Tackling Brahmaputra: the river of sorrow
STRAP: Every year, Brahmaputra and its tributaries run amok, wreaking havoc in the Northeast
– Assam is the worst hit. Is there any permanent solution in this blight..
Manish Tiwari
Guwahati, December 25
THIS YEAR again, the Dhemaji district of Assam, situated about 430 km from here on the
Arunachal border, was devastated by the Brahmaputra and its tributaries. At several places,
railway tracks and roads were washed away, embankments breached, houses inundated and crops
worth crores of rupees destroyed. The rail link is yet to restored, while condition of roads are, as
usual, pathetic.
While some families have been living on embankments constructed a few decades ago to control
floods, others have been forced to desert their villages and migrate elsewhere. “For us, problems
posed by floods have become a part of life. By now, we have learnt to live with the floods,”
remarked Amal Kumbang of Bhaluka Guri village in Dhemaji district.
Frequent floods have been the bane of almost all the districts of Assam, causing not only
widespread devastation but also hurting the fragile agro-economic base of the region. Some other
states such as Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura are also facing floods due to
the mighty Brahmaputra and other rivers in the region.
Of all the Northeastern states, Assam is the worst affected. Floods in Assam occur twice a year
leave ugly scars on the minds of its residents. Since 1954, around 3.5 lakh hectares of cultivable
land has been eroded in the state due to floods, 2,534 villages inundated, around one lakh
families affected and thousands of crores worth of property and crops destroyed.
Till a few years ago, only some districts of Assam such as Dibrugarh, Dhemaji, North
Lakhimpur, Nagaon, Nalbari, Barpeta and Goalpara faced acute flood problems. Over the years,
almost all districts in the state have been affected. The Assam Brahmaputra Valley alone has a
total flood-prone area of over 3.2 million hectares, with nearly 40 per cent of its land susceptible
to damage by floods.
TALE OF DESTRUCTION
Statistics reveal that Assam experienced major floods in 1954, 1962, 1966, 1972, 1977, 1984,
1986, 1988, 1998, 2002 and 2004. Experts say that most floods are triggered by heavy rainfall in
the catchment area of the Brahmaputra as the monsoons in the region brings along a lot of
rainwater.
However, the problem has been greatly accentuated over the years by manmade interferences
such as construction of embankments, increased human settlement in flood-prone areas,
encroachment of wetland areas that otherwise retain a lot of rainwater and stop it from flowing
into the Brahmaputra, massive deforestation, heavy sedimentation and tremendous congestion
around the riverbanks.
Partha J. Das, a research scholar at the Department of Environmental Sciences, Guwahati
University, has done extensive study on flood-related problems in the Northeast. He said that the
intensity, frequency and damage due to floods increased progressively in the aftermath of the
earthquake in 1950. The tremor led to rise in the Brahmaputra bed level by nearly three metres.
This in turn caused increased floods and erosion potential in the river, pointed out Das, who is
also an activist with a Guwahati-based NGO Aaranyak.
The earthquakes of 1897 and 1950 were among the most severe in recorded history, which led to
extensive landslides, resulting in natural damming of rivers, flash floods due to bursting of
landslide-induced temporary dams and rise in riverbeds levels due to silt.
In one of the articles co-authored by Prof D. C. Goswami, a well-known water resources expert
and authority on the Brahmaputra river system, and Partha J. Das in Ecologist Asia, said that the
floods of 1988 and 1998 were the worst in recent history. The 1988 flood broke all previous
records of damage, and affected 3.82 million hectares, nearly 12 million people, five lakh
households and 1.43 million hectares of cropland. Besides, it claimed lives of 226 humans, and
innumerable cattle and wildlife. The total damage was estimated at Rs 1,512 crore.
Similarly, the 1998 floods affected all 27 districts in the Assam Valley, causing upheavals in the
lives of 4.7 million people in 5,300 villages. The floods damaged 0.97 million hectares of
cropland, washed away or damaged 30,400 houses and claimed 156 human lives.
