Residents of Garo Hills have expressed concern after several rivers that flow through the region have shown a declining water discharge over the years. The situation has been so alarming that some of these once mighty rivers now resemble small streams.
Most of the rivers in Garo Hills originate from the Nokrek and Durama Range and flow into bigger rivers, including the Brahmaputra, with most ending up in Bangladesh and the Bay of Bengal.
However, over the past decade, there has been a declining trend of water discharged by the rivers, including the Simsang and Ganol, among others. The biggest cause of concern has been the inability of the state to protect the catchment areas.
With economics taking priority over the environment in most parts of the remote hill tracts, plantations have taken over from the jungles that were once lush. Native plants have been replaced by betel nut plantations or cleared for the local practice of jhum (slash and burn) cultivation. The situation has been so alarming that even the Deputy Commissioner of East Garo Hills, Swapnil Tembe, remarked at the change in the rivers’ fortunes.
“Our water sources are drying up and we need to plant more trees to ensure water for the future – many more trees,” remarked the DC after a visit to the Simsang Dare (waterfall). The waterfall in the background was just a trickle of what it used to be.
Water scarcity in most of the towns of Garo Hills has become a common problem with the months between March and early May being the worst. When rainwater is scarce, the problem for towns like Tura, Williamnagar and Baghmara is amplified.
“The situation is only going to get worse until someone puts their foot down to repair the damage already done to catchment areas. If the catchments are not protected, we can say goodbye to water in the future. There are already fights for water and this will likely continue in the future as well,” said a resident of Tura, Samgar Sangma.
Earlier, the water situation was also raised by the DC of West Garo Hills, Ram Singh, who even held meetings with various stakeholders on the matter. Efforts to ensure compliance on protection of catchment areas was also taken up, though the success of these efforts will be known only in the coming years.
“Garo Hills was once completely green but you can only find brown now. Most forest reserves have been denuded as has been the various A’king lands due to jhum. More efforts at educating the villagers on the issue are a must or we will soon find Garo Hills desert-like,” added AM Marak.
Forest cover in Garo Hills is not only threatened by various archaic practices but also due to the smuggling of timber. Most forest reserves have borne the brunt of smugglers with high value wood either transported to Assam or neighbouring Bangladesh.
However, the scariest part of the environmental degradation that is taking place is the drying up of rivers and streams that were once plentiful. Given that more people have taken up plantation agriculture to provide for their families, the future does not look bright for the community.
“Water scarcity is going to continue until radical changes are made. The time for a ‘war for water’ may not be too far away if we continue ravishing nature. I hope we all wake up before it is too late,” said another resident, Anand Marak.
