King visits flood affected south, avoids Lhotsampa settlements

Gelephu, May 30, 2009: King Jigme Khesar completed his weeklong tour to southern districts, inspecting the areas ravaged by the recent torrent rains. He turned to capital Friday.

In his on-foot tour, King Khesar visited the flood affected people and talked to them about the problem, besides inspecting the damages flood caused to physical infrastructure. 

He walked from Umling (Lalai) to Manas area in Gelephu, looking the situation of the Mochu, Taklai, Lankhar, and other rivers, and villages in between them. These are the areas where resettlement took place in 1997 and 98 and rarely any Nepali-speaking people live. He avoided Chhuzagang (Danabari) where large Nepali population lives.

He then moved through Panbang through Drangmey and to see Tungkudemba, Gerong, Rebati and other villages, camped along the Darangchu for a night before heading to Shilangtoe village where he talked with students as well.

While returning to Thimphu, he visited the Sunkosh township in Dagana and flood-affected people in Wangduephodrang and Punakha.