Preparatory meeting held for Bumchu festival

GYALSHING,  (IPR): The first preparatory meeting for the annual Bumchu festival at Tashiding Monastery was held on March 1 at the conference hall of District Administrative Centre, Gyalshing.

The meeting was chaired by district collector Tenzing D. Denzongpa and attended by ADC (Dev) Surat Gurung, SDM (HQ) Pulkit, Gyalshing SDM Sandesh Subba, Yuksam SDM Chandan Singh Subba, chief medical officer Dr. Bikash Pradhan, ASP S.W. Bhutia, Power ACE K.S.C. Tongden and Chongrang BDO Geeta Gurung. Officials from Roads & Bridges, Cooperation, Fire & Emergency Services, Excise, Urban Development, Building & Housing, Tourism and other line departments were also present.

Representatives from Tashiding Monastery, including organising committee president Dr. Namdol Bhutia, general secretary Phurba T. Bhutia, monks and other committee members, participated in the meeting.

The discussions focused on essential preparations for the festival, with specific responsibilities allocated to various departments. The district collector assured full administrative support to ensure the smooth conduct of the event.

At the outset, Phurba T. Bhutia provided an overview of the history and significance of the festival, emphasizing the large number of devotees attending each year and highlighting priority areas requiring departmental intervention. Similarly, Dr. Namdol outlined key issues that need to be addressed for the convenience of devotees.

Regarding security and law enforcement, the ASP discussed the deployment of forces to manage traffic congestion, safeguard critical areas and maintain law and order during the festival.

On health and hygiene, CMO Dr. Bikash Pradhan stressed the importance of cleanliness and hygiene to prevent food poisoning and waterborne diseases, recommending that devotees use properly boiled water.

Emphasizing sustainability, the DC directed the Chongrang BDO and concerned zilla and gram panchayats to sensitize stall operators about hygiene, cleanliness and a zero-waste policy. The use and sale of plastic items within the festival premises will be strictly prohibited. Furthermore, departments such as Roads, PHE and Power departments were instructed to extend full cooperation and necessary support.

Additionally, the panchayat president of Tashiding GPU raised concerns about garbage disposal during and after the festival. He proposed a garbage management plan to ensure proper waste collection and disposal, minimizing environmental impact and maintaining cleanliness throughout the celebration.

As part of the preparatory measures, a joint spot verification and follow-up meeting have been scheduled at Tashiding Monastery on March 10.

The Bumchu festival will take place from midnight of March 13 to March 14.