এই গল্পটোৱে চাহ বাগিচাৰ শ্ৰমিকসকলৰ দৈনন্দিন কষ্ট, সীমিত আৰু প্ৰায় অস্বাস্থ্যকৰ পানী যোগানৰ ওপৰত তেওঁলোকৰ নিৰ্ভৰশীলতা, আৰু তেওঁলোকৰ মৌলিক প্ৰয়োজনবোৰৰ দীঘলীয়া অৱহেলাক প্ৰদৰ্শন কৰে। যাত্ৰাটোৱে বৰ্ণনাকাৰীক এইবোৰ মৌলিক সমস্যাৰ সমাধান হোৱাত হোৱা মন্থৰ গতিটোৰ বিষয়ে গভীৰভাৱে চিন্তাশীল কৰি তোলে।

Tosangla Chang and her friend present this story based on a conversation with a friend’s grandfather. Chathe was a pristine river then – fresh and clean. It was the lifeline for all the villages settled along the river, as people were solely dependent on its waters for drinking and all other domestic uses. 

A flash flood of the river Siang in its upper reaches in the Tibetan region of China – in 2000 stirred a row over the causes of devastation in the East Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh. Reports suggested that the flash floods were triggered  due to a possible dam breach in Tibet. China denied everything India had alleged.

Traditionally, the Meiteis had a well organised water protection and conservation system in the Imphal valley, mostly managed by the local community, known as leikai shinglup. One of its major tasks is to construct a pukhri, (community pond) to secure the water needs of the locality.

Meghalaya’s native Khasi communities have a rich experience of grassroots democracy. Linda Chhakchhuak narrates her experience Laitkseh, a village, where the inhabitants were opposed to any commercial scale stone mining operation that they felt would lead to drying up of the water sources.

This newsletter is a monthly publication of the North East India Water Talks (NEIWT). We cover all aspects of water, including reports, paper clips, research papers, incidents, and activities done by different actors, such as government institutions, non-governmental organizations, etc.

The Misings, the second-largest population among all the tribal groups in Assam, are the most resilient community in the floodplains. Despite being exposed to periodic natural calamities, they seem to have learnt well to adapt to the unpredictable riverine environment, and rebuild their lives.