
Water in 21st century: The northeast (India) profile
Pages: 475-478
Singlai Thouman (Department of Sociology, Holy Cross College, Agartala, Tripura and Department of Anthropology, University of Delhi, Delhi)
The world ecosystems are fast breaking down. And, humanity is at stake. The only way out is a ‘sustainable development’ with proper appropriation of resources. But, it takes a mindset- the mindset of sustainability in every consumer’s mind. Our ‘Blue planet’ is the only known planet endowed with life due to water. Out of 2.5% of fresh water available on earth which are mostly trapped in ice caps, only a fraction of 0.3% is accessible for human consumption. A 7.5 billion strong population is after 0.3%. As ‘Resources and Population’ are inversely proportional, ‘water wars’ are bound to happen. So much so is its scarcity and vitality, water is no more treated as a natural resource but a commoditized item now. What was oil in 20th Century is now ‘water’ in the 21st Century. It has earned a name tag of ‘oil’ of the new ‘century. Therefore, it has become a new ‘gold rush’. So, people tend to protect and control this precious liquid through power politics. People began to see water as power. In the light of global water scenario, a hydraulic life of the hills of Northeast India in the conservation of fresh water is presented here.
Description
Pages: 475-478
Singlai Thouman (Department of Sociology, Holy Cross College, Agartala, Tripura and Department of Anthropology, University of Delhi, Delhi)