Bajothangu and Gangteythangka are the places where my grandparents avoid drinking water with a fear of catching Tshep (heat stoke) when they come to collect Doe (Official luggage) as a potter, was showered by the snow on 5th February 2022. There are no official records of any snowfall in the place maintained clearly indicating it to be for the first time.
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Wangdue Phodrang Dzong
Picture from WDRP Facebook page |
People welcomed it with joy where anything related to white indicates purity. Moreover, it brought great relief to their mind since they are in Lockdown for almost 2 weeks due to Covid 19 community transmission. There are reasons behind having great relief in their mind.
The winter season starts in Bhutan in December and ends in February. Snow falls on anytime within that duration but why especially on 5th February. It is the 6th birth anniversary of His Royal Highness, the crown prince of Bhutan. According to the monastic body of Bhutan (Kuensel), the event was marked with snow on the sertog of Punthang Dewachengi Phodrang (Punakha Dzong) after more than six decades. Earlier during the outbreak of eye diseases (seems conjunctivitis), snowfall on the sertog of Punakha Dzong ended the epidemic. So people were excited to connect the significance to the current pandemic.
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Punakha covered by Snow
Picture from Kuensel online |
Since people have been under lockdown for so long, fine winter sunny weather tempted them to come out. But that snowfall complies them to stay inside easing the task for the concerned agencies. So people are expecting positive outcomes from the unexpected snowfall in most of the regions. Nevertheless, people need to act as one to break the chain of community transmission. The weather may not be able to favour us more than that, cutting down the road connection to mute the commutation, and electricity blackout to get back to olden days manual task to keep yourself engaged and fit.
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Roadblock due to heavy snowfall
Picture from DoR Facebook page |
Now the concern is what happens if it is continued hereafter. The heavy snowfall during winter might increase the volume of the fast-flowing rivers causing floods during summer. According to the United Nation climate action facts report, change in temperature is just the beginning of the story. Earth is an interconnected system where the change in one area influences the changes in all others.
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Interconnection
Picture from Royalty Free Stocks Photos |
Former Prime Minister of Bhutan, Dasho Tshering Tobgay, clearly stated in his TED talk that though Bhutan is a carbon-negative country (absorb more carbon dioxide than it produced), we are facing the impact of global warming. We appreciate our governments (Past and Present) effort in inviting Global efforts in fighting climate change through different media. But people will different mindsets and greed are very difficult to merge together.
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Flash flood
Picture from tsheringtobgay.com
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Therefore, along with the call for the global effort in fighting climate change, it's high time for us to save our heads too: roadblocks, electricity blackouts, floods, food security, epidemics, security of safe drinking water sources and many more related to global warming. How prepared are we in facing such unavoidable circumstances? Let us take it as a great reminder and prepare ourselves accordingly.
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People still working to restore electricity after 6 days blackout
Picture from BPC Facebook page |
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