Abstract

The state of Mizoram, located in the extreme northeast corner of India, is a small hill state having an area of about 21,000 km² and thinly populated. The state is entirely mountainous covered with green vegetation. Villages are mostly located on hilltops. Mizoram State enjoys abundant monsoon rainfall of about 2500 millimetres annually. But Run-off is quick and people face acute water problems in the dry season. Villagers have to walk long distances to fetch water from perennial springs and rivers. The English who came to the area in 1894, got their domestic water from a 12- lakh gallons capacity underground rainwater tank.

Nowadays rooftop rainwater harvesting and spring water collection are the main sources of domestic water supply in Mizoram. With the development of the gravity pipe the government started supplying water with a pumping scheme. Pipe water supply is supplemented by rainwater harvesting in most of the towns and villages. Many families prefer rainwater for direct consumption to pipe water.