Imlisanen Jamir
How does Nagaland deal with its impending water crisis? Over the years, the scarcity of water in the State has become an ever increasing phenomenon every dry season. The recent signs indicate that action is needed to both regulate usage and recharge water sources.
However are notices like the recent one from the Ministry of Jal Shakti the way to address this issue holistically?
The notice directing groundwater users, including industrial, infrastructure, mining projects, drinking and domestic use for residential apartments, group housing societies, government water supply agencies in urban areas, bulk water suppliers, swimming pools, sports complexes and government office buildings in Nagaland, among other states, to register with the Central Ground Water Authority has caused much uproar.
The notice has drawn the ire of the people as well as political parties like the Rising People’s Party (RPP) and organistions like the Kohima Village Council. Their issue of contention is that a directive like this is unconstitutional and infringes on the rights vested upon Naga people in the State over their resources.
The Ministry’s notice said that the “as a last opportunity, the last date for submission of the complete application for NOC is extended from June 30, 2022 to September, 30 2022.” The abrupt manner of the notice took many people by surprise.
More concerning though is the apparent lack of any state authorities that can oversee this regulation process. While the Nagaland Groundwater (Regulation & Control of Development and Management) Bill 2020 was passed by the Nagaland Legislative Assembly in March this year, who do groundwater users in the State approach to even inquire about the said notice? The closest any layman can get to such an authority is a page in the Central Water Board Authority website that only lists the state profile of the ground water scenario in Nagaland.
There is no doubt that a regulatory regime backed by intensive conservation steps that ensure equitable use of groundwater is urgently needed in Nagaland. Citing land and resource rights to prevent any sort of water management effort would be a reckless decision.
But who surveys the water table in particular areas; what is the criterion for areas with varying measures of water sources; who ensures that the regulations are adhered to; and what ensures that the rights of the people are protected. The Government of Nagaland has so far remained silent.
It is assumed that civil strife in the future will most probably be caused by the lack of basic resources like water, and we need to prevent this from happening. Rain water harvesting, recharge of aquifers; protection of rivers, springs and catchment areas; these are all necessary along with some form of water usage management. However, it is difficult to see how haphazard directives without taking into consideration local contexts can help.
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