The total loss was estimated at Rs 1,000 crore. In 2002, the total loss due to floods was estimated
at Rs 2,000 crore. There is no sign of respite for the people in the area since flood problem is
aggravating year after year. In 2004, floods damaged public and private property worth Rs 1000
crore.
In a memorandum submitted to United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi in
August this year by an all-party delegation of Assam Legislative Assembly, the state has
demanded an immediate flood relief of Rs 1,000 crore.
Meghalaya Principal Secretary (Revenue) W.M.S. Pariat pointed out that even some parts of his
state, especially West Garo hills district, also faced serious flood problems this year. The
continuous downpour in catchment areas of the Brahmaputra and reverse flow of water from it
into Jinjiram and Rongai rivers, which were already in spate, affected the plains and caused
damage to flood protection works in places like Chbinang, Phulbari, Bhaitbari, Rajabala and
Hallidayganj (all in West Garo Hills). Embankments were breached, roads damaged and crops
worth Rs 78 crore destroyed due to floods this year.
In a memorandum submitted to the Union government recently, the Meghalaya government
sought a financial assistance of Rs 210 crore from the Centre for restoration work. Arunachal
Pradesh has also demanded similar grants from the Government of India.
BRAHMAPUTRA AS MIGHTY RIVER
Brahmaputra is truly an international river as it has a drainage area of 5,80,000 square
kilometres. Of this, nearly 50.5 per cent lies in China, 33.6 per pent in India, 8.1 per cent in
Bangladesh and 7.8 per cent in Bhutan.
The river traverses 1,625 km in China, 918 km in India and 337 km in Bangladesh before
reaching the Bay of Bengal. The Brahmaputra basin in India lies in the states of Arunachal
Pradesh (41.9 per cent), Assam (36.3 per cent), Meghalaya (6.1 per cent), Nagaland (5.6 per
cent) and Sikkim (3.8 per cent).
Two rivers, the Dibang (also known as Siang) and the Lohit, join the upper course of
Brahmaputra. While flowing 2,880 kilometres through China, Tibet, India and Bangladesh, the
river is joined by nearly 22 major tributaries in Tibet, 33 in India and three in Bangladesh. Some
of the major rivers and tributaries that join the Brahmaputra include Subansiri, Jia Bharali,
Manas, Debang, Lohit, Jiadhal, Ranganadi, Puthimari and Pagladiya.
FLOOD CONTROL MEASURES
For decades, successive governments at the Centre and the state have made efforts to tame the
Brahmaputra, one of the mightiest and longest rivers in the world, by constructing thousands of
kilometres of embankments on the river and its tributaries. But as the length of the embankments
increased, so did the miseries of the people.
The embankments did help control flood problem for a few years. But the network mostly
constructed during 1950, 1960 and 1970 is no more adequate to control Brahmaputra. Rather,
they have contributed to the aggravation of the situation.
“We have constructed so many embankments. Yet, engineering solutions have failed to provide
any relief to the people of the Northeast. The flood situation has only aggravated in the absence
of a holistic approach to tackle the situation,” opines Prof. Goswami.
Of the total 15,675 kilometres of embankments along the lengths of various rivers in the country,
nearly 5,027 km of embankments are on the Brahmaputra and its tributaries alone. These
structures, constructed to provide immediate relief to the people facing floods, have outlived
their utility and are not much of a use today, he added.
The situation in the Barak Valley is also no better. The overflowing Barak, Sonai, Kushiyara and
Kathakal rivers have been causing widespread devastation to the districts of Cachar, Karimganj
and Hailakandi in the Barak Valley.
Experts maintain that the government's decision to tame a mighty river like the Brahmaputra was
a farfetched one. The government did try to manage the problem in the short run by building
embankments, but it did not look for long-term solution. The river is one of the heavily
sediment-prone rivers in the world, only next to the Yellow river of China.
