Nim Dorji | Bumthang

Local leaders of Bumthang raised concerns about the allocation of timber allocated for constructions in rural areas.

Today, only felling of only 18 trees is approved for the construction of a house.

The issue was raised during the ninth Dzongkhag Tshogdu (DT) by Chhoekhor and Tang gups.

Chhoekhor Gup Pema Dongyel said that, in the past, people got 80 trees for cham, ten for drashing (to make plank).  The allocated number, he said, was not enough.

Tang Gup Ugen Nima it was not clear as to why the number was reduced.  This, he said, made construction difficult for most people.

Ugyen Nima said that building a house with traditional designs required more timber.

Chief forestry officer, Pankey Drukpa, said that, if people brought timber from far-off places, it would be enough for the construction.

Ugyen Nima said that people were also facing a shortage of stones for the construction.

Pankey Drukpa said that the forest office had the authority only to approve surface collection.

DT’s chairperson, Chumig Gup Jampel, said that, although the ministry of economic affairs said that three quarries was enough for Bumthang, the one at Tangsibji had been non-functional for more than 10 years and stones from Shinyer were not suitable for construction of walls.

DT recommended the dzongkhag monitoring committee to explore the possibility of establishing a quarry in each gewog.