The Water Resources Coordination Division (WRCD), National Environment Commission Secretariat (NECS) conducted the 2nd Task Force meeting for development of the Water Quality Monitoring guideline from June 27-28, 2022 at Thimphu. The guideline is being developed in line with the provisions under the Bhutan Water Policy 2007, the Water Act of Bhutan 2011 and its Regulation, 2014. With the lack of a standard guideline for water quality monitoring, the agencies use their own formats and protocols for monitoring. To address the issue, the NECS is coordinating the development of guidelines for WQM, with the objective to establish a standard protocol and procedures for uniform application. It is being developed in close collaboration with the relevant Competent Authorities (CAs) to ensure that it is in alignment with the existing Standard Operating Procedures and other relevant guidelines of the CAs.

The workshop was attended by officials and technicians from the Department of Industries under the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Royal Center for Disease Control under the Ministry of Health, the National Center for Hydrology and Meteorology, and Thimphu Thromde.