The Kingdom of Bhutan, known for creating the concept of Gross National Happiness (GNH) and for being the first carbon-negative country, is working on a mega project.
The project – a mega ‘Mindfulness City’ in Gelephu – will be an interconnected bridge of sustainable development between South and Southeast Asia.
Strategically positioned along the Indian border in Assam, Gelephu ‘Mindfulness City’ is poised to directly benefit India in numerous ways, fostering cross-border cooperation and economic growth.
Though it is called a city, it is spread over 2,500 square kilometers. As a Special Administrative Region (SAR), it will have its own government, the authority to enact its laws, and an independent judiciary.
The Gelephu ‘Mindfulness City’ project, envisioned by Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, aims to enhance the lives of Bhutanese people and propel the nation towards a brighter future.
The King said the city would be Bhutan’s economic hub – an opportunity to capitalize on the economic corridor linking South Asia to Southeast Asia.
The Gelephu ‘Mindfulness City’ will have two protected areas – a national park and a wildlife sanctuary. It will have rivers that will 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.
“Residents of this city will live in harmony with nature and the region’s biodiversity. This is what we call ‘Gross National Happiness 2.0’,” Prime Minister of Bhutan Tshering Tobgay said recently during an event in New Delhi.
The Bhutanese Prime Minister explained that the King’s choice of Gelephu for this mega project was strategic, leveraging its proximity to the Indian border.
“If we chose any other place, then 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 Bhutan’s future is intrinsically linked with India,” the Prime Minister recalled the King’s statement on this matter.
Once built, Bhutan’s ‘Mindfulness City’ will cover nearly 2.5% of the entire country’s landmass and will be bigger than all of Singapore. While Gelephu City will be more than 2,500 square kilometers, the capital city Thimphu is just 26 square kilometers.
The city will be built around a series of inhabitable bridges, featuring a low-rise design. It will encompass a university, and healthcare facilities offering both Western and traditional medicine, as well as several markets and spiritual centers.
The city’s infrastructure will include a hydroelectric power project and a hydroponic greenhouse. The city will have its own international airport, with construction already underway.
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The city will be built entirely around Bhutan’s renowned Gross National Happiness philosophy. At the time of the announcement of the project, the Kingdom of Bhutan had said that “Mindfulness City will be unique as it would not just prioritize economic development, but will focus on the personal well-being of every resident.”
