Dr Asangba Tzudir
This monsoon, the rainfall in Nagaland was so scarce to the extent that 7 of Nagaland’s 12 districts experienced deficient rainfall that not only agriculture was affected but also the availability of drinking water. As per records of rainfall between 2010 and 2021 there was rainfall deficiency except in 2017 when there was excess rainfall and couple of years when it was normal.
It was not just the scarcity but also the delay, as well as erratic rainfall that caused a “drought-like situation” in Nagaland. It not only affected crops and cultivation but also the water table. For a state where at least 70% farmers in Nagaland are involved in Jhum cultivation, the impact was greatly felt.
While buying drinking water is very common for places like Kohima and Mokokchung, residents of certain colony pockets in Dimapur have had to buy drinking water. While certain colonies are lucky to have good drinking water drawn out from just 80-90 feet, with ground water drying up, tube wells have dried up. Even bore-wells now have to go down beyond 300 feet.
Water scarcity will become more serious and severe in the coming years and human intervention is much desired. While every effort of proper wastes disposal should be ensured towards prevention of pollution and ground water contamination, more trees needs to be planted to create the desired environmental balance and ecosystem. These steps should be bound by a moral responsibility and as moral beings, the ethics and morality within should sensitize oneself from causing destruction to our live-saving resources.
The trend and the degree of urbanization over the last decade is such that Dimapur especially have borne the brunt. Mushrooming to taller buildings have become the order of the day and colonies are fast becoming overcrowded leading to quicker resources depletion as well as more pollution. Dimapur really needs to spread out to combat the deepening water crisis as overcrowding will only lead to quicker depletion of resources. To this end, the Government needs to adopt certain housing policies and regulations so that tall buildings are not allowed to be constructed especially in already crowded areas.
Water crisis has reached a point where collective efforts are much needed to mitigate and prevent the impending disaster, and such a collectivity should be based on the good for all and not just for one’s profit.
(Dr Asangba Tzudir writes a weekly guest editorial for The Morung Express. Comments can be mailed to asangtz@gmail.com)
