JDNP to build first environmentally unscathed “Park Road”

JDNP harbours all four national symbols

Country’s infrastructure development and conservation of environment rest at either side of the weighing balance. It is usually a challenge to strike a perfect balance between two for that matter sustainable development philosophy is easier said than done. The construction of social infrastructures such as schools, institutions vis-à-vis any other developmental activities inflicts an obnoxious scar to environment. Roads construction of any types in a bid to provide connectivity – a vital lifeline to the farmers in the fight against abject poverty compromises heavily on the natural environments.

Challenging all such facts, Jigme Dorji National Park will construct environmentally harmonious “park road” which will serve an exemplary for all future roads within and not necessarily, the jurisdiction of the protected areas in Bhutan. The 24 kilometers ‘park road’ will run from Dodena to Barshong villages in Naro Gewog under Thimphu Dzongkhag. The salient feature of the road is that it will be executed in most tandems with park policy of biodiversity conservation whilst not compromising the interest of the beneficiaries.

The construction of road of its only kind in the country is being propelled to serve the purposes of providing the protected area visitors better accessibility to amenities and attractions inside protected areas, providing road connectivity to the communities inside protected areas in order to reduce rural poverty and to ultimately minimize dependency of resident communities on natural resources inside protected areas, providing improved accessibility to protected area staffs for enhancing vigilance, fire control, and improved patrolling inside protected areas,.

The construction of such road in its unique modality will spread its tentacles to also help enable the protected area managers to effectively enforce rules and regulations in favor of nature conservation inside protected areas and minimize the impact of roads on biodiversity, critical watersheds, critical wildlife habitats, unique cultural sites, and scenic areas inside protected areas.

“The road will also serve as model for most environmentally friendly roads in the country,” mentions the guidelines for construction for “Park Roads” inside Protected Areas of Bhutan. Mr. Phuntsho Thinley, the Park Manager supplemented the statement saying that whole course of the road construction will be strictly in adherence to this guidelines which the park management will oversee. He added that guidelines itself was formulated in participatory manner involving all stakeholders.

As per the guidelines, the road will have to meet requirements such as environmental conservation, technical and financial.  The specifics such as driving not more than 10/km/hr will have to be observed and structures for wild animals crossing will be constructed in the interest of the faunal diversity.

As per DAO of Thimphu Dzongkhag, the construction of the road will be done departmentally without tendering it to contractors. The construction of 111 million budget “park road” is slated to begin from 6^th April 2011.

Jigme Dorji national park was declared as a wildlife sanctuary in memory of Late King (The whole northern belt) in 1974. It houses 7000 park residents or 1000 households, over 300 species of medicinal and aromatic plants, 300 bird species and 100 mammals.