Perspective on Himalayan Spring Water: a Quintessential Resource

PERSPECTIVE ON HIMALAYAN SPRING WATER: A QUINTESSENTIAL RESOURCE Nandini Thakur, Vaibhav Eknath Gosavi*, Rajat Thakur and Renu Lata G. B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment, Himachal Regional Centre, Mohal-Kullu, Himachal Pradesh, India *Correspondence: [email protected] ABSTRACT Spring water resources are the natural assets which Himalayan states are bestowed with, and Mandi is one such district in Himachal Pradesh, India. The perception based study indicated that changing precipitation patterns attributed to climate change impacts, catchment degradation, unrestricted landuse, ignorance and inadequate regulations are adversely impacting the spring discharge and creating water scarcity to people of the Mandi district. This has definite social, cultural, religious and environmental implications on livelihood of the people. Therefore, scientific and indigenous knowledge should be incorporated to formulate sustainable plans for the water security of mountain inhabitants. Keywords: Springs, Himalaya, Climate change, Water Security, Perception. INTRODUCTION to depletion in these spring water resources. Decreasing and Civilization has always laid their habitations near the available drying spring discharges not only lead to migration of the water sources. Sustainable social and economic upliftment people, reduction in economy as well as change in ecology but worldwide quintessentially depends on availability of also sabotage the social, cultural and religious relevance. In fresh water resources. Among all the freshwater resources, Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh, major projects of domestic groundwater sufficiently meets the demand of domestic, water supply system are based on springs, hence it is essential agriculture and industrial sectors. Groundwater is considered to study the current status of spring water resources and to be less contaminated in comparison to other water resources perception of local people. There is a paucity of data on springs that is being over explored on the recent decades concern over in Himalayan states of India in general, and Mandi district in water management even in the selected locations of Himalayan particular especially on social, cultural and environment aspects region. which refrain the civil authorities to formulate sustainable plan for spring water management. This paper point out the role of In the Himalayan region springs have been playing an important springs for social, cultural, economic and environmental needs, role in the daily lives of rural communities and urban towns. and the imminent threats to the sustainability of springs by The significance of springs in the life of mountainous areas anthropogenic and natural factors, which is affecting the overall especially Himalayan regions is more prominent than rest of socioeconomic wellbeing of the people in the study area. the region in the country. Studies conducted on springs in Kashmir Himalayas (Jeelani et al., 2015, Bhat et al., 2015), STUDY AREA AND METHODOLOGY Sikkim Himalayas (Tambe et al., 2012), Kumaun Himalayas Mandi district is a densely populated and centrally located (Valdiya et al., 1989, 1991, Negi et al., 2002, Ansari et al., 2015), district of Himachal Pradesh. The district is entirely hilly, except Nepal Himalaya (Shrestha et al., 2018), Uttarakhand (Shivanna a few isolated patches of small and fertile valleys. The district, et al., 2008), Himachal Pradesh (Kumar et al., 2012; Thakur et with its headquarter at Mandi town, lies between 31°13’ and al., 2018) reputed that spring flow is diminishing which is of 32° 05’ north latitudes and 76°37’ and 77°25’ east longitudes. prime importance in the area for agricultural, social - economic The district has a total geographical area of 3,950 Km2. There and tourism activities. Climate change, unrestricted land use, are 6 towns and 3,338 villages in the district. There are 9 tehsils overwhelming pressures of population growth, disturbances (Sadar, Thunag, Sundernagar, Sarkaghat, Padhar, Jogindernagar, in spring catchment areas and inadequate regulations has led Lad Bhraol, Karsog and Chachyot). The study area under ENVIS Bulletin Himalayan Ecology, Vol 27, 2019 85 investigation (Barot valley and Seraj valley) lies in Padhar and This study was carried out in Barot and Seraj valleys of Thunag tehsil. The district has a population of 9,99,777 persons District Mandi. For collection of information on knowledge with a population density of 253 persons Km2 (Census 2011). and awareness regarding the status of spring water resources, The major sources of irrigation are small water channels or the the survey was conducted in the rural areas across 43 spring Kuhls in the district and an area of 12608 ha is brought under locations. Information pertaining to springs and their social, irrigation by various sources like canals, tanks, wells and other economic and cultural relevance were collected through sources. A sizeable part of the cultivated area of the district is Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA’s) technique (Fig.1). The not having any assured irrigation facilities and the agriculturists interactive PRA techniques employed to ascertain the required have to depend on the vagaries of weather. Under the various information using a semi structured questionnaire and pre plans, the construction of Kuhls and lift irrigation schemes are tested schedule (45 respondents) and subsequently compiled being taken up in the district. and presented in this article. Fig. 1. Participatory Rural Appraisal on spring status RESULT AND DISCUSSION Integrating experience with traditional knowledge of Springs play an important role in the socio-economic communities and scientific technique is must to understand the development of the people in the study area. Springs at village dynamics of the springs so that spring water can be harvested level fulfil the demand of water supply for the livelihood of people sustainably. in the absence or dysfunction of public water supply. Benefits drawn from these prime water resource are plenty in terms of Springs are considered to be sacred from religious and cultural domestic use, livestock use, and agriculture use and tourism point of view, and has always been preserved on this pretext that sector. Out of total respondents (45 people) interviewed in the they have religious value and cultural affiliation. As Himachal study area, majority of respondents stated that spring water is known as abode of gods, water resources such as rivers, quality is best for drinking water except during monsoon when lakes and springs are also worshiped as mountain deity with rainfall - runoffs mixed with the spring discharge. Respondents firm beliefs. Respondents of the study area listed out the above believe that spring water is best quality water as they rely on it mentioned cultural and religious significance of the springs as purest portable water. Among the meteorological parameters, in their life. It is also observed that the advent of public water respondents considered precipitation (snow and rainfall) supply distribution system is important reason which leads to as major contributor for changing regime of springs. Some abandoning the springs in villages, and on the lines of “sacred functional and abandoned springs are depicted in (Fig.2) and grooves concept” religious and cultural attachment can be (Fig.3). promoted for protection and revival of abandoned 86 ENVIS Centre on Himalayan Ecology Fig. 2. Functional springs used for various purposes in the study area Fig. 3. Abandoned springs in the study area cover and precipitation to have perpetual flow throughout year. springs. Demise of springs are caused first by ignorance and unrestricted land use and then by the overwhelming pressure ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of population growth, disturbances in spring catchment area Authors would like to acknowledge Department of Environment, and inadequate regulations. It is essential to reduce the negative Science & Technology (Government of Himachal Pradesh) for impacts on the springs from various human induced and natural providing financial support. Authors gratefully acknowledges factors and create awareness among the local residents for spring the Director of the Institute for providing necessary facilities to sanctuaries and spring shed development. Respondents further carry out the present work. added that spring water health is directly connected with forest ENVIS Bulletin Himalayan Ecology, Vol 27, 2019 87 REFERENCES Shivanna K, Tirumalesh K, Noble J, Joseph TB, Singh G, Joshi Ansari MA, Deodhar A, Kumar US, Khatti VS (2015). Water AP, Khati VS (2008). Isotope techniques to identify recharge quality of few springs in outer Himalayas – A study on the areas of springs for rainwater harvesting in the mountainous groundwater–bedrock interactions and hydrochemical region of Gaucher area, Chamoli District, Uttarakhand. evolution. Groundwater for Sust. Developm., 1(1-2): 59-67. Curr. Sci., 1003-1011. Bhat NA, Jeelani G (2015). 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