The programme begins with a nationwide cleaning campaign on December 9 

Environment: Perhaps for the first time in the country, every citizen will be involved in a nationwide cleaning campaign on December 9 to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of His Majesty The King’s accession to the Golden Throne.

The day will be declared as a national holiday.

All dzongdags will take the lead role in this national endeavour. They will also submit different programmes and strategies to sustain this national initiative.

The initiative, according to Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, is inclusive and will cover all the villages, chiwogs, gewogs, neighbourhoods, dungkhags, towns, dzongs, monasteries, trekking routes, streams, rivers and every area falling within their respective jurisdictions.

Dzongdags were also instructed to work with the thromdes, the armed forces, institutions and project managements.

“This is nothing short of becoming the cleanest country in the world,” Lyonchoen said in an informal meeting with journalists in Thimphu yesterday.

“The real gift to our beloved King is not the one-day nationwide cleaning campaign, but our sustained efforts to keep Bhutan clean. Our goal is to make Bhutan the cleanest country in the world. Given our small population, one that’s spread across a relatively large territory, this should not be an impossible target,” the Prime Minister wrote in an SMS sent to senior government officials.

In his SMS, he also wrote: “Drukyul is already the greenest country on earth. Let’s make it the cleanest.”

To keep Bhutan clean for all times, Lyonchoen said that there is a need to come up with strategies to sustain the efforts, especially by monitoring the work of cleaners and implementing regulations that already exist.

While volunteers will be involved in the campaign, declaring the day as a national holiday will provide every citizen an opportunity to take part in this historic national initiative.

In a video conference with the dzongdags, Lyonchoen also reminded the dzongdags about His Majesty’s noble command: “Where we live must be clean, safe, organised, and beautiful, for national integrity, national pride, and for our bright future. This too is nation building.”

Tshering Dorji