 |
Bhutan Development |
|
|
 |
|
National
Assembly 2004: Providing electricity to villages
|
 |
With less than 40 percent of the country currently receiving
power, lighting up rural Bhutan was intensely debated at the National Assembly
on July 5, 2004. |
The Trongsa chimi submitted that a shortage of electricity in the dzongkhag was causing
difficulties for both domestic and economic activities. "With the Mangdechhu
hydroelectric project deferred the government should speed up the power
supply from Kurichhu through Tingtibi," he said.
The Bumthang chimi added that Bumthang also faced a constant shortage of electricity
from the Chumme mini hydel. The shortage was acute in winter with the supply
averaging about 15 days a month. "The 80th session of the National Assembly
endorsed Bumthang's request for better supply and was slated for 2003-2004
but it has still not started," he said. "We request the government to expedite
work on the transmission line from Tingtibi to Bumthang and Trongsa."
Responding
to the submissions, the Trade and Industries minister, Lyonpo Yeshey Zimba,
said that the government had provided diesel-powered generators to the
Bumthang Dzong to ease the shortage in the valley but not anywhere else
because of the high maintenance cost. The Mangdechhu project was
still under discussion with the Indian government but electricity from
the Kurichhu had reached Tingtibi in Zhemgang from where it would be transmitted
to Bumthang and Trongsa starting this year. About 516 households in Bumthang
and 573 households in Trongsa would be electrified in the current Plan.
| Power
supply to Goenshari geog |
The Punakha chimi submitted that, in keeping with the resolution of the 81st session
the power authorities were to do a feasibility study of supplying power
to the uncovered areas of Kapatasa, Geonshari geog and Gasa dzongkhag.
"We request for a presentation of the report to bring power to these areas,"
said the chimi. Lyonpo Yeshey Zimba said that, after the feasibility studies,
the government had approved the electrification of 22 households in Gasa
and Punakha. The materials required for the electrification had been procured.
But the electrification of 98 households in Goenshari had not been
included in the current Plan because of the shortage of funds, he said.
The Mongar chimi submitted that the commissioning of the Kurichhu project in Gyalpoizhing had boosted socio development activities in the dzongkhags and greatly
improved the overall standard of living of the people but there were still
pockets of remote areas that did not have electricity.
The Trashiyangste chimi said that some geogs had everything while others had nothing. Bomdeling,
Tetsho and Yalang geogs had no roads or farm roads and these vital
infrastructure were also not included in the current Plan. "Such unequal
development leads to rural-urban migration," said the chimi. "These geogs
should at least have electricity."
The Samtse chimi suggested that electrification of villages be done depending on the
population of the area. "Between Phuentsholing and Tegola Woche,
most farmers rely on the forest for their livelihood which leads to deforestation
and these could contribute to landslides and flooding," he said. He requested
that Dorokha dungkhag in Samtse be included for electrification
in the next Plan. Micro hydel projects or solar power in
far flung remote geogs where it would very expensive to supply power through
transmission lines could be explored, said the Samdrup Jongkhar chimi.
Royal
Advisory Councillor, Dasho Adap Passang, questioned the corporatisation
of the erstwhile department of power had led to any changes in policies.
"Most of the remote places lack electricity because they do not have motor
roads," he said. "There are some villages that are closer to roads and
still do not have electricity." Lyonpo Yeshy Zimba said that Kurichhu had brought tremendous benefits to Mongar and about 988 households
were electrified in Chaskhar, Drepong, Tsakaling, Saling and Ngatshang in the Eighth Plan. Another 1,093 households in Mongar would be electrified
in the current Plan through foreign aid. Thangrong, Gongdur, Khenkar
and Jurme, which were difficult to access, will be connected in the
near future.Lyonpo Yeshey Zimba said that 15,000 households were to be
electrified in the current Plan but most of the work done so far had been
pending from the last Plan.
The government had a budget to electrify 12,000
households and was in the process of finding funds for the remaining 3,000
households. The terrain and scattered settlements made electricity distribution
very expensive in Bhutan said the minister. About Nu 100,000 was spent
for electrifying one household. Therefore proposals not related to the
Plan could not be carried out. The overall goal was to achieve complete
electrification by 2020, he added. Hydropower was a very important source
of government revenue and was important for industrial development, said
Lyonpo Yeshey Zimba.
The
first phase of Basochhu was completed and had started generating
power. Kurichuu, recently commissioned, benefitted 10 dzongkhags and Tala,
the biggest hydropower project in the country, would be completed by mid-2006.
"Great socio-economic growth is envisaged once Tala is commissioned,"
he said. The minister expressed Bhutan's appreciation to the government
of India. Replying to queries from the floor, Lyonpo Yeshey Zimba said
that India would never stop buying power from Bhutan because there was
a huge power deficit in India that ran into hundreds of thousand of Megawatts.
"That is why India has been pumping a large amount of money in Bhutan,"
he said. "It is a double investment. Bhutan will earn revenue through its
supply and India will get the much needed power."
The
minister said that Bangladesh was also interested in buying power
but supplying power to Bangladesh would be expensive. Meanwhile, the ministry
was looking at increasing domestic consumption through new industries.
The minister agreed, as pointed out by the Punakha chimi, that some local
industries were buying excessive power which they could not fully utilise
and could neither be used elsewhere or exported. "The consumption pattern
in big industries fluctuates thereby leaving excess power which is, at
times, not consumed," said Lyonpo Yeshey Zimba. "But we are planning to
charge a tariff on power that big industries take but do not use."
Lyonpo
Yeshey Zimba explained that power tariff within the country was kept low
to allow industries to develop and compete with others but if lowered further
it would incur losses to the government. He informed the Assembly that
the ministry would be raising tariff every year at a reasonable rate. "Our
donors and development partners in this field will hesitate help if there
is no income from hydropower," he said.
Summing
up the discussions, the Assembly Speaker said that it was clear
how expensive the process of electrification was. At the same time there
was the need to be judicious in getting loans from other countries else
Bhutan could end up with huge debts. As there was already a plan to electrify
the entire country by 2020 there was no point in Assembly members asking
for electricity for individual geogs. The Speaker also expressed the appreciation
of the government and people to the Indian government for its continued
support and generous grants to develop the power sector in Bhutan.
| This
article was contributed by KUENSEL, Bhutan's National Newspaper 2004 |
 |
| more
information |
 |
|
