At an increasing frequency, Manipur gets to see floods every year. Surprisingly, and almost in direct contradiction, it also gets to see draughts all these years. You cannot have excess water and at the same time water scarcity can you, unless there is something very wrong in water management. The disaster is compounded every dry season for this is when devastating fires become uncontrollable in the absence of water, destroying homes and properties in Imphal and other towns in the state. This year probably there would be less fire tragedies, for one of the causes of these fires have been an the acute shortage of electric power, compelling families to use candles, and Imphal having got initiated into city lifestyle, do not retire till long after nightfall making these open flame lighting dangerous. It is no coincidence most of these fires generally happen at night. It must be admitted, though still not perfect, the power situation in the state has improved considerably, especially after the introduction of pre-paid power consumption system. Not only has power theft been controlled to a great extent, people have also become more prudent in the use of electric power because they now have to pay accurately per usage. Technology has also helped. With the introduction of CFL and LED home illumination technology, homes now need only a fraction of the power they once needed to light up, for the illumination achieved with a 100 watt tungsten electric bulb can be now matched by just a 7 watt LED bulb. It is a cascading effect. You solve one problem and the solution sets off a trigger initiating solutions to other related problems. The danger of fire may thus have been reduced because of improvement in the power situation, but it still remains a danger, because in the event of big fire accidents, there is still not enough water to douse them. In fact, there is still barely enough of the precious liquid to meet bare essentials of the kitchen and toilet of average homes.
On the debate on shortage of power in the state, much has been said, and a lot is beginning to be done. However, it is the reality of water shortage to which attention must be directed now. Here too, as in the case of power once, any close study will reveal it is all about an atrocious mismanagement which has been the bane. It cannot be that the authorities in Manipur are unaware that the state falls in the belt on the earth that receives the most rainfall a year. Every monsoon season, the state witnesses floods and acute water logging. The rain water now have very few places left to drain away as most of the lakes and other low lying wetlands have been reclaimed as real estates or farmlands. Around Imphal itself Lampel-pat, Sangai-pat, Porom-pat (pat standing for natural water bodies) have disappeared. Instead of merely thinking of reclaiming these receding wetlands, why can’t the government also think of reserving portions of them to develop rain water reservoirs. These will have two purposes. One, to act as a regulatory mechanism to control water logging and floods by draining away and temporary holding flood waters during bursts of monsoon torrents, and then releasing them safely through the river system when the torrents have subsided. In the dry seasons, these reservoirs can be a source for municipal water, to be treated and distributed to consumers. Lessons can be had in this from places like Singapore and the Netherlands, two countries which have achieved miracles in water management. Our modern city planners also take a lesson or two from the past. The wonders of the Ningthem Pukhri in Wangkhei, or the Kangla Moat in the heart of Imphal, are there for all to see. It is difficult to imagine what life in Imphal would have been like if these two, and other artificial reservoirs in and around the city did not come as inheritances from the past. For the same purpose of water regulation, it would also not be such a bad idea to consider a river linking project, and Manipur’s rivers being small, this should not be too overwhelming. Not only would there then be more water for home use, but the state fire service too would not have to be minding empty fire fighting tankers all through the dry seasons.