Hoisting prayer flags is a part of Buddhist practice. Many Bhutanese do this quite often in sacred places such as mountaintops and trees. Have you ever thought of the negative consequences of this practice on the environment and the growth of trees in particular? If not, it is about time you give it some thought. Sangaygang, a popular site among people of all ages in Thimphu, seem to be struggling with a mounting waste that mostly constitutes worn-out prayer flags. Besides, prayer flags hoisted on the trees seem to be damaging the growth of trees. Some volunteers have come forward to clean the area for now.
Sangaygang is one of the frequently visited locations in Thimphu. While many people walk or drive to the site for the stunning view of the capital, some also frequent the place for leisure activities.
Meanwhile, some others walk up to the hilltop to hoist prayer flags on the trees. The area is covered in prayer flags, mostly old and worn out, that have turned into trash over the years.
And it seems it has become nobody’s business to clean the area.
Around 40 individuals mostly tour guides and guide trainees volunteered to clear the trash at the site.
Among the passionate volunteers is Sonam Phuntsho who loves planting trees and picking up waste. He has dedicated close to 30 years of his life to volunteering to plant trees. Sonam says prayer flags tied to the trees are damaging the growth of trees.
“Most of the prayer flags are tied to the small trees. It affects the growth of the tree because the ropes and strings tangle the tree and then the tree becomes weaker. These trees are easily broken by wind like this one. We can see a lot of trees like this here.”
He added that it would be better if people could hoist the prayer flags on bigger trees.
“The prayer flags are lying on the ground and are damaged by both humans and vehicles while they travel. So I asked the Guide Association of Bhutan to collaborate to collect the wastes, shift the new prayer flags to taller trees and burn the old ones at Sangaygang,” said Duptho, coordinator.
Volunteers said that they were gratified to be part of the programme.
“It is good that people are hoisting prayer flags but if we do not take care of it in the long run, it turns very old, and then the flags become trash,” said Pema Wangyel, a volunteer.
“We are in the middle of collecting the old prayer flags that are hung everywhere on trees. It is very disheartening to see these prayer flags turning into trash. People need to be mindful. We are hoping that we can complete it by the end of the day, although it is very challenging,” said Zangmo, Volunteer, Thimphu
Guide Association of Bhutan and Lions Club Bhutan initiated the campaign.
The programme was conducted as part of the Zero Waste Hour Initiative of the National Environment Commission that the Guide Association of Bhutan observes every second day of the month.
They also conduct cleaning campaigns in and around the town on the day. The coordinators plan to carry out more such programmes in the future and continue creating awareness about taking care of the prayer flags through social media.
Namgay Dema
Edited by Phub Gyem