With the construction of around 5,027 km of embankments on the Brahmaputra and its
tributaries in the past 50 years, a large amount of sediment has been confined between the
embankments on both sides of the river system. Deposited on the riverbed, the silt had led to rise
in the riverbed level. Before the embankments were constructed, the silt would spread over a
large part of the basin during floods, leading to less rise in riverbed level.
With the construction of embankments, water remains confined and gushes out at the time of
breaches and causes devastation in the area. Due to floods, heavy deposits of sediments on
cropland are now turning land useless for cultivation.
“In the past 50 years, engineering solutions have done more damage than benefits to the region.
In many cases, they have, in fact, worsened the situation,” Das remarked. The whole
Brahmaputra Valley is situated on the foothills of the Himalayas, the soil of which is very loose
and fragile in nature. A large number of people have settled near the Brahmaputra, who are now
facing the consequences.
“I feel it is the Brahmputra that has become a victim and not the people. More than the people,
rivers need to be rehabilitated,” said Prof Goswami. The rivers in the region have been wronged
due to manmade interventions like embankments, deforestation, encroachments of wetlands and
catchment areas. “The rivers are wreaking vengeance for our follies and wrong decisions. If we
deny the right to the rivers, this is what will happen,” he added.
N. Panigrahy, a scientist at Centre for Flood Management Studies (CFMS) under National
Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee (an institution of Union Ministry of Water Resources), claimed
that the CFMS had hardly conducted any concrete study on flood management so far. For the last
four years, the Centre has been focusing on flood-related issues. But due to lack of funds and
manpower, no worthwhile research has been carried out, he added.
However, A. K. Mitra, Additional Chief Engineer, Water Resources Department, Assam,
asserted that the flood problem in the state had to be seen in an entirely different perspective. “I
completely disagree with those who are against construction of embankments. These were
required to be built as part of short-term measures. However, the government should have
focused on medium and long term measures as well, but it failed.”
WETLAND DESTRUCTION
There are around 3,500 wetlands or beels in Assam, which have trememdous potential of
retaining floodwater. These wetlands are rich with flora and fauna. In fact, large number
wetlands are situated in the Brahmaputra basin. Nearly 180 wetlands in the Northeast have been
found be more than 100 hecatres or above.
Unfortunately, a large number of these wetlands have been destroyed over the years due to
siltation, encroachment, bad land use practices and construction of roads and embankments, says
Partha Das. Due to this, the rainwater which used to be accumulated in the wetlands now directly
reach the Brahmaputra river and its tributaries, leading to excessive water flowing through the
river.
This is one of the reasons why the flood problems have further aggravated in the region. A
concerted approach on the part of government officials and local people can help revive most of
these wetlands, Das adds.
THE IMPACT OF DAMS
THE NORTHEASTERN region has been identified as the richest source of hydropower
generation. At present, there are 55 hydel projects in various stages of implementation.
Of the total 226 potential sites identified by the Union Power Ministry for large muti-purpose
dams on various rivers of the Northeast, most are on the Brahmaputra and its tributaries. The
hydropower potential of the Brahmaputra is about 41 per cent of the country’s total power
generation potential. However, only three percent of this potential has been tapped by the
country so far, says Dulal C. Goswami, a well known expert on the Brahmaputra river.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has already approved last year the Rs
6,285-crore Lower Subansiri hydroelectric project, one of the tributaries of Brahmaputra river, in
Arunachal Pradesh. The project was pushed hard by the Union government during Prime
Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's tenure. The 116-metre high dam project would submerge 3436
hectares of forests.
While environmentalists have raised serious doubts over the viability and sustainability of the
projects and their environmental impact in the region, the government officials felt that the dams
would not only help tap a vast hydro power potential in the Northeast, but also help control the
floods.
