Lipichem
Kiphire | March 21
The once crystal clear water flowing in the streams of Kiphire are no more due to human activity. Streams which not only support agriculture but was abundant in aquatic life serving as a source of food to people in Kiphire are now contaminated by sewage and pollutants like plastics. These water bodies have also been adversely affected by large scale stone and sand quarrying.
A good number of streams are now on the verge of dying, showing early signs of deterioration, while many others have ceased to exist as sources of usable water.
Some of the elder citizens of Kiphire recall that the names of the streams here were used as indicators to demarcate boundaries. They were also used to refer to valleys and hillocks. But now, many of these streams have already dried up while others are on their way to the same fate.
The region in spite of large water potential is caught in a paradox marked by water starved pockets and bleak irrigation and agriculture development. Most of the problems arise due to mismanagement of water resources.
Members of the Kiphire green club sharing their concerns with the current predicament informed that in many places streams are like an open sewers and dumping grounds. They further stated that people do all kinds of things to pollute streams, and then spend lakhs of rupees to revive them.
Streams and springs a potential source of ecosystem which not only provide valuable goods and service but have history, culture and legend attached to them. These are now fading. These valuable resources are now becoming gorges and gullies with no life in them, informed Land Resource officer.
The only programme that the state has to revive and rejuvenate its dying springs and streams is under the Land Resource Department through a programme called Spring Shed Development. Under this, the department has picked up eleven springs, one for each district.
