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"Spring water is the main source of water providing life to people in the mountain region especially in the Himalaya. Spring is a natural source of groundwater. Unlike wells, which may be owned and controlled privately; springs are generally community-owned and community-managed. Thus, they give a sense of a “common” resource i.e. groundwater shared through a common mechanism, i.e. the spring. Decreasing spring discharge has become a matter of concern throughout the Himalayan region. Springs are points of ‘natural groundwater discharge’. The decrease in spring-discharge implies either or both of two scenarios – firstly, the recharge to the system which feeds the springs (mountain aquifers) has reduced; secondly, the storages of these mountain aquifers are tapped by artificial means such as wells. The recharge areas of these springs are site specific, depending on the rock type and rock structure. Current trends indicate emphasis on spring recharge. Despite the complexity of spring hydrogeology, geomorphology remains the prime factor on which conventional watershed approaches for spring recharge are being promoted in the Himalayan region. A systematic process of identifying the type of springs and characterizing them on the basis of their type, discharge quantities, seasonal factors and water quality is the way forward towards improved spring-water management in the Himalayan region. In the same vein, the socio- economic and administrative units are extremely crucial in the management of springs as ‘commons’. A recharge site, for instance, may be located within forest land, private land, common land, revenue land etc. The strategies adopted for the purpose of spring recharge will vary depending on these locations, the type of spring, dependent population etc., and calls for a scientific approach that includes all the above considerations." |
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