Thimphu:
Bhutan, considered one of the happiest countries in the world, is working on a mega project, one that has the potential to not only redefine the way sustainable living can be achieved, but also become a global model unlike any other all other countries in the world. The project – a mega ‘Mindfulness City’ in Gelephu.
Although it is called a city, it is huge: spread over 2,500 square kilometers. It is a special administrative region (SAR). It will have its own government and the independence to have its own legislation, as well as an independent judiciary. But what makes it special?
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The Gelephu ‘Mindfulness City’ will have two protected areas: a national park and a nature reserve. It will have rivers that have the potential to generate 4,000 to 5,000 megawatts of electricity through renewable energy. It has forests, biological corridors and is teeming with wildlife. It has its own agricultural hubs and small towns.
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The ‘Mindfulness City’ project was conceived by the King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. The motivation behind this is to improve the lives of Bhutanese people and take Bhutan to the next level. A place where people can live in harmony with others from all over the world.
The people of this city will live with the nature and biodiversity of the region. “This is what we call ‘Gross National Happiness 2.0’,” said Prime Minister of Bhutan Tshering Tobgay recently at the NDTV World Summit in New Delhi.
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Speaking exclusively to NDTV World, the Bhutanese Prime Minister had said that the ‘Gelephu mindfulness city’ would in many ways ‘directly benefit India’ as this city has been ‘deliberately placed along the Indian border in Assam’.
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‘MINDFULNESS CITY’ – BUT WHY IN GELEPHU?
The land in Gelephu is “beautiful and pristine,” the Butanese prime minister said, adding that the region is a biological hotspot, with abundant clean energy potential, but why this mega project here? he had asked the king, wondering why such a project was not considered for Thimphu or Paro – where there is good infrastructure such as airports, highways, etc.
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The king had a one-word answer for the prime minister: “India”. He then explained: “Our future is linked to India. If we choose another place, such a project may succeed, it may have its challenges, but if we plan this along the border with India, the concept itself will drive it to success because the future of Bhutan is intrinsically linked to India ”, the Prime Minister recalled after the King said this.
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That’s when I finally understood the strategic significance of the project, he said. “The Gelephu Mindfulness City is not about Bhutan – it is about Bhutan and India.
DETAILS ABOUT THE CITY
Once built, Bhutan’s ‘Mindfulness City’ will cover almost 2.5% of the entire country’s landmass and be larger than all of Singapore. A more local comparison will be with Bhutan’s capital, Thimphu. While Gelephu City will be over 2,500 square kilometers, the capital Thimphu is only 26 square kilometers.
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The city is built around a series of habitable bridges. It is expected to be a low-rise city with its own university and healthcare facilities for both Western and traditional medicine. It will also have several markets and spiritual centers.
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There are also plans to build a hydroelectric project and a hydroponic greenhouse.
It will be spread over eleven major districts, spanning the region’s thirty-five rivers and streams. The design and planning of the city is done in such a way that neighborhoods will be like mandalas, with public spaces towards the city center.
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The city will be entirely based on Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness philosophy, which is praised around the world. Announcing the project, the Kingdom of Bhutan had said that “Mindfulness City will be unique as it would not only prioritize economic development but also focus on the personal well-being of every resident.”
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The city will have its own international airport, construction of which has already started.
The Gelephu ‘Mindfulness City’ rethinks what the cities of the future should look like, how they should function and the ways in which sustainable living can be achieved with an environmentally friendly approach.