In nutshell, the government officials, experts and environmentalists still remain divided as to
whether the dams would actually help control floods in the region. Some experts pointed out that
in view of an inadequate database, proper studies about environmental impact of dams, and lack
of systematic data over an adequate timespan, these projects should not be implemented in a
hurry. Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) are required to be conducted before building
these dams, they maintained.
The Subansiri and Dehang hydel power projects are among some of them that have been
proposed in the Brahmaputra valley. These projects, according to an assessment, would either
submerge or lead to destruction of about 28,000 hectares of the rich forestland. The entire area of
Subansiri that would be submerged, covers forests areas of Kakoi, Dilung and Subansiri reserve
forests in Assam and Tale Valley Sanctuary, Tale and Panir reserve forests of Arunachal
Pradesh.
In many places, local people are already demanding a review of all projects for fresh costbenefit analysis. They are, in fact, now demanding decommissioning of at least two projects:
Loktak Dam in Manipur and Gumti Dam project in Tripura. "I am in favour of a few medium
dams, and not so many. What the government proposes to do is tampering with the entire
biodiversity of the region. The Northeast, after construction of so many dams, will no longer be
able to boast of being the land of rich biodiversity," asserted A.K. Goswami of WWF (India).
It is also not clear, so far, as to how the dams would help control flood problems. On the
construction of a large number dams, he said that though the government had taken the plea that
dams would not only generate power required badly by the nation, but also help control flood
problems in the state.
Dulal C. Goswami, a well known expert on Brahmaputra, says that knowing the eco-fragility of
the region and earthquake-proneness, the government should have initially gone for building a
couple of small and medium dams on the river and only after analysing the implications should it
have gone ahead with its plan to build so many dams. One cannot understand as to why the
government has woken up now and decided to build so many dams that it did not do soon after
Independence.
The issue of resettlement could have been avoided had such decision taken in the early 50s and
60s much before people came and started settling in the areas which would be submerged after
the dams are built.
On the other hand, A. K. Mitra, Additional Chief Engineer, Water Resources Department,
Assam, says had the government been able to tap the vast water resource potential of the
Brahmaputra alone by constructing medium dams and other types of reservoirs, the entire flood
problem could have been solved by now. “The government can still do it,” he asserts.
In a study by Neeraj Vaholikar and M. Firoz Ahmed on the lower Subansiri project, they say,
“The northeast does need to move towards becoming a self-reliant economy and the country does
need to meet its legitimate power needs. But these arguments cannot be used as a garb to allow
corporations to violate laws and remain unaccountable or decide the ecological, social and
economic viability of projects based on shoddy studies.”
THE RIVER LINKING PROJECT
In 2002, the Government of India had set up a task force to interlink rivers in India. The plan,
which had already been seriously questioned by experts on account of its economic and technical
viability, was once again revived. The benefits of this project, as proposed in the plan, include
flood control, drought mitigation, increased irrigation and hydropower development.
In 1982, the Government of India set up the National Water Development Agency to study the
technical feasibilities of the river linking projects and its other implications. As per the plans, the
rivers like Ganga and the Brahmaputra and their tributaries are to be linked to each other while
the canal systems are also proposed to be created for the flow of surplus water from the eastern
tributaries of Ganga to the west. However, environmentalists have already raised serious doubts
over the plan. Dulal Goswami says that it would be extremely difficult to divert the Brahmaputra
water to westward or eastward. In fact, the entire river linking system is flawed and needs a re-
look, he says. “The country needs to focus on waterharvesting system at a large scale than going
for such huge projects, Goswami adds.
WATERSHED MANAGEMENT
SATELLITE IMAGES have revealed that there has been a heavy decline in the forest cover over
the years in the Northeastern region, especially in the Brahmaputra valley. Of the entire area
falling in the Brahmaputra basin, Arunchal Pradesh has the largest forest cover followed by
Nagaland, Meghalaya, Sikkim, West Bengal and Assam, says Dulal C. Goswami.
