Wikipedia

Gelephu

Gelephu (Dzongkha: དགེ་ལེགས་ཕུ་; Wylie: dge-legs-phu), also spelled as Gelyephug, Gelegphu,[1] Gaylegphug, or Gaylephug,[2] (IATA: GLU) is a town or Thromde[3] in Sarpang District in Bhutan.[4] It is located on the Indian border, about 30 km to the east of Sarpang, the Dzongkhag (District) headquarters,[5] and has a population of 9,858 as per the 2017 census.[6] It is one of the border market and road entry points into Bhutan from India;[7] Phuntsholing to its west and Samdrup Jongkhar to its east are two other border market road entry points into Bhutan.

Gelephu
དགེ་ལེགས་ཕུག་
Thromde
Gelephu is located in Bhutan
Gelephu
Gelephu
Location in Bhutan
Coordinates: 26°52′14″N 90°29′8″E / 26.87056°N 90.48556°E / 26.87056; 90.48556
Country Bhutan
DistrictSarpang District
Gelephu ThromdeJuly 2010
Government
 • ThromponTshering Norbu
 • DrangponKarma Dorji
Area
 • Thromde
11.5 km2 (4.4 sq mi)
 • Urban
11.52 km2 (4.45 sq mi)
Elevation
221 m (725 ft)
Population
 (2017)
 • Thromde
9,858
 • Density860/km2 (2,200/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+6 (BTT)
Websitegcc.bt/node/1

History

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The history of Gelephu dates back to the 1960s when the original settlement was moved from the banks of Mo Chhu to the present area, which used to be known as Hati Sahar (elephant place).[8]

On 5 September 2004, insurgents bombed a marketplace in the town, killing two people and injuring twenty-seven others.[9][10]

Urban development plans

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Planning area

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Gelephu Thromde has 11.52 km2 planning boundary area which can be increased further. It has 6 sub zones (Demkhong) listed as 1. Trashiling, 2. Namkhaling, 3. Jampeling, 4. Rabtengling, 5. Samdrupling, 6. Sonam Gatsel. Core market area is very close to the Indo-Bhutan border. Ashish Kumar Chauhan is also one of the Urban Planner while delineating the boundaries of Industrial Area Plan and Local Area Plan 4 & 5.[11]

Urban recreational park

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One theme of the Gelephu Plan is to develop inter-linked open-green spaces for use as recreation, sports, walking, cycling, exercising and play gardens that can provide an excellent opportunity to promote planned growth of Gelephu unlike many other settlements.[8]

Gelephu Mindfulness City

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Main article: Gelephu Special Administrative Region

In December 2023, during the 116th National Day celebration, King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck unveiled a project to establish a Special Administrative Region in Gelephu called the Gelephu Special Administrative Region. The project is developed by BIG, Arup, and Cistri, spans 1,000 square kilometers. Inspired by Bhutanese culture and Gross National Happiness principles, the plan includes an international airport, railways, a hydroelectric dam, and diverse public spaces.[12][13]

Trade and commerce

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Post office in Gelephu

The location of Gelephu is favorable for cross-border trade between India and Bhutan.[14] From that Indo-Bhutan border gate Bongaigaon, the sixth largest city of Ainamssamerging as business node for the economics affairs i.e., business dealing & logistic supports is 78 km away.

Airport

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Gelephu Airport was completed in 2012, after being planned in the early 2000s.[15][16]

In 2023, it was announced that a new international airport would be built as part of the proposed Gelephu Special Administrative Region. The existing domestic airport will remain operational.[17][18]

Services

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Construction Development Corporation Limited is a Public Sector Company with 100% shares owned by the Royal Government of Bhutan. After the merger of Gelephu workshop to Hesothangkha in 1996-1997 and till recently, maintenance of its huge workshop structure and compound was neglected and it did not receive that much importance and priority to maintaining operation in the south. The facilities and workshop structure/buildings are currently in a dilapidated condition except for the Lungta Auto Center,[19] which provides comprehensive auto services. After the revival, initiatives have been taken up to repair and rehabilitate the workshop buildings/facilities gradually in a phased manner to curtail loss and avoid the need for a huge investment. It caters to 3 Field Division i.e. Sarpang, Phuentsholing and Zhemgang Field Division. Jurisdiction wise, it covers the far-flung central region of Panbang, Dagana and Zhemgang. Two field workshops located at Sarpang and Mangdechu provide field support services.[20]

References

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  1. ^ see information provided by the Sarpang Dzongkhag Administration: http://www.sarpang.gov.bt/?page_id=434
  2. ^ see "Change of name of Post Offices in Bhutan" by Leo van der Velden in Postal Himal no.162, 2nd Quarter 2015 http://himalaya.socanth.cam.ac.uk/collections/journals/postalhimal/pdf/PH_2015_002.pdf
  3. ^ Gelephu Thromde website http://www.gcc.bt/ Archived 2014-10-23 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
  5. ^ "Gelephu Structural Plan: Foreword". Gelephu Structural Plan. Archived from the original on 2010-03-13. Retrieved 2010-10-11.
  6. ^ "Bhutan: largest cities and towns and statistics of their population". World Gazetteer. Retrieved 2008-07-11.[dead link‍]
  7. ^ An Ethnographic Insight on Border-Markets: Reflections from the Indo-Bhutan Border, sadf.eu, accessed 23 October 2024.
  8. ^ a b "Background History". Gelephu Thromde. Archived from the original on 2014-10-23.
  9. ^ SATP (2019-04-23). "Bhutan: Oasis Of Peace – Analysis". Eurasia Review. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
  10. ^ House, Freedom (2007-06-01). "Freedom in the World 2007". Retrieved 2022-06-01.
  11. ^ http://www.land.gov.bt Archived December 19, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ Emerson, Sarah. "A Thiel-Backed Startup Pitched A Futuristic City In Bhutan. Its Dragon King Is Building It Without Them". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  13. ^ News Desk (2023-12-22). "Plans for "Mindfulness City" in Gelephu Unveiled". The Bhutan Live. Retrieved 2023-12-25.
  14. ^ "How an Indo-Bhutan Border Market Has Moved Beyond Narratives of Conflict and Security". The Wire. Retrieved 2023-12-25.
  15. ^ Dorji, Gyalsten K (2011-04-11). "Two Tenders, No Bids". Kuensel online. Archived from the original on 2013-06-05. Retrieved 2011-09-08.
  16. ^ "Gelephu airport inaugurated". Little Bhutan. 2012-10-25. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
  17. ^ Newspaper, Bhutan's Daily. "Master plan begins for international airport in Gelephu". Kuensel Online. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  18. ^ Mattoo, Shashank (2024-01-31). "India to help Bhutan develop Gelephu airport". mint. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  19. ^ "Bhutan Auto - Let's build Trust with Truth". Archived from the original on 2020-02-18. Retrieved 2022-02-27.
  20. ^ http://www.cdcl.bt/index.php/80-about-cdcl/80-regional-workshops[permanent dead link‍]
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