Water crisis grips Sotun village in Kamjong district
Source: Chronicle News Service
Thoubal, March 21 2024:
Sotun village, nestled in the verdant landscapes of Kamjong district, finds itself grappling with an unprecedented water crisis.
Once blessed with abundant flow of the Ingourok River, the lifeblood of the community, the village now faces dire circumstances as the river's waters have turned muddy and unfit for consumption.
The situation, exacerbated by human greed in the form of rampant stone quarrying along the riverbanks, has left the villagers in a state of despair.
Former headman of Sotun village, Thangmi Phunglui, while interacting with The People's Chronicle, alleged government's lack of initiative in addressing the plight of the villagers.
Despite numerous appeals and petitions, government assistance remains elusive, leaving the community to fend for themselves in the face of adversity.
Located at the quad junction of Kamjong, Kangpokpi, Tengnoupal, and Thoubal districts, Sotun village finds itself isolated from mainstream developmental schemes, with only sporadic assistance from the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) reaching its territory.
The absence of governmental intervention has compounded the hardships faced by the villagers across various sectors, with the water crisis emerging as the most pressing concern.
The degradation of the Ingourok River, also known as Chikong or Heibonglok in the village, once revered for its purity and believed to possess healing properties, paints a grim picture of environmental degradation fuelled by unchecked human activities.
The river, now filled with sedimentation and pollution from stone quarrying operations using heavy machines, poses a serious health risk to the villagers, threatening to unleash a wave of diseases in its wake.
The repercussions of the water crisis extend beyond the confines of Sotun village, affecting neighbouring communities such as Ingourok, Nongpok Sekmai, Ukhongsang, Heituppokpi villages.
Residents of these areas, too, find themselves at the mercy of the contaminated river waters, with no respite in sight.
Climate change exacerbates the situation, with erratic weather patterns leading to unpredictable rainfall and increasing the frequency and intensity of flash floods during the rainy season.
The unchecked deforestation and soil erosion resulting from stone quarrying activities further deepen the challenges faced by the villagers, pushing them to the brink of environmental catastrophe.
In the face of mounting adversity, the residents of Sotun village stand united, rallying behind calls for government intervention to address the water crisis and implement urgent remedial measures.
With the support of neighbouring communities, they seek to galvanise public movements aimed at safeguarding the fragile ecosystems upon which their livelihoods depend.
As Sotun village braces itself for an uncertain future, its residents remain resilient, determined to overcome the challenges posed by environmental degradation and human indifference, in their relentless pursuit of a sustainable future for generations to come.
Sotun village pastor Yaruingam Siro, village secretary Simon Awungsi, village committee Members Pious Phunglui and Yaingam Ningshen were also present during briefing by the former headman.