Water scarcity problem in Mizoram

Aizawl | February 12 : Shortage of water has become a reason for a nightmare to hundreds of villagers across Mizoram. The winter indeed is a nightmare for majority of the Mizos as the state experiences water scarcity problem every year.  In Aizawl, many localities cannot get water supply every week. The state capital is one of the worst affected places since only one single source of supply caters to about five lakh people. PHE department in the capital informed NNN that it is due to less pumping of water for non-receipt of diesel oil from the supplier. In the meantime, the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs department asserted that there is no short supply of diesel oil during these days and most of the petrol pumps in the state are having sufficient stock.
 Because of the acute shortage of drinking water, people across Mizoram are complaining about the amount of water being reserved for the VIPs---the ministers and high government officials. Some women have to wait till midnight to fetch a pot of water from small water tank made by the villagers. “Due to a long dry season this water tank is also on the verge of drying up. If the concerned authority is not taking measure at the earliest then the households in the state will be without water,” said a young woman who usually goes to fetch water in the night.
 Normally during the rainy season the Mizos harvest rain-water by collecting and preserving it  in containers locally known as ‘tuizem’. As most of the Mizo villages are situated in hill-tops the collecting of rain-water and preserving it is necessary. This practice of harvesting rain-water has been going on for the past many generations. It is a must-practice for every Mizo household.