Page 102 - PDP Manifesto 2018

MANIFESTO : 2018 101
Pledges:
We shall provide safe drinking water 24x7 to every household.
We shall prioritize access to alternative drinking water sources. Top priority shall be accorded to rainwater harvesting and groundwater development. We shall rehabilitate and build infrastructure to ensure quality and reliable water supply.
We shall review and improve the rural water supply scheme (RWSS) program. We shall maintain existing irrigation channels and construct 700kms of new irrigation channels to irrigate about 50,000 acres of land.
We shall adopt new irrigation and water e cient technologies.
We shall ensure the protection and management of catchment areas and water sources.
We shall carry out timely and regular monitoring of critical glacial lakes and risk assessment.
Towards this end, we shall establish the National Water Commission.
7.2 National Water Commission
We shall establish the National Water Commission Secretariat directly reporting to the Prime Minister’s O ce. e National Water Commission (NWC) shall be an agency for water in Bhutan akin
to what the National Land Commission (NLC) is for all land issues. Over the years, His Majesty has granted land to landless people. But without water, the land would not be put to e ective use. Currently, water management and related issues are under the purview of the National Environment
Commission (NEC). e establishment of the NWC would mean that it would take over the mandate of water from the NEC.
In terms of legislation, Bhutan has the Bhutan Water Vision 2025, Bhutan Water Policy and the Water Act of Bhutan 2011. Article 4 of the Water Act enforces it ‘to establish suitable institutions’ to manage water in the country giving the government the tooth to establish the NWC. e ‘Bhutan Water Vision 2025’ document explains the water vision of Bhutan:
PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC PARTY
UNITY. STABILITY. PROSPERITY.