Bhutan’s five throms to be waste-free, pothole-free, have 24/7 water supply: Prime Minister Tshering

Thimphu [Bhutan], February 22 (ANI): The five throms of Thimphu, Samtse, Samdrup Jongkhar, Gelephu, and Phuentshogling will be waste-free, pothole-free and have access to 24/7 water supply in a year’s time, Bhutan’s Prime Minister Lotay Tshering announced during his address on His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck’s birthday celebrations at the Changlimithang on Wednesday, The Bhutan Live reported.

Tshering said the government would commit to accelerating infrastructure improvement in these five throms. A throm is a second-level administrative division in Bhutan. The prime minister said water scarcity is one of the issues that confronts these throms and his government will therefore work to ensure a 24/7 water supply to these throms.

“Sarting tomorrow, with the Minister and the experts from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, the government will do whatever it takes to provide 24/7 water supply to the people of these five throms,” the PM was quoted as saying in The Bhutan Live report. The government will fast-track the procurement and immediately work to ensure pothole-free roads and footpaths in these five major towns, the PM was quoted further as saying in the report, adding that proper drainage and construction of footpaths will also be prioritised.

“The government also promises pothole-free roads and better footpaths and drainage in these five throms. After a month or two, we will request the public to inform or report the respective person in charge of any potholes in their towns,” the Bhutan PM said. The Bhutanese prime minister also talked about the country’s persisting waste issues, especially in the bigger towns, saying that his government was also committed to addressing it as well.

“In a span of a year, we have committed to improving the waste management in these five throms by meeting international standards for waste management,” the PM said. The Prime Minister’s Office said more details will be shared in the coming weeks. The PM said the best gift that people can offer to His Majesty is to act beyond the rhetorics and chants and prove they are worthy citizens, The Bhutan Live reported.

The Bhutan Live recently reported that the country was on its way to graduating from the Least Developed Countries (LDC) status by June 2023. Macroeconomic stability, product space diversification, and disaster resilience are some of the parameters recommended for inclusion in Bhutan’s transition strategy, the report said.

According to officials, a change in Bhutan’s status will not affect the country’s foreign aid support. The graduation’s impact will mainly be seen in three LDC-specific international support measures (ISM) related to international trade, development cooperation (ODA) and contributions to the funding of the UN system, support for travel to official meetings, scholarships, and research grants.