Imlisanen Jamir
A regulatory regime backed by intensive conservation steps that ensure equitable use of groundwater is urgently needed in Nagaland.
Going by recent reports from the State Geological Programming Board, the commercial hub of the state is faced with rapidly drying up ground water sources. While the town has been facing all the usual hurdles associated with urban growth, water scarcity was considered to be an issue consigned mostly to the other hill districts of the state.
But the Directorate of Geology and Mining has stated that despite more than adequate rainfall that the Dhansiri River cutting through Dimapur receives, natural underground water sources continue to dry up.
While in Kohima, the water scarcity has been due to drying up of spring irrigated paddy fields and declining of water table at higher elevations; Dimapur’s problems seem to lie with over pumping of water, less infiltration of rain water to natural water reservoirs and the drying up of shallow dug wells in most localities.
According to research conducted by the department, of the three known aquifer (underground water layer) zones in the Dhansiri valley, two are almost drying up. Meanwhile, over pumping of groundwater and concrete structures coming in the way of water percolating the soil beneath add to the problem.
In addition to this, water bodies like ponds and swamps which act as catchment areas are being filled up for development and construction, without any liabilities to replace the now disappeared natural water source.
In terms of the state’s remedial measures, the department is undertaking ‘artificial recharge of groundwater’—a process by which surface water or rain water is directed underground in identified locations as a means to replenish aquifers. Along with this are planned awareness drives to encourage judicious use of ground water.
And while the department has touted enforcement of regulation as only one of the measures to tackle this crisis, this is possibly the most critical step that needs to be taken.
In Nagaland, the state’s groundwater policy drafted in 2017 needs political support to ensure that it becomes an act with some teeth that empowers both authorities and communities to implement stringent conservation measures.
For decades, policy makers both at the state and centre had shied away from proactively tackling the groundwater crisis through regulation. Landowners were given a freehand on usage of water and water bodies (both over-ground and underground). This changed over succeeding decades with new regulations adopted by some states; but implementation of these rules was still inefficient. And given the tedium and red tape of bureaucracy associated with any state regulation, public opinion on this has also not been positive.
Furthermore, in a state like Nagaland, given our society’s penchant for ‘resisting’ state regulation on land and resources (many a time justified, sometimes not), the road to proper enforcement of ground water regulation in private and community property would be tough.
But this does not mean that the state simply brush aside the regulation issue, considering that any hope for Dimapur to transcend its ramshackle existence requires solving crucial issues like water scarcity.
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