Bhutan State of Environment Report: The Monthly Overview, October, 2014
The rural electrification project, replete with challenges in Bhutan, is likely to miss the December 2014 deadline. Read more in October 2014 edition of the Monthly Overview on State of Environment, Bhutan.
Reportage on the state of environment and development in Bhutan remained restricted to the issues habitat and energy. There was some good news on export of apples and which was reported to have grown marginally in 2014 and about 1,387.42 metric tonnes of apples were exported to Bangladesh this export season.
Apart from this, there was some reportage on hydroelectricity and energy. The Punatsangchu hydropower project authority completed the first major event for water conduct system between power intakes that is connected to the de-silting chambers and head race tunnel (HRT). A media report also raised doubts on timely completion of the rural electrification project and said that replete with challenges in Bhutan, it is likely to miss the December 2014 deadline. The previous government declared electricity for all by 2013, when it began works on the 10th Plan, with the aim to connect 40,257 more households with electricity. In the past 14 months, electricity replaced other sources of energy in 14,478 households
Besides this a conflict regarding no construction zone around the Bhutan domestic airport was reported since a total of 72 land owners are affected by the project. The no construction zone covers 115 acres around the domestic airport, of which almost 73 acres is government owned while almost 42 is private land.