Water Supply Down to 9 Hours A Day, Close to 2 Lakh Lunglei People Face Acute Water Crisis as Pialthleng Stream Dries Up

The PHE has urged residents to use water judiciously to manage the crisis during these challenging times.

Close to 2 lakh people of Lunglei, the second-largest town in Mizoram, is currently reeling under an acute water scarcity crisis that has escalated since March, following the alarming depletion of its primary water source the Pialthleng stream.

The Lunglei Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department recently issued a notification highlighting a severe drop in water volumes from the town’s primary sources, the Tlawng and Pialthleng rivers.

This sudden drop in water availability has led to a drastic reduction in the town’s daily water supply from a continuous 24-hour flow to just 9 to 13 hours per day. The PHE has urged residents to use water judiciously to manage the crisis during these challenging times.

Speaking to Northeast Live, Navneet Mann, Deputy Commissioner of Lunglei and Chairman of the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), acknowledged the multiple challenges facing the town. “The district administration and all the line departments are working very hard so that this problem can be mitigated,” she said. Mann confirmed the formation of zonal and nodal officers and assured residents that close coordination is ongoing with Village Councils (VCs), Local Councils (LCs), and NGOs to create awareness and ensure relief reaches the grassroots.

Lunglei’s current water infrastructure is under immense strain, especially considering the town’s rapid population growth. From a population of 66,000 when the Greater Lunglei Water Supply Scheme Phase-I was inaugurated in 1995, the city has grown to approximately 157,000 residents in 2023. The number of registered household water consumers has also risen to over 16,000, further burdening the outdated water system.

A grim milestone was reached when the Pialthleng River, one of the town’s primary water sources, completely dried up on April 29, 2023, and again on April 28, 2024. Although the town has sufficient water reservoirs and pumping infrastructure, the root of the crisis remains the critically low water levels.

To address the issue in the long term, a concrete gravity dam is under construction on the Tlawng River. However, project delays have led to a six-month extension for the contractor. Authorities remain hopeful that timely completion will bring relief by next year.

Meanwhile, the PHE is supporting private water suppliers by chlorinating their water, though demand continues to outstrip supply. The sale of bottled distilled water has surged, and many residents, without piped water since March 3, are struggling to meet basic daily needs. The DDMA continues to act swiftly with on-ground teams, hoping that collaborative efforts will help the town overcome this crisis.

Also Read: 18,600 Quintals of Ginger Lying Unsold in FCI Godown in Mizoram

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