Clean Dzongkhag Award
Honorable Deputy Minister of National Environment Commission Secretariat, Dasho Nado Rinchhen awarded the winners of Clean Dzongkhag Award 2006-2007 with cash prize of Nu. One hundred fifty thousand each and Certificate of Recognition at NEC Conference Hall on 8th January 2008. The recipients of Clean Dzongkhag Award 2006-2007 were Paro, Sarpang and Trashigang Dzongkhags.
The Clean Dzongkhag Award was initiated by National Environment Commission in 2003 to raise awareness and educate people on environment conservation and waste management. The scheme is being funded by WWF. Each year, the selection committee which comprises members from National Environment Commission Secretariat, Royal Society for Protection of Nature, Nature Conservation Division and the WWF Bhutan Program selects three most clean Dzongkhags, based on the criteria set by the committee and initiatives taken by the local administration in environmental conservation.
The criteria which decide the winner of the award are:
- Cleanliness of the town
- Cleanliness of rivers and streams
- Cleanliness of trek routes
- Initiative undertaken by the Dzongkhag Administration, DYT and GYT to promote cleanliness and environment conservation.
So far following Dzongkhags have received the Clean Dzongkhag Award:
- In 2003: Bumthang, Gasa and Mongar
- In 2004: Samdrup Jongkhar, Trongsa and Tsirang
- In 2005: Dagana, Haa and Trashi Yangtse.
The prize money received by the winners were mostly used in implementing environmental activities, such as cleanup campaign, tree plantation, water source protection, solid waste management and raise environmental awareness among the people.