The third Dzongkhag Tshogdu of the first local government elect meeting are against the submission of the Lime mining proposals under Zhemgang Dzongkhag. The members said mining would destroy the pristine and lush green forest the Dzongkhag has. Moreover, they said, some of the identified mining site fall under the jurisdiction of national wild life parks.
The meeting was held last week in Zhemgang. The Tshogdu’s members had an extensive deliberation on the proposal of mining in four different locations. A report on the surface geological investigation by the department of geology and mines had been submitted to the Dzongkhag Tshogdu.
A geological report on the surface geological investigation of Kalamti- Nizer, Paibang, Gongphu areas under Bardo and Trong gewogs found the areas to have a potential for huge deposit of limestone. The area cover is 550.65 acres making it a total reserve potential of about 40.03 million tons of limestone.
“Large scale of mining would certainly destroy our environment and I oppose the proposal,” said the Phangkhar Gup, Richen Lungten.
Goshing Gup, Sangay Lethro, says decline of flora and fauna would be decline in tourism.
Not all of them were against submitting the proposal for Lime mining. Some of the members said mining in the Dzongkhag would mean socio-economic development which in turn will help reduce poverty. “We should see both sides, positive as well as negative,” said the Shingkhar Gup, Needup, “I urge the government to come up with better methods of mining.”
After much deliberation, the Dzongkhag Tshogdu members decided to continue the discussion in next meeting.
