The situation is such that prime minister’s drinking water tank is never full and his security and other staff drink water from an irrigation channel.

Meanwhile, villagers claim they are forced to drink water from the Ngabi Rongchu stream, polluted often by dog waste from the Serbithang dog pound and also human waste from labour camps below it.

According to a recent survey of the rural drinking water supply scheme (RWSS) in the 20 dzongkhags, the condition elsewhere is even worse. About 88 percent of houses in Bhutan are supposed to be covered under RWSS, but of that only about 36 percent work without problems. About 31 percent are non-functional. The absolute and relative non functional RWSS rates are 12 percent and 19 percent respectively. Therefore it is of great concern and there is a urgent need to address the issue.

The worst hit are Mongar, Tsirang, Haa, Pemagatshel and Samtse, with 44 to 50 percent non-functional water schemes. Others not far behind are Paro, Chukha, Dagana and even rural Thimphu.

“The reasons for the RWSS schemes failing are drying water sources, expansion of beneficiaries, damaged pipes and structures, lack of regular maintenance, inadequate community maintenance and lack of trained water caretaker and tools,” said the health director Dophu Tshering.

Dophu Tshering said: “A major problem is traditional water rights, where villages and communities, even with excess water resources, refuse to share with those suffering from shortages, citing old practices. Another is the lack of dedicated or specialised dzongkhag engineers and, at times, untrained plumbers do the survey work and the pipes are hardly checked.”

Experts feel that RWSS, which started in 1974, had crossed way past its 20-year lifeline and did not take into account the increase in households over the years.

Dophu Tshering said that the Water Act, to be put up in the Assembly for endorsement, would largely address the issue. The government has also committed to give high priority to drinking water, apart from farm roads in the tenth plan.

The recent RWSS report has recommended that a survey should be carried out every three years to assess and improve drinking water programmes in the country. It also suggests that existing programmes be manned through adequate budget allocation and reinstating dedicated engineering staff in the dzongkhags to look after the drinking water supply.