A travelogue of a tour to Disadvantage Place I

Knowing that we have long journey ahead, we prepared to depart early. Safely tucked in the rug sack were the toiletries, few pants and shirts, a gho and other clothing and ofcourse the pack lunch, we headed into the destiny unknown. We didn’t know how long our legs could carry, before the nightfall but we moved with the commitment that we must keep walking till we attain the destination.

Leaving all the glory of the urban delights, we finally bade goodbye to it even if it’s for a month. We left behind the whizzing cars, the brightness of electricity, the majestic concrete buildings towering so boldly, the well bituminized highways, the sounds and melodies of Cable Television, the sweet ringtones of cell phone, the charm of internets, the inviting groceries and restaurants and other amenities of the metropolitan. We thought we will miss them.

We headed into the jungle, the trails infested with leeches in summer, (we were lucky that we embarked on tour in winter), the giants Alnus nepaulenesis, Castonopsis, Bahuania trees towering our way. We hauled ourselves into the world of serenity, peace, tranquility and silence.

Adequately dressed for the challenging journey ahead, we crossed the magnificent Chukha Hydro Dam on our way. Looking at the incredible dam, it reminded me of how much Bhutan have developed. The concrete structure blocked the mighty Wangchu River and redirected to the power house. The water as it turns the fortune wheel illuminates the Bhutanese homes. The water I knew runs further down and turns another fortune wheel at Tala. Thanks for the revenue it generates bringing impressive exchequer and more thanks for the recent raise in salary. It was purely possible due to this mega projects.

I am a forester and I have a role to play here. This trapping of the energy is possible only due to the undamaged forest cover in upper course of the river, which ensures the continued flow, which part of it belong to the place I work. In general, the forestry department is making strenuous efforts to keep the forest cover intact perpetually making water flow that turns the turbines of these mega projects.

In particular, forest extensionist instigates establishment of community and private forestry in the community level besides executing the land reclamations in tainted and blemished lands. The functional divisions and forest management units of forest execute the silvicultural harvesting of the forest products making harvesting sustainable, meeting the present needs of the people without compromising the forest covers.

For instance, we restrict harvesting in the buffer zones of the small spring in the mountains that are the tributaries of the rivers that are directed through the tunnels to produce the electricity. I have also done some hectares of plantation in the upper land of the river. There is no denying in the fact that, this contributes to volumes of the water that flows. And volume does matter very much in production of electricity. I do have the rights to feel glad that I am somehow associated indirectly with this magic of producing electricity with water.

We continued our journey and the first hour took us through the discarded farm road which is now filled with overgrown grasses and shrubs. I was told that the farm road was giving some problem to the dam and envisaging that dam is much better choice, the road was long forgotten. The first hour journey tested our ability to walk. The winter sun was slowly emerging from the horizon brightening its way. But soon, we knew that sweltering sun is going to burn us.

We were five of us, two of my friends and two porters. Mr. Tashi (Asst. Branch Manager, BDFC, Chukha) served as the torch bearer leading the way for us. We may not have better person to lead us in the way that he is a bald headed boy. The clear winter morning sun reflected on this ‘chethey’ and illuminated the way.

From the time I knew him, I was ever wondering why he did go so bald in his young age. He was married a year ago and has a child, anyway, he isn’t too old to shed his hairs. I never had enough gut to ask him. I thought it might offend him. This was the last opportunity for me to know about it. The gossiping, teasing, debating and telling stories, retrospection of those times in school are known to be the best thing to do when you are walking. When you are absorbed in every cell of the flesh and bone, you don’t feel the fatigue. And when it is the end of the stories, you realized you have conquered the mountain.

One time, we were kidding that he might become Dasho since in Bhutanese context; bald head is one criterion to deserve the title. But now, as he negotiates the steep climb under the spell of winter sun, he looked no better with sweats tickling down his forehead. For now, his baldness is a disadvantage; it easily got burned by the sun.

........................to be continued...............................