Aizawl: Lunglei, the second-largest town in Mizoram with a population of around 80,000, is currently grappling with a severe water crisis as its primary water sources are rapidly depleting due to an extended dry season, a senior official from the state Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department said on Tuesday.
According to PHE Superintending Engineer Zohmingliana, the water shortage began in early March and has worsened significantly since April, primarily due to the drying up of the Tlawng River the main water source for the town. Another key source, the Pialthleng stream, has already completely dried up.
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Officials revealed that the region has not received any rainfall since January, intensifying the crisis. While Lunglei’s daily water requirement stands at 3.5 million liters per day (MLD), only 1.5 MLD is currently available from the Tlawng River.
As a result, the water available for pumping has dropped to just 9–13 hours per day, down from the usual 24 hours during normal times.
With municipal supply now severely limited, residents have turned to alternative sources such as rivers, streams, borewells (hand pumps), and over 90 traditional waterholes locally known as ‘tuikhur’ to meet their daily needs.
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Government water distribution, which used to occur every 7–12 days, has now stretched to a month-long cycle, prompting people to queue up day and night at community sources.
To alleviate the crisis, the government is planning to supply additional water by transporting it from other rivers and streams.
Zohmingliana also mentioned that a concrete gravity dam is currently under construction on the Tlawng River. If completed on schedule, the dam could help prevent a similar crisis in the coming year. The town and its surrounding areas currently have over 16,000 water tap connections.
Local residents are now relying heavily on community cooperation and traditional methods as they await relief from the ongoing drought.