Dr Asangba Tzudir
Nagaland experienced deficient rainfall last monsoon which not only affected agriculture 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.
As a testament to climate change, not only was the rainfall scarce but monsoon was delayed. 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.
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. Humans as change agents should also be sensitized so that ‘we’ do not end up destructing our own live-saving resources.
The trend and the degree of urbanization over the last decade have worsened the deepening water scarcity. Mushrooming to taller buildings has become the order of the day and colonies are fast becoming overcrowded leading to quicker resources depletion as well as more pollution. 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.
However, the deepening water crisis is such that it calls for a legislation to regulate ground water, that ground water cannot be left unregulated. It is high time for the state to have a regulatory body in order to regulate ground water extraction, and also for the state to identify zones or areas where development, extraction and utilization of ground water require permission. Bore wells and tube wells are dug and bored unregulated leading to decrease in the level of ground water.
Thus, there is need for constitution of a water board not simply to ensure water supply to families especially in zones or areas where there is water scarcity but also to regulate ground water extraction. Where water is also extracted commercially other than domestic use, such a board may initiate registration for better regulation.
Such a board should be tasked with the responsibility of conducting ground water level surveys and thereby make an assessment of how much ground water has been extracted as compared to ground water recharge through rainfall. Accordingly, an area, block or a zone can be classified as ‘over-exploited’, ‘critical’, ‘semi-critical’ and ‘safe’.
On the whole, water within its boundary belongs to the state and which gives the state the right and responsibility to regulate and manage the water. And even though there is currently no central law on ground water regulation, the Environment protection Act, mandates the Central Ground Water Authority to issue guidelines to the state. This makes way for both the state and the centre to act collectively and regulate the ground water effectively.
(Dr Asangba Tzudir contributes a weekly guest editorial to The Morung Express. Comments can be emailed to asangtz@gmail.com)
