A Drip Too Far

As winter descends on Gangtok, an unsettling specter appears over its residents: a looming shortage of drinking water. The Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department’s data from last winter paints a worrying picture. With the Rateychu source—a lifeline for Gangtok’s water supply—experiencing a significant decline in discharge capacity, the city’s water crisis is no longer a seasonal anomaly but a glaring symptom of deeper systemic and environmental issues.

The numbers are stark. The Selep Tanki water treatment plant, with a capacity of 42 million liters per day (MLD), managed to receive only 28 MLD from Rateychu last winter, down from 34 MLD the previous year. With Gangtok’s daily requirement pegged at 30 MLD, the shortfall is impossible to ignore. The PHE department’s temporary solution of tapping local sources may have staved off disaster, but this patchwork approach is clearly unsustainable in the face of declining natural water resources.

The sharp reduction in Rateychu’s water discharge capacity reflects an alarming trend tied to climate change, deforestation, and unchecked urbanization. Warmer winters, irregular precipitation, and shrinking glaciers are increasingly affecting Himalayan water sources, including Rateychu. Despite this reality, Gangtok has yet to see decisive, long-term solutions. The reliance on makeshift measures only postpones a reckoning with a crisis that will intensify unless tackled comprehensively.

The PHE department’s initiative to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for an alternative water supply system is a step in the right direction. However, the estimated ?200 crore project remains in the “active consideration” stage—a phrase that underscores the sluggish pace of infrastructure development in India. Gangtok cannot afford further delays. For a city already grappling with rapid urbanization and an increasing population, a robust, future-ready water management system is not a luxury but a necessity.

While infrastructure upgrades are critical, they alone cannot address the root causes of Gangtok’s water woes. The administration must prioritize watershed management, reforestation, and conservation of catchment areas. Simultaneously, public awareness campaigns to promote water conservation practices among citizens are essential. Gangtok’s residents must recognize that every drop counts, particularly during the lean winter months.

This crisis is a clarion call for proactive governance and community participation. Policymakers must accelerate the implementation of alternative water supply projects while ensuring sustainable management of existing resources. Without urgent and coordinated action, Gangtok risks facing a dire future where water scarcity becomes a year-round crisis.

The winter of 2024 is a reminder that the taps running dry are not merely an inconvenience—they are a warning. Gangtok must act decisively to secure its most vital resource, for without water, there can be no future.