Aizawl: Lunglei, Mizoram’s second-largest town after Aizawl, is battling an escalating water crisis, with critical water sources drying up due to an unusually long dry season. Officials confirmed on Tuesday that the crisis, which began in early March, has intensified drastically in April, leaving the town’s 80,000 residents struggling to access sufficient water.
According to Zohmingliana, Superintending Engineer of the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department, the Tlawng River — Lunglei’s primary water lifeline — is drying at an alarming rate amid the absence of rainfall since January. The situation has worsened with the complete depletion of another significant source, the Pialthleng stream, compounding the shortage further.
The town currently needs around 3.5 million litres of water per day, but only 1.5 MLD is being drawn from the Tlawng River due to the depleted water level. Pumping operations, which usually run 24 hours a day, have been reduced to just 9–13 hours, straining supply systems and deepening the crisis.
In desperation, residents have turned to alternative water sources such as borewells, nearby rivers and streams, and traditional waterholes known locally as Tuikhur. Over 90 such sources are now in active use across Lunglei and its outskirts. Despite these efforts, demand continues to outstrip availability.
Government authorities have stepped in to ease the burden, transporting water from available stream sources using vehicles. Chlorination is being carried out at Tuikhur sites to ensure basic water safety, and bleaching powder is being distributed to private water suppliers for disinfection. However, officials admit that the measures may not be enough if the rains fail to arrive soon.
The scarcity is being felt most acutely in households. Of the over 16,000 tap connections in Lunglei, many now receive government-supplied water only once a month — a drastic decline from the previous frequency of 7 to 12 days. Additionally, people often queue for up to three days to secure water from private vendors, further highlighting the urgency of the situation.
To prevent a repeat of this crisis in the future, construction is underway on a concrete gravity dam along the Tlawng River. Authorities hope that the project, if completed on time, will provide long-term relief and resilience against similar shortages. “We are doing everything we can, but unless the weather changes soon, Lunglei could face an even tougher summer,” Zohmingliana warned.
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