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.

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. 

Boroks believe that the supreme God, the creator of the universe and mankind, resides in waters. Twima, or the goddess of water, is worshipped as a household as well as village deity, and rituals are carried out in the rivers or stream to propitiate the goddess. Similar beliefs exist in other indigenous communities of Tripura.

Gogamukh, a growing commercial town, is thirsty! It is hard to believe that this revenue circle comprising 173 villages in the Dhemaji district is facing a lot of water related challenges.   Monoj Gogoi documents the changing environment of the floodplains areas and lives of the local communities in Gogamukh.