Chizokho Vero
Kohima | June 23
Water management in Nagaland is apparently heading for a better system with Chief Minister Neiphui Rio showing concern on the need to have a State Water Policy in consonance with the desire of the state’s department of irrigation and flood control. Rio maintained that water management has become very important and called on the department to give special attention to tap all available water resources so that water will not go short.
Inaugurating the new directorate building of the department here, Rio however said that a close coordination is required to meet the desired goal. Stressing the need to have close coordination, Rio said that those in left side must know what those at the right side are doing and vice versa, adding that they are inter related and their target is for the same purpose.
Rio revealed that he had met the union minister for water resources in New Delhi and discussed the matter pertaining to water management. There, the former complained that there is no proposal from the state. With this, after the discussion with Chief Secretary it felt that creation of separate water resources department is not necessary at the moment and instead it opted for a nodal agency/department.
He said this matter can rest on soil and water conservation, irrigation and flood control or other departments. Without mentioning any particular department for securing accurate water management in the state, he said “you have to activate and bring your skills.”
The Ministry is willing to give fund for this, he said but regretted the absence of proposal from the concerned departments. “We have to bring in state water policy,” he said.
Reminding the gathering that there is acute shortage of water in Israel as experienced during his last visit, he said that they were not only thinking of tapping ground water but gone to the extent of trying to tap water from sky.
In case of Nagaland, Rio said that the state gets more water in one season and less on another season, and termed it is as drawback for the state and this goes to show that the state reels under lack of water management. In this, Rio stressed on the need to have state water policy.
Terming Nagaland as agrarian and agriculturist, Rio said that more than 70 %, almost 80 % population lived in rural areas and engaged in agri and allied sector for their livelihood. He however regretted that although 75 to 80 % live in rural areas and engaged in agri and allied sector, the food production is less that 40 % and according to his realization that Nagaland is a consumer society and not a producing society.
“All our requirement and needs are imported,” he said adding that viewing this state has declared Vision 2020 where the state should have to attain food sufficiency and food security.
To meet this, he said a challenge goes to agri and allied sectors particularly the irrigation and flood control department, adding that water is an essential component to make farmers prosperous.
He stressed on the need to identify the streams, river, underground water, citing that in monsoon season there is huge water in Nagaland but in winter there is acute scarcity of water for cultivation not even drinking purpose.
He maintained that irrigation department has very important role to play and wanted the department to think seriously.
“We have to modernize. We have to upgrade,” he said and stressed on the need to focus on double and multiple cropping, maintaining only then production will come.
Stating that water management has been very important, he called the irrigation and flood control department to give special attention so as to tap all the available water resources so that the state will not fall short of water.
Rio also called upon the department to identity the potential area of irrigation under cultivation and at the same time to lay on district wise break up, adding that the vision and targeted goal for the specific period must be done there.
He maintained when such things are taken into consideration, the positive impact of production and self sufficiency will come.
“Proper planning is required,” Rio said.
Earlier, Secretary, Irrigation & Flood Control, B. Thawang Konyak IAS felt the need for regulation of water policy and formulation of subsidiary acts, so that the department could be in tandem at the national level.
It is high time that the department owns a state policy on water but regretted that despite many states owned it, Nagaland is remaining behind.
He said that the proposal for the same has already routed to Chief Secretary.
Principal Secretary & Agriculture Production Commissioner Nagaland, H. K. Khulu IAS while also concerned over the water resource said in 2005, the soil and water conservation has been declared as nodal department for surface water, geology and mining for ground water and drinking water as usual PHE looking after it.
He asserted that water resource is a common to everyone and it has to be dealt collectively.
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