The Bhutanese Leading the way.
Govt spent Nu 10 million to clear flood debris and offer relief
This paper recently highlighted the case of 85-year-old grandfather, Choning Dorji, who is among the survivors of the devastating Dechencholing flash flood and whose hut was washed away in the flood.
He and his family are having a tough time running out of money paying rent in an apartment and unable to do business.
When asked about such cases the Minister of Home Affairs, Tshering, said that the government has spent Nu 10 million after the Dechencholing flood for relief and clearing works.
He said that during the flood, a lot of help was provided by various agencies working for 14 days. Kidu was provided by the Office of Gyalpoi Zimpon.
He stated that Bhutan is fortunate to have been spared from major natural disasters causing significant loss of life, unlike some other countries.
The Dechencholing flood damaged some permanent structures and 29 cars. The temporary structures like the 14 huts were completely damaged and most were washed away. Lyonpo Tshering said the huts cannot be rebuilt as they are illegal structures in the red disaster zone.
He said that the people living in the huts were from economically disadvantaged background.
Further, he said that although no separate budget has been secured for such incidents, the Dzongkhag and Thromde administrations will consider requests for assistance from affected individuals, potentially offering business and job opportunities through the ESP budget. However, no such request has been received by them so far.
