Of the 1,028 water projects identified, 856 completed, 71 ongoing

Yangyel Lhaden

Under the 12th Plan’s water flagship programme, significant progress has been made in improving water supply and irrigation across Bhutan.

According to the latest update, of the 1,028 water project activities identified, 856 have been completed and 71 are currently under construction.

The programme, initiated to enhance access to safe drinking water and reliable irrigation services, has completed 34 urban water supply schemes (UWSS), benefiting over 18,000 households. In rural areas, 361 water projects have been completed, serving more than 15,000 households.

Additionally, 395 standalone water schemes and 62 irrigation projects were successfully implemented,alongside four integrated water projects.

Despite the overall success, challenges persist. For UWSS, 62 projects were identified, with 12 still under construction, achieving a completion rate of 74.19 percent.

The rural water supply schemes (RWSS) identified 410 projects, of which 17 are ongoing, marking a 92.2 percent completion rate.

Standalone drinking water schemes have an 89.83 percent execution success rate, with 29 of the 472 identified projects still in progress.

Irrigation schemes have almost reached full implementation, with 75 identified projects and only 12 still under construction, representing a 98.67 percent success rate.

Integrated schemes have a 56 percent success rate, with one of nine projects still underway.

Managed by the Project Management Unit (PMU) within the Water and Sanitation Division of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport (MoIT), the flagship programme faced multiple challenges, including limited human resources, technical capacity constraints, and high staff turnover.

The programme also struggled with coordination among numerous stakeholders and encountered delays due to social issues and the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, outdated data on water infrastructure delayed pre-feasibility studies.

Despite the initial budget of Nu 3 billion, the PMU needed extra funding from external agencies, causing further delays due to the time required for comprehensive project proposals. Difficult terrain also made surveys and feasibility assessments more time-consuming.

All UWSS and major schemes (RWSS and Irrigation) were executed through contracts. Some projects were carried out through the Government-Desuung partnership to promote youth skills and capacity development.

The remaining RWSS schemes were executed departmentally by dzongkhags or gewogs, with the government providing materials and skilled labour, while communities provided unskilled labour.

A MoIT official said that the water flagship programme was a success despite the challenges faced during implementing a large-scale national project. “The flagship programme activities completed thus far not only ensured reliable water supply to our communities through development of infrastructure but also focused on the sustenance of the systems.”

The flagship programme covered all 20 Dzongkhags, 205 Gewogs, and four Thromdes.

As of June 30, 2024, Nu 3.23 billion has been spent on the flagship programme. Till date, an additional fund of Nu 1148.15 million has been sourced through GCF-UNDP, particularly for the irrigation schemes.

The MoIT official explained that certain proposed activities could not be implemented due to several factors, including insufficient funds, the inability to obtain necessary social and environmental clearances, and technical challenges that rendered some projects unviable.

“Additionally, larger-scale projects requiring significant funding were only secured later through various foreign funding agencies and are currently either under construction or in the design phase,” the official added.

To tackle these challenges, the official emphasised the importance of securing funding before initiating large-scale projects like the water flagship programme, as efforts to secure funds after the project has commenced can lead to delays.

“Given the complexity of the project, enhancing the technical capacity of engineers and technicians is crucial,” he said. “Equally important is prioritising the operation and maintenance of water infrastructure, which includes ensuring adequate funding, improving the skills of operators and caretakers, and establishing Water User Associations for long-term sustainability.”