"NE India Water Talks" is an archival platform of water stories from Northeast India. It also acts as a workspace for the people working on water for the region. NEIWT visualises a water secure and sustainable region based on the principles of social equity, environmental sustainability, democratic and inclusive water governance.
Kohima is grappling with a worsening water crisis due to poor water retention, steep terrain, and failing infrastructure. Despite abundant rainfall, access remains unequal,costly, affecting health and livelihoods. Groundwater potential is limited, and agriculture suffers. Recent policies and projects offer hope, but urgent action is needed to secure sustainable and equitable water for all.
বেলিটো লহিয়াইছে। নদীৰ পানীত গাঢ় সোণালী আভা প্ৰতিবিম্বিত হৈছে। নদীৰ সিটোপাৰৰ পৰিবেশে আমাক আমন্ত্ৰণ জনাইছে। সিপাৰে ওখ ঘাঁহ, পশু-পক্ষী, জীৱ-জন্তুৱে এক সুন্দৰ পৰিবেশ ভাগ-বতৰা কৰিছে। কিন্তু ১০-২০ বছৰৰ পিছত এই স্থান মুদৈবিলৰ ভূমিহীন লোকে দখল কৰিব। মুদৈবিলৰ নতুন ঠিকনা তাতেই হ’ব। তেতিয়া আমাক মুদৈবিলৰ সন্ধানত নতুন পানীযাত্ৰা কৰিব লাগিব।
Ting Khang Mati Kota, a village on the Brahmaputra’s south bank in Assam, embodies resilience against relentless floods and erosion. Despite devastating floods since 1962, villagers rebuild, farm, and fish, adapting to the river’s dual role as provider and destroyer. Community strength, traditional knowledge, and collaborative solutions are vital for sustainable coexistence with the mighty river.
In April 2025, the Northeast faced water scarcity, floods, and contamination, straining outdated infrastructure. Responses included hydropower revival, real-time monitoring, and green innovations. Climate change and tensions with Bangladesh and China deepened the crisis. Sustainable water management and regional cooperation are essential for long-term..
খেৰকটীয়া নৈ মাজুলীৰ উত্তৰ-পূব কোণত অৱস্থিত এখন উল্লেখযোগ্য নদী৷ ই মাজুলী আৰু লক্ষীমপুৰক বিভক্ত কৰে আৰু অঞ্চলটোৰ জাতি-সংস্কৃতি, অৰ্থনীতি আৰু যাতায়ত ব্যৱস্থাত গুৰুত্বপূৰ্ণ ভূমিকা পালন কৰিছে৷ ১৯৭৭ চনৰ বানে বৃহৎ ক্ষতি সাধন কৰিছিল৷ বৰ্তমান নৈখন ক্ষয়প্ৰাপ্ত হৈও কৃষি, জলসিঞ্চন আৰু পৰ্যটন ক্ষেত্ৰত অপৰিসীম সম্ভাৱনা বহন কৰে৷
The March 2025 North East India Water Talk reports progress in rural tap water coverage, with Arunachal achieving 100% and Assam surpassing 75%. Tripura and Meghalaya are close behind. However, water scarcity, pollution in Umiam Lake, and Loktak Lake’s decline pose major concerns.
NEIWT (North-East India Water Talks) aims to improve the effectiveness of local actors for decision-making processes in water management and create a workspace for the people working on water in the Northeast of India. The idea of Northeast India Water Talks evolved through a series of conversation with lay people as well as those who work on water-related issues. These informal and spontaneous conversations, one on one, or in small groups, in different parts of the region, began in the course of attending workshops, seminars on water, and running campaigns on various water issues across the region in the past several years. It also reveals the level of public awareness and understanding of the domain of water and its relations with other elements of nature – air, soil, plants, forest, and ecosystems.