Water Wars

As usually happens in any agriculture-dominated areas, there has always been minor disputes over use of irrigation water among the Apatanis at Ziro. The owner of a field may have blocked the hurbu, denying sufficient water for the adjacent field downwards. Or, he may have opened it up, flooding the adjacent field. The fields located upstream of an irrigation channel (siigañ) may have used up too much water, so that those downstream are not getting sufficient water. Such disputes, however, have always been solved amicably as everybody own the bogo.

Any planning in the valley needs to take into account the situation here. It is easier to meet the short-term needs than the long-term ones. A case in point is the recently constructed Water Treatment Plant near the All India Radio. Since its commission, drinking water problem of Hapoli township has been solved to a large extent.

While this development is commendable, one needs to consider the long-term effect it will have too. The water in this treatment plant comes from the watersheds of the Seya Kiile, one of the most important sources of irrigation water in the Apatani valley. Due to lack of reliable data, one assumes that at least one-fourth volume of Seya Kille must be diverted for drinking water for Hapoli. While the short-term benefits are immediately visible, it will also have far reaching effects on the availability of irrigation water in the years to come.

It is important therefore, that agriculture department also steps into such plannings. That, essentially, means that inter-departmental coordination is important. More important, the leaders giving green signal to such projects need to think over minutely. Consultation with the concerned communities could be helpful.

One needs to discuss this issue now not with a view to 'undo' it, but to explore if better sources were available. We need to learn from what we do.