Esther Kharbuli wakes up before sunrise every day to place her buckets up ahead at the community tap in Nongrah, ensuring she doesn’t have to wait in the lengthy queue to fetch water for her family of four.
“I have to manage the entire household using only five buckets of water. Some days we don’t even get that. We have purchased water from tankers a few times when we were in need but it is not something we can afford,” she says.
Many like Esther have been on the receiving end of prolonged water scarcity, with Meghalaya grappling with one of the worst water crises in recent times, leaving residents and authorities deeply concerned about the implications for the region’s livelihoods and ecosystem.
The region, which is almost entirely dependent on monsoons for its water supply, power and agriculture, has seen a significant decline in rainfall, resulting in depleted water sources.
As per recent research by noted scholar Baniateilang Majaw, Meghalaya has had a 15% decrease in rainfall over the past five years, exacerbating the already dire water scarcity in a situation where the demand for potable water has been growing.
The study suggests that the current crisis is a culmination of multiple factors, including climate change, deforestation, and unsustainable water management practices. These issues have synergistically led to a decline in water availability, particularly in urban areas.
The state’s capital Shillong has been hit particularly hard by the water crisis with multiple local media reports suggesting that people are now being forced to ration water.
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Esther Kharbuli wakes up before sunrise every day to place her buckets up ahead at the community tap in Nongrah, ensuring she doesn’t have to wait in the lengthy queue to fetch water for her family of four.
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Comments are moderated and will be published only after the site moderator’s approval. Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name. Selected comments may also be used in the ‘Letters’ section of the Down To Earth print edition.