second water source.”
They decided to inspect the state of the irrigation channel coming from the second water source. Chokba (village leader) pointed out that various sections of the channel needed repairs. They then started their journey up the mountain towards the second water source.
The path was rugged, as it was not frequently traveled on. Venerable Pomnyun carefully examined the irrigation channel and the water source, making sure to inspect every detail along the way.
“From there to here, we need to connect the channels and install gates on both sides. When water is needed, we can close one side and open the other, allowing water to flow down to the fields. When water is not in use, we can reverse it. After constructing the channel, we must stack stones to prevent it from collapsing again.”
After providing a detailed explanation on the irrigation work, he descended the mountain to continue with the day’s tasks.
After descending from the water source, Venerable Pomnyun held a meeting at the Baldo Gewog office starting at 5:30 PM. The meeting was attended by the experts from Korea, the local officials responsible for the area, including the deputy head of Baldo Gewog (Mengmi), the administrative officer, the agriculture officer, the planning officer and the agricultural officer from the Gemgang Dzongkhag, and a government official from the Cabinet Secretariat.
The meeting began with participants sharing their impressions of the Baldo Gewog area after the day’s visit. Following this, the group discussed the topic of sustainable rural development. Each participant contributed based on their area of expertise, working together to explore practical solutions for the challenges faced by the community.
The experts asked about the current rice planting practices in the village. The villagers explained that they clear some land by cutting down trees and burning the area, then sow rice seeds and grow them for 45 days before transplanting. They also mentioned that they plant one seedling per spot, with the spacing being very close. Before planting, the land is dried out, and right before transplanting, a large amount of water is needed to irrigate the fields.
Agricultural expert Mr. Joo Hyeong-ro emphasized the importance of organic and natural farming methods, recommending ways to minimize the negative environmental impact.
“If you plant rice or corn in rows, the efficiency increases. All plants grow through the circulation of sunlight and air. When you plant in rows, each plant gets more sunlight and air circulation, which improves productivity. Instead of trying to change everything at once, designate one area for experimentation. If the yield is higher, you can gradually expand the practice.
Regarding the water shortage, it seems sufficient to me. Instead of giving all the water at once, if you provide small amounts of water in advance, it can be used much more efficiently.”
The agricultural officer of Gemgang responded that the villagers have been farming in the same traditional way passed down through generations. They believe that planting rice densely prevents weeds from growing and results in a higher harvest, which is why they have not changed their farming methods.
After discussing various agricultural practices such as seedling production, transplanting, and irrigation methods, the group shifted focus to how to address road repairs and agricultural water channel issues. After the discussions, Venerable Pomnyun spoke again:
“If the villagers can work together, JTS can provide materials as much as needed. However, my concern is that the workload might become too much for the residents. I want to support whatever you all decide to do, but I want to ensure it doesn’t overwhelm them.”
The responsibility for further discussions on this matter was left to the Baldo Gewog officials, who would consult with the villagers and then come back to JTS with their proposal.
As the meeting continued, the evening drew in, and it became harder to see each other’s faces clearly.
At 7 p.m., the meeting concluded, and the group moved to a resident’s house in Komshar village for the night. For dinner, they all made and shared ramen together. A power outage occurred, so they lit candles to eat their meal.
The electricity was out all night. The team worked by candlelight and then wrapped up their tasks for the day.
Tomorrow, they plan to head to Gemgang Dzongkhag to visit the Cultural Heritage Village, followed by a meeting with the Gemgang Governor. Afterward, they will travel back to Trongsa. In the evening, they will meet with the Trongsa Governor and are expected to arrive in Punakha late at night.
*This text was written and edited based on an article provided by the Monk’s Day Team
