Veroli Zhimo
Nagaland should not wait another day to implement water conservation measures to counteract the drought-like situation this year.
The state is facing rainfall deficiency of 20-59 percent, except for the Mon district where the rainfall is in excess of 48 percent, according to Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority (NSDMA) data.
As per data released by the Agromet Field Unit (AMFU) at ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Medziphema, Nagaland typically receives pre-monsoon showers from January to April. The onset of monsoons is expected from mid-May to early June, and it peaks from mid June onwards, lasting up to the month of October every year. However, this year, the rainfall pattern has been seen significant change with most districts reporting deficits during the period.
On June 16, Nagaland’s Minister of Agriculture and Cooperation, G Kaito Aye held a press conference, stating that the state was facing a “peculiar” year as farmers could be facing a drought if the situation created by climate change and delayed monsoon persisted. As per official data, approximately 915 villages and around 68,662 hectares of jhum fields in the identified villages along with 525 hectares of horticultural crops have been affected by the rainfall deficit.
State Agriculture Production Commissioner Y Kikheto Sema reiterated the message on June 22, stating that, “If there is insufficient rainfall by second week of July, then the foodgrain production of our State will be down by 70% and this deficient rain is like another pandemic for our farmers.”
In the meantime, a core committee of the agri and allied departments headed by the APC has been formed to monitor and review the ground situation timely as per the reports received from the field. The departments also plan to distribute seeds such as potato, oil seeds, vegetables for early Rabi season from the month of September and October to compensate the farmers for the anticipated loss.
These measures are expected to alleviate the situation for farmers who are facing the brunt of the delayed monsoon this year. But are they sustainable in the face of multiyear droughts?
Given the current and future impacts associated with climate change and other stressors, drought conditions are likely to become the new normal. The government needs to usher in a new era of both immediate and long-term responses to deal with the crisis.
To begin with, it would augur well for the government to determine if there are innovative efforts on the ground that should be replicated to support drought resilience and response at the local level. One such effort is the Tata Trusts’ Springshed Management Project in Nagaland which was taken up on a pilot basis in 2018. As of June 2021, a total of 95 villages, covering 23 blocks across 11 districts in the state have been declared ‘all-weather water sufficient,’ through the rejuvenation of 105 springs in the identified villages.
Give the state’s tight budgets, such public–private partnerships could prove to be cost effective and beneficial in sustaining the state’s limited supply of water.
Long term solutions and comprehensive policy making rely, in no small measure, on the cooperation of a broad array of stakeholders including tribal leaders, state and local water authorities, conservationists, farmers, and so many others. Nagaland’s citizens should also take it upon themselves to consciously start conserving water. Every drop of water wasted today is water that will be unavailable in the days ahead.
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