Climate change is taking place rapidly. Can Meghalaya continue to ignore its impact on the state? Even as Meghalaya boasts about being a carbon-negative state with net zero emissions, according to The Climate Group–the state needs to acknowledge that we can no longer ignore its impact. Focusing on the few aspects below, this blog attempts to be an eye-opener and showcase the reality of the conditions affecting Meghalaya’s water supply and its response to it.
Water Scarcity and its repercussions
We cannot ignore the fact that climate change has impacted the rain pattern globally and Meghalaya too, is not spared. With its rich heritage and landscape, Meghalaya is truly a marvel. Meghalaya’s unique terrain also contributes to water scarcity as run-off is one of the major causes resulting in low water retention. Deforestation is another contributing factor to water scarcity, and livelihoods of the people are climate dependent. Mawsynram in Meghalaya is honoured with the status of being the wettest place on Earth, with an average annual rainfall of 11,871 mm according to the IBDLP. You would think that Meghalaya faces no water scarcity. However, considerable variation in rainfall can be seen across the state. The average annual rainfall pattern in the State as presented by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) states that in Southern Meghalaya 2600mm of average annual rainfall has been recorded, whereas in Northern Meghalaya 2500 to 3000mm and in South-Eastern Meghalaya 4000mm average annual rainfall was recorded. The State average is at 2818mm.
Both Shillong and Tura are facing water scarcity. There is a very high density of drainage network system in Meghalaya, but most of the rivers and streams have water only during the rainy season and many streams dry up or their flow dwindles during the summer leading to water scarcity. Consequently, that the lack of water also results in low electricity supply in the State, as Meghalaya depends on its hydroelectric power dams to light up the entire state.
Climate and its Impact on Children
Traditionally, Meghalaya is known to hold sporting events in educational institutions in the summer which provides these children with the opportunity to participate in regional, state and national level events. However, with more frequent heatwaves fuelled by climate change in the State, much of these sporting events are often suspended. Due to lack of covered or indoor facilities, children are at the risk of suffering from heat strokes and dehydration. Schools will have to ensure clean drinking water for proper hydration. As per the UDISE Report Nos: 2021-F3, out of 14600 schools in Meghalaya only 6720 schools have functional drinking water in schools. This then poses the question whether schools will halt children from being able to participate in outdoor activities which is detrimental in not only their physical fitness but also their growth and mental wellness. Therefore, the government will then have to consider investing on the infrastructure to promote physical activities among school going children and to ensure their wellbeing.
The Success of Water Schemes:
The Jal Jeevan Mission was launched by the Prime Minister of India on 15th August 2019 to provide Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC) to every rural household by 2024. However, in Meghalaya, the total percentage of rural households with tap water supply is at 43.57% till 2023 as against the national average of 55.32% according to the Press Information Bureau. A major setback to this initiative was the impact of the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, which crippled the world and brought it to a standstill. Meghalaya has a total number of 6,51,391 households out of which only 5,00,765 households have tap water supply, which is 76.88%. Numerous news reports have highlighted non-implementation of the JJM particularly in the Garo Districts. Some reports have stated that although these taps have been installed there is no water supply or that there are no pipes connecting the tap to the water supply.
Looking Ahead
The Meghalaya State Water Policy 2019 includes the provision of water harvesting on the roof of every building including groundwater recharge mechanisms. Whether this provision has been adapted by the contractors is yet to be seen. However, in Mawjrong village of East Khasi Hills, residents have been facing water scarcity for a very long time. This led to innovative ideas by the residents of the village. To harvest rainwater the villagers attached pipes to the drainage on their roofs which led to a barrel where the rainwater is stored for future use. One individual of the village came up with an ingenious idea whereby the individual made the house in such a way where the rainwater captured on the roof followed a drainage system that leads the water into a tank built under the foundation of the house. Perhaps ideas such as these can be implemented elsewhere to ease the problems of water scarcity.
The most likely solution for Meghalaya would be to adopt water recycling in the urban cities of Shillong and Tura to ensure sufficient water supply. As the residents of Shillong would compare its traffic woes with that of Bangalore city in Karnataka, which is known for its traffic. Will it now compare its water scarcity problems with Bangalore as well? Hopefully, Meghalaya can learn from other states and prevent this dire situation from worsening.
Author’s Bio: Sanaphisha L. Richmond Tariang is a fellow of the Meghalaya Legislative Research Fellowship (MLRF) of the Bharti Institute of Public Policy, Indian School of Business in collaboration with the Meghalaya Institute of Governance (MIG). She holds a Bachelor’s degree with Sociology honours and a Master’s degree in Social Work from St. Edmund’s College, Shillong. Her area of interests includes social policy particularly women and children empowerment, health and community development.
DISCLAIMER : The views expressed in this blog/article are author’s personal.