A large-scale shifting (Jhum) cultivation in the Northeastern region has had serious impact on the
ecology of the region. The heavy deforestation has led to increased soil erosion. Due to heavy
sedimentation, the riverbed levels have risen significantly leading to increased flood problems in
the Northeast.
In the present scenario, integrated watershed management can be effectively used by the
northeastern states to revive the hills. “Save the hills to save the valleys, opines A.K. Goswami,
president, WWF (India), Northeast. There is a need to arrest deforestation in the Brahmpatura
and Barak Valleys so as to minimize flood-related problems, he says.
However, he adds that the watershed management in the upper reaches should be implemented in
conjunction with other measures. For this, a slew of initiatives, including watershed management
in catchment areas, soil conservation, removal of encroachment around wetlands needed to be
taken up.
Experts say that the watershed management could help control flood problems to a great extent
in the Northeastern region. It could help reduce erosion, decrease run-off and also control
riverbank erosion. Community participation in watershed management and watershed
development in the form of small and medium irrigation work has an important role to play in
developing irrigation infrastructure. That would also prevent rainwater run-off in catchment
areas of the Brahmaputra.
Though some watershed projects in Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya have been started in the
catchment areas of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries, a lot needs to be done in this regard, with
special focus on control of floods.
In Arunachal Pradesh, for example, Jhum or shifting cultivation is the traditional means of
agriculture and a major form of livelihood. With an increase in population, changes in land-use
pattern, loss of soil fertility and natural forests, reduced biodiversity, and increased climatic
variability, jhum has been rendered unstainable leading to problems with food security and
increased poverty. The activity is most pronounced between an altitude of 500 m and 2000 m
amsl thereafter decreasing progressively and not exceeding 2500 m.
The topography is very rugged with steep and highly dissected slopes; major rivers such as the
Tenga, Bichom, Subansiri, Siang, and Lohit originate in these ranges and flow into the Assam
Valley through the central and sub-Himalayan ranges.
In order to increase the green cover, a microwatershed programme is being implemented in a
group of villages namely Basti Dirang, Liss Gompache, Liss Gompalock, Khamruk, Dirme,
Broksathung, Yewang and Rama Camp, part of the Tammaphu sub-basin of Kameng river basin
under West Kameng District, practicing jhum and sedentary forms of agriculture. The
microwatershed programme is showing good results.
Likewise, Meghalaya has taken up around 250 watershed management projects in the state
through social conservation and agriculture departments, none of the projects are directly aimed
at tackling the flood problem. “The government needs to launch watershed projects on a massive
scale if it wants to reduce the impact of floods in the region,” said B. Sohmat, Joint Director
(Agriculture), Research and Training, Meghalaya.
The problem of floods in West Garo Hills had aggravated due to faulty cultivation practices,
deforestation and soil erosion. “If the government effectively implements watershed programmes
with community participation, the extent of flood problem and resultant damages in the state can
be minimised,” says K.L. Tariang, Director (Soil Conservation), Meghalaya.
D.C. Goswami also feels that there is a need to implement watershed projects in the entire
Northeast region at a very large-scale, if the government wants to see its positive results in flood
control.
CONCLUSION
THE NORTHEASTERN states would continue to face floods in the times to come. Successive
governments have only focused on short-term measures but totally failed to initiate medium and
long-term steps to control floods.
A majority of experts felt that flood management was required more than flood control. That is,
the government should focus more on managing problems related to floods and reducing
damages than constructing embankments and man-made interferences to tame the rivers. For
this, the governments need to focus on issues like wetland revival, afforestation, flood plain
zoning, land use planning and cropping pattern.
Dhimaji MLA Dilip Saikia, says that the Union government must declare the flood problems in
the Northeast as a National Disaster. Unless, the Centre declares floods in the Northeast as the
national problem, the problems cannot be tackled in right spirit, he adds.
Experts say most embankments have now outlived their utility, as a result of which many
breaches are taking place in different parts of the Brahmaputra Valley. The disaster management
to the sudden failure of embankments can be mitigated considerably by releasing the floodwater
intentionally at some suitable location if the floods exceed a predetermined level.
