Dear members,

I work for Zoram Research Foundation (ZORF) which is a grassroots organization working with local communities on livelihood and traditional water management in Mizoram. ZORF is preparing to take-up a project for the Restoration of River Chite in technical collaboration with appropriate agencies/ institutions working in similar projects.

River Chite is situated on the eastern side of Aizawl City in an alluvial valley at altitude of 800-1000 m. The river is bound by patches of forested mountains on the other side (left bank). The river is about 200 km long and joins the River Tlawng at the southern end of Aizawl City.

The primary objective of the River Chite Restoration Programme is to re-establish River Chite as a clean and healthy state for the present and future generations and also improve its overall surroundings. In this project, we propose to begin with an detailed study on the water quality and aquatic diversity along the River Chite, both upstream and downstream of Aizawl from at least three main sites to analyze the effects of pollution from the city.

Restoration actions for the river Chite will be based on the following objectives:

•  Ecological Health Status Analysis
•  Develop Strategies for Improvement of Stream
•  Generation of Public Awareness and Participation

In this connection, I would like Community members to  respond to the following :

1.     What are the appropriate agencies/ institutions that we can  approach for technical  collaboration

2.     Please suggest specialists/ experts who could assist the project team in design and implementation of the project

3.     What are the best practices applied by other agencies in the process of restoration of rivers

Best regards,

R. Chamliana,

Zoram Research Foundation,

Aizawl, Mizoram