The residents of Aizawl are taking to piped water in a big way. The town, once a model for urban rainwater harvesting practices, is now looking for water from the rivers in the valley. The city’s uniquely different topographic setup has added to the existing piped water crisis. The city is situated on a high hilltop and has deep river gorges on two sides. Water is pumped into homes from sources around 1,000 m below in the valley and residents pay about Rs 100 monthly, the highest price for piped water in the country.

Piped water is available for only a few hours each week and is insufficient. According to the Public Health and Engineering Department ( phed), responsible for water supply, about 63 per cent of the population has access to tap water and the rest rely on shallow tube wells, springs, rainwater and private tankers.

Most Mizo houses used to have rooftop rainwater harvesting facilities. The city enjoys an average annual rainfall of 2,500 millimetres . Traditionally, this has been the only source of water and was very popular among residents. Traditional Mizo houses have a sloping roof designed for rainwater harvesting. Water from the rooftops flows through gutters made of bamboo or metal sheets and collects in rainwater tanks made of galvanised tin sheets.

An underground reservoir of 5,400-kilolitre (kl) capacity was constructed on an Aizawl hilltop by British civil servants, a hundred years ago. A major part of the town relied on this reservoir for its water. But the scenario has changed.

Search for water Two water reservoirs of 8,000-kl total capa