While a large number of experts are against construction of any more embankments over the
rivers in the Northeast, Mitra of the Flood Control Department, feels: “Till long-term measures
are implemented in the real sense, the government should concentrate on strengthening and
fortifying existing embankments scientifically to combat floods.”
Meanwhile, Dulal Goswami said that the management of water-resources of big rivers like
Brahmaputra, needs adequate regional, national and international cooperation. The government
has identified around 220 potential sites for large muti-purpose dams on various rivers in the
Northeast. Of this, most are going to be on the Brahmputra river.
The vast water resources of the Northeastern rivers can be tapped for electricity generation.
However, the projects should not started without proper knowledge base and public participation.
The government should focus on medium dams to begin with, and then go in for large dams only
if their viability and sustainability is properly ascertained through adequate studies, added
Goswami.
Partha J Das pointed out that there was complete transformation in areas where floods have
caused damages. Rural institutions and socio-economic structure is becoming weaker and weaker
due to total impoverishment of the people. So, there is a need to reduce vulnerability of people to
hazardous impact of floods by taking proper steps to provide them alternate means of
livelihoods.
For example, enhancing their traditional skills and capitalising on their traditional knowledge
system with an aim of facilitating an all-round empowerment will certain help. The assumption
is that floods are going to stay here for times to come, so practical solutions are going to be very
effective since they can be started at block and panchayat levels, he pointed out.
"The government policies should have been changed a long time back as per the requirement.
Instead of focusing on engineering solutions, the government should have taken concrete steps to
find out a solution to minimise damages caused to life and property due to the floods,” suggests
Walter Fernandes, Director, Northeastern Social Research Centre.
While, Samjul Bhattacharjee, Advisor, Assam Student’s Union (ASSU), says: “The biggest
problem that needs an immediate attention is the settlement of people living in flood-affected
areas. For this, the government should sent money to the panchayats instead of flood control
departments, if it at all wants better utilization of funds.”
Chart: 1
CAUSES OF FLOODS IN 2004
Hydometeorological situation with incessant and concentrated rainfall in upper catchment area
of flashy rivers of Lower Assam and Brahmaputra in upper Assam
Widespread inundation and devastation due to synchronisation of flood in both Brahmaputra
and its tributaries
Inadequate sections of the entire embankment system due to wear and tear since its
construction during 1950-1970, leads to its vulnerability during flood.
Breach and subsequent rolling down of huge water of the natural Dam formed at the Upstream
of the Kurichu Hydel Project in Bhutan on July 10, 2004.
Indiscriminate destruction of forest cover in the upper catchment area particularly in Bhutan
and Arunachal Pradesh resulting in heavy silt deposition down stream & Reduces carrying
capacity.
Release of excess water from the reservoir of the Kopilli Hydel Project to the Kopilli river
system accentuate the flood situation at downstream
Wetland destruction
CHART-2
BRHAMAPUTRA AND ITS POTENTIAL
THE WATER resources of Brahmaputra river basin area huge and yet so little development has
occurred to date. Needless to say, the water resources potential of the Brahmaputra system is the
highest among all the river basins in the Indian subcontinent.
Water resources: Availability and utilization
Total Water resources potential
Per capita and per hectare water availability
Hydropower potential
Potential developed so far
Irrigation potential
Present coverage of irrigation
Ground water potential
Potential developed so far
Source: Flood Control Department, Assam
CHART:3
DETAILS OF FLOOD DAMAGES
30 per cent of the country’s total
Highest in the country
About 41 per cent of the country’s total
Only about 3 per cent
4.26 million hectare
0.85 million hectare (20 %of existing potential
against the national average of 56.4%)
Very high in valley areas (at shallow depth)
4.3% (against the national average of 32%)
CHART IV: BRIEF NOTE ON FLOOD SITUATION
BRAHMAPUTRA VALLEY
The Brahmaputra is one of the largest river in the world with a length of 2880 km from its origin
in Tibet to its outfall at the Bay of Bengal. It flows a length of 918km in India of which 720km is
in Assam plains.
