Shillong, October 4: Meghalaya has recorded a 33% increase in the number of water bodies, but the latest census also points to growing concerns over siltation and the number of water bodies that are no longer in use.
The Second Water Bodies Census has identified 17,731 water bodies in the state, compared with 13,332 in the first census.
Of these, 16,440 (93%) are currently in use. But the number of water bodies not in use has risen sharply from 712 to 1,291 — an increase of 81.3%.
Siltation is one of the biggest issues recorded in the census. As many as 8,270 water bodies, or 47% of the total, have reported siltation.
Among them are 7,010 ponds, 1,064 water conservation schemes, percolation tanks and check dams, 77 reservoirs and 52 lakes.
The census notes that siltation can reduce the amount of water a structure can hold and, in some cases, contribute to flooding during heavy rain. Desiltation has been identified as one way of restoring storage capacity.
Ponds dominate
Ponds make up most of Meghalaya’s water bodies.
The census has recorded 14,742 ponds, accounting for 83.14% of the total. The state also has 2,383 water conservation schemes, percolation tanks and check dams, 243 reservoirs, 128 lakes, 83 tanks and 152 other water bodies.
The number of ponds has increased by 39.5% since the first census. Lakes rose by 70.7%, while reservoirs recorded a much larger increase of 140.6%. The number of tanks, however, fell by 17%.
The figures underline the role of small water-storage structures in the state’s rural areas.
Most water bodies privately owned
Ownership is another notable feature of Meghalaya’s water landscape.
The census found that 13,366 water bodies, or 75.4%, are privately owned. Of these, 11,853 are owned by individuals.
Publicly owned water bodies number 4,365.
The report also found that 96.4% of the water bodies are located in tribal areas, making local and community-level management an important part of maintaining them.
At the same time, only 389 water bodies — about 7% — have Water Users’ Associations.
The state has 2,230 water bodies linked to central schemes and another 1,099 included in District or State Irrigation Plans.
The census has also recorded 222 encroached water bodies, including 164 ponds, three lakes, 49 water conservation schemes, percolation tanks and check dams, and six other water bodies.
Rain-rich state, seasonal water stress
The numbers are significant for a state that receives heavy rainfall but still faces water shortages in some areas during the dry months.
Meghalaya’s steep terrain allows rainwater to run off quickly, while the state’s geology limits groundwater retention. This makes ponds, reservoirs, check dams and other storage structures important for holding monsoon water for later use.
The report says Meghalaya is expanding water bodies to address seasonal water shortages and reduce climate-related runoff. The Draft Integrated State Water Policy also proposes reservoirs and check dams to capture monsoon water.
But the latest census raises a more immediate question: how many of the existing structures can continue to store water effectively?
With 47% reporting siltation and more than 1,200 water bodies no longer in use, maintaining and restoring existing structures could be as important as creating new ones.
For a state where rainfall is abundant but seasonal water shortages remain a reality, keeping these local storage systems functional may be one of the more pressing challenges ahead
