The Mizoram government has announced a sweeping anti-drug campaign set to begin on September 1, targeting both cross-border trafficking from Myanmar and the alarming rise of drug addicts on the state’s streets, which authorities say has become a grave security concern. In preparation, a joint team comprising senior police officials and leaders of the Young Mizo Association (YMA) central committee reached Champhai district on Monday. The team, led by Inspector General of Police (Headquarters) H. Ramthlengliana, is conducting a detailed survey of the Tiau river border, mapping trafficking corridors and entry points used by smugglers. The inspection began with visits to villages such as Tlangsam, Zote, Ngur and Bulfek on Monday, followed by Hnahlan, N. Diltlang, Khuangphah and Vaikhawtlang on Tuesday. Over the coming days, the exercise will cover additional border settlements including Sesih, Lianpui, Leisenzo, Vangchhia, Vaphai, Saikhumphai and Farkawn. Under the government’s plan, police personnel will be stationed across all Myanmar-border villages from September onwards. Village-level YMA units will actively coordinate with the police in preventing illicit consignments from slipping across the frontier. Home minister K. Sapdanga, while speaking at the Mizoram Police Service Association conference last Friday, expressed serious concern over deteriorating public safety. He remarked that the menace of drug addicts loitering in towns has rendered streets unsafe not only for women and children but even for adult men after dark. “The police are making Aizawl, Aug 26: Torrential monsoon showers may be lashing Mizoram, but residents of Aizawl are struggling with a severe shortage of drinking water as the city’s main supply schemes continue to face crippling technical snags and disruptions. Public Health Engineering (PHE) department officials said the capital, home to over three lakh people, has been left in the lurch due to simultaneous breakdowns across all three phases of the Greater Aizawl Water Supply Scheme (GAWSS). High turbidity in the Tlawng river, the source of water for the city, has compounded the problem by making treatment and supply almost impossible. The crisis first deepened when the isolator of the 132 KV sub-station at Luangmual — the power lifeline for pumping stations under GAWSS Phases I and II — went out of order on August 21. The three-day shutdown halted pumping operations, paralysing distribution across the city until power supply was restored on August 23. “Even after power was restored, the heavy rainfall has left the Tlawng river water too muddy to treat and distribute,” one PHE engineer explained. Adding to the woes, the main pipeline of GAWSS Phase III was damaged on July 2. Since then, the system has remained defunct, forcing the capital to rely entirely on Phases I and II for supply. Repair efforts are under way, but the line is yet to be restored. Officials admitted that the quantity of water being pumped has dropped sharply, making equitable distribution to all localities impossible. The department has therefore appealed to residents to adopt austerity in water use and to practise rainwater harvesting wherever possible. Despite the downpour, the city continues to endure long, dry taps — a paradox that underlines the fragile state of Aizawl’s water infrastructure. Aizawl reels under water crisis despite heavy rains Mizoram pushes for stronger digital backbone Staff Reporter Aizawl, Aug 26: Digital connectivity in Mizoram is set for a major boost as Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Tuesday held discussions with Daily Giri, Chief General Manager of BSNL NE-1 Telecom Circle, on expanding telecom infrastructure and creating new facilities for students and travellers. The meeting at the Chief Minister’s office covered a wide agenda — installation of new mobile towers in remote corners of the state, setting up online examination and skill training centres, and exploring a partnership model to build Mizoram Houses in BSNL premises at key Indian cities. The talks come weeks after Lalduhoma’s July 10 meeting in New Delhi with BSNL Chairman and Managing Director A. Robert J. Ravi, where similar issues were flagged. Giri’s visit was seen as a followup to that high-level engagement. Pointing to the hardships faced by students from rural areas who must travel to Aizawl and district headquarters to sit for online exams, the Chief Minister lauded BSNL’s initiative to convert its Exchanges into “Online Exam-cum-Skill Training Centres.” This, he said, would greatly ease the burden on young aspirants and help spread opportunities to smaller towns and villages. BSNL has also tabled a plan for 53 new telecom towers across Mizoram. Priority will be given to governm ent-identif ied locations while ensuring scope for future expansion. Better coverage in rural belts is expected to narrow the digital divide and improve access to government services. Another major proposal discussed was the construction of Mizoram Houses or hostels within BSNL compounds in metropolitan cities, to be pursued by the General Administration Department (GAD) in collaboration with BSNL. The facilities would provide affordable accommodation to Mizos studying, working or travelling outside the state. Network strengthening along upcoming railway stations in Mizoram also featured in the deliberations. Giri briefed the Chief Minister on the status of ongoing telecom works and assured continued support from the state-run operator. The Chief Minister was joined in the meeting by GAD Principal Secretary Sudir Kumar, ZIDCO Managing Director L.P. Lalchangkima, and OSD to CM R. Lalrodingi. comprehensive preparations for this special drive. Our aim is to restore safety in our neighbourhoods by ensuring that drug addicts do not continue to pose a threat to people’s lives and properties,” Sapdanga said. He added that law enforcement agencies are working in tandem to identify supply channels, particularly those linked to Myanmar. The upcoming campaign, he stressed, will be a coordinated effort involving police, excise and narcotics officials, other enforcement agencies and civil society groups to fight trafficking, drug abuse and addiction on a war footing
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