The length of Assam valley is 640km and average width is 80 Km. In this valley, the river
Brahmaputra is joined by about 20 major tributaries on its North bank and about 13 on its South
Bank. The precipitation here is mainly due to Southwest monsoon, heavy rainfall occur from
June to September. Average annual rainfall in this valley ranges from 1750mm in Kamrup
District to about 6400 mm in the North-east Hilly region. The maximum discharge of the
Brahmaputra at Pandu was 72,794 cumecs on August 23, 1962 and H.F.L. was 51.37m on
August 28,1988.
This year, the Brahmaputra crossed the danger level at Dibrugarh on June 21, 04 and flowed
above danger level from June 21, 2004 for almost four months. Most of the tributaries crossed
the danger level during the two waves of flood causing large-scale inundation by bank erosion
and damage to the flood-control structures.
BARAK VALLEY
In the Northeastern region the river Barak is the second largest river originating from Nagaland
and Manipur and traverses for a length of 532 km in India and outflows at the Bay of Bengal
after flowing through Bangladesh. The Valley is narrow varying from 25km to 30km wide. The
Maximum discharge of this river was recorded as 6282.64 cumecs on August 12, 1989 at
Annapurnaghat.
In 2004, the valley was affected by the first wave of floods from April 15, 2004. The rivers
Barak, Kushiyara, Katakhal were swollen and affected vast areas. Water started receding from
April 21, 2004.
BOX “Wet drought” in world’s rainiest place
WHILE A major part of the Northeast faces serious flood problem, there are some places which
are facing scarcity of drinking water. One such place is Cherapunji, which has the distinction of
receiving the heaviest rainfall in the entire country annually due to its unique location.
The problem has aggravated to such an extent that people have to shell out Rs 250-450 on
drinking water every month.
Situated nearly 90 km from Shillong – the capital of Meghalaya, Cherapunji receives an annual
rainfall of 11,000 mm. The topography and weather conditions at this place are such that it
experiences rainfall for over eight months in a year.
For people here, the options are limited as far as availability of water is concerned. They have
either to trek for a kilometre to fetch drinking water from natural springs or buy water. Bathing is
a luxury here, even as local residents use rain showers to wash clothes. After applying soap on
their clothes, they hang them outside and let the rains do the rest of the job.
Water tankers have become a common sight here. Some enterprising people have started cashing
in on the water scarcity in this area. In view of the acute water shortage, a number of residents
have started rainwater harvesting by using various techniques.
The Ramakrishna Mission, which has its presence here for the last over 50 years, have pioneered
the technique of rainwater harvesting by installing a seven lakh litre capacity tank.
The Sohra Science Society (SSS) has also started encouraging people to opt for rainwater
harvesting to meet their water requirements. The SSS has set up a rainwater-harvesting project
with a 6,000-litre capacity to collect water from the Wah U. Dkhar spring in Maraikaphon
village. Such projects would, however, work only if the people take the initiative for their
maintenance.
Says K. L. Tariang, Director, Soil Conservation, Meghalaya, "We can call it a wet drought. In
the past two years, the state government has implemented few rainwater harvesting projects in
Cherapunji. Not only in Cherapunji, rainwater harvesting projects need to be implemented
throughout the Northeast to tackle the drinking water problems."
Moreover, dongs constructed by Bodo tribals in Assam, bamboo drip irrigation by tribes in
Meghalaya, Zobo in Nagaland and Aptami system in Arunachal Pradesh are some of the
instances of traditional water harvesting system in the region since antiquity. They harvest
monsoon run-off by drawing water from swollen streams during the rainy season and storing it in
various natural water-bodies.
ENDS
MAP: TRAVEL LINE OF BRAHMAPUTRA RIVER