B. LALTHLENGLIANA, LALLAWMKIMI AND HILDA LALRINPUII
Abstract
Water security is a very critical issue in Mizoram, with most of the mountainous areas relying heavily on available bigger surface water sources, such as rivers Tlawng and Tuirial that are influenced by the monsoons. These water bodies are very important for drinking, agricultural and domestic purposes in Aizawl district but are constantly being degraded. In this review paper, we have discussed the hydro-chemical characteristics and found that both the rivers were under significant stress due to seasonal changes and unmanaged anthropogenic activities. The quality of raw water was significantly degraded by anthropogenic influences such as untreated municipal sewage, medical waste, agricultural runoff and dumping along river banks. Turbidity, acidity and organic loads were high during monsoons due to hydro-climatic cycles, while dry low flows led to accumulation of dissolved solids, hardness and alkalinity. Alarming levels of coliform contamination were found in raw Tlawng water. Moreover, there is a critical gap in the published literature due to the absence of empirical monitoring of the Tuirial River since 2021. These problems can be addressed by upgrading municipal treatment plants, regulating healthcare effluents and promoting continuous research and publications for targeted river basins.