| Author | Pradhan, Mahesh |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.WM-03-12 |
| Subject(s) | Water-supply--Bhutan--Thimphu Valley
|
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
degree of Master of Engineering |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | The existing water supply system in Thimphu, capital of Bhutan was built some forty years
ago and since then has undergone several augmentation, expansion and rehabilitation
programs on a phase wise manner as the city grew and the need arose for augmentation of
water supplies. Since its inception, no comprehensive evaluation of the existing water
supply system has ever been carried out. Hence, in order to assess and monitor the system
performance, the evaluation is conducted through this study from three basic perspectives
namely technical, financial and institutional. While the technical aspects relate to study on
performance indicators, assessment of water demand, uniformity in distribution and
bacteriological quality of water, the financial aspects relate to existing water billing
system, cost-recovery status and formulation of a new water tariff structure. The
institutional study includes issues related to existing organizational structure, institutional
capacity and general aspects of the municipality.
The study is accomplished through field measurements, data collection from municipality
and through consumer survey of selected households in the pilot areas under consideration.
The study is focused on three different types of operation for assessment of uniformity in
water distribution and bacteriological water quality while the financial and institutional
study covers the entire system.
According to the study, the water demand already exceeds the water supplying capacity of
the system and the water quality is relatively poor in terms of availability of free residual
chlorine, especially on the lower reaches of the distribution network. The water supply is
not uniformly distributed in the network with the upstream users receiving more water
compared to the downstream users who receive not only less water but also at reduced
pressures. The cost recovery status is fairly satisfactory in term of recovery of operation
and maintenance costs but not in terms of generation of capital investments costs. The
institutional capacity is rather weak in absence of a well-defined organizational structure
and clear responsibilities for the water supply section.
Based on the study findings, suitable recommendations are proposed for implementation
by the Thimphu Municipal Corporation (TMC) to enhance the overall performance with
respect to delivery of reliable services to the consumers. |
| Year | 2004 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Engineering and Technology (SET) |
| Department | Department of Civil and Infrastucture Engineering (DCIE) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Water Engineering and Management (WM) |
| Chairperson(s) | Babel, Mukand S. ;Gupta, Ashim Das |
| Examination Committee(s) | Sutat Weesakul |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | The Government of Denmark |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Eng.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2004 |