- Why in news
- On 25 February 2026, India and Bhutan held a Secretary-level meeting in Thimphu on trans-boundary rivers, flood forecasting and data sharing. The Jal Shakti Secretary visited Bhutan from 24 to 27 February 2026 and reviewed the Punatsangchhu hydropower projects.
- What it is
- India and Bhutan share rivers that rise in Bhutan and flow into Assam and West Bengal. Their cooperation covers hydropower development, flood forecasting and hydro-meteorological data sharing. Hydropower projects in Bhutan built with Indian help, with power sold to India, are a core part of the partnership.
- Who visited
- The Secretary of the Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation led the Indian delegation, which included Assam, West Bengal and WAPCOS Ltd.
- Meeting agenda
- The talks covered modernising the hydro-meteorological network in Bhutan, better data sharing, capacity building, and risks such as GLOFs and extreme weather.
- Project status
- Punatsangchhu-I is still under construction. Punatsangchhu-II has been commissioned recently.
- Bhutanese agency visited
- The delegation visited the National Center for Hydrology and Meteorology (NCHM) in Thimphu and its flood monitoring station near Wangdue Phodrang Dzong.
- Stated aim
- The visit aimed at better water resources management, flood forecasting and climate resilience in shared basins.
Don’t confuse with Punatsangchhu-I vs II: Both are on the Punatsangchhu river in Bhutan. Unit I is under construction, while Unit II has been recently commissioned.
Don’t confuse with DoWR, RD & GR vs NCHM: DoWR, RD & GR is India's Jal Shakti department. NCHM is Bhutan's hydrology and meteorology agency.
International bodies and relations: the largest group of news questions in Prelims (61 since 2013), often about background, members and location. In Mains, 27 news-triggered questions, mostly on India's interests.
Why it matters
- Better flood forecasting and data sharing helps Assam and West Bengal manage floods from rivers rising in Bhutan.
- Hydropower projects in Bhutan support India's clean energy supply and strengthen the bilateral partnership.
Problems
- Climate change, GLOFs and extreme weather make floods harder to predict.
- Hydropower projects face construction delays and rising costs.
Way forward
- Modernise the observation network in Bhutan and share data in real time.
- Strengthen capacity building and technical exchanges on flood and climate risks.
Put in your answer
Cooperation areas: India-Bhutan water cooperation spans flood forecasting, data sharing, capacity building and climate risks like GLOFs.
Hydropower example: Punatsangchhu-II, built in partnership with India, shows hydropower cooperation with Bhutan.
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UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Lasting bilateral topic (Punatsangchhu-I, flood data sharing, GLOFs), but this release is a review meeting with no new decision; no Mains debate.
Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.