Over the last decade, demand for spring management has increased as traditional spring sources have started drying up or becoming contaminated. In response, communities, NGOs and state agencies began dedicated spring protection programmes. In the Himalayas, the State of Sikkim and organizations such as Central Himalayan Action and Research Group (CHIRAG) and People Science Institute (PSI) started identifying and protecting spring recharge areas around 2007. The difference between these programmes and many other previous efforts is that they went beyond supply-side improvements to focus on the use of hydrogeology to map springsheds for targeted interventions. The Advanced Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (ACWADAM), a research and capacity-building organization comprised of hydrogeologists and other experts began lending their expertise and building capacity of stakeholders. ACWADAM provides technical support, training and materials in hydrogeology to all network partners as well as others in India and the region. Similar programmes began independently in most of the mountain regions of India. Arghyam, a funding organization that was supporting many of these programmes, noticed that these disparate initiatives shared commonalities despite geographic diversity. They thus organized and funded a meeting of these various organizations in June 2014, and the Springs Initiative was born. The springs initiative aims to tackle the current water crisis and to ensure safe and sustainable access to water for all, by promoting responsible and appropriate management of aquifers, springsheds, and watersheds and conserving ecosystems in partnership with communities, governments and other stakeholders. This presentation has been developed as a part of the springs initiative to promote an understanding of springs and their role in mountainous areas.

1. Training and Facilitation for achieving Water
Security in 400 CLLMP Villages in
Meghalaya through Springshed Management
PRASARI

2. ACWADAM’s work: ..in the most hydrogeologically diverse
setting in the world – based on partnership and collaboration
We are a think-tank and action-research based
organisation working on the science of
groundwater and its applications to societal
development for 21 years now. We work on the
practice and policy of aquifer-based,
participatory groundwater management
including springshed management…
• Aquifer-based groundwater management
• Training
• Action research and decision support
• Policy and programmes
Bringing aquifers closer to communities…

3. ACWADAM: spring revival through springshed management
• The spring-revival programme was strengthened
through the infusion of demystified hydrogeology by
ACWADAM.
• This concept helped us partner with key agencies
working on spring revival such as PSI, Chirag and
RDD (erstwhile RM&DD) - Sikkim.
• Scaling out the concept of springshed management in
states like J & K, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh,
Nagaland, West Bengal hilly districts, Meghalaya,
Manipur, Tripura and Mizoram.
• Policy: significant contribution to spring-revival
document as part of Niti Aayog’s thrust areas for the
Indian Himalayan Region
• SOPs – beginning with Dhara Vikas in Sikkim and
followed by the Manual on springshed management
(through ICIMOD.

4. People’s Science Institute
“An Institute for the people, by the people, of the people”
Established in 1988 with a vision of nation-building
Mission: Help eradicate poverty through empowerment
of the rural poor and the productive, sustainable &
equitable use of human and natural resources
Approach: Community Driven and Empowering
Geographical Spread: All over India, with focus on
Himalayan and Bundelkhand regions
Partners: NGOs, Govt. Depts., Research Institutions &
Universities
Pioneering work in the fields of (i) community-led watershed development, (ii) springs
regeneration, (iii) environmental quality monitoring, (iv) fluorosis mitigation, (v) disaster-safe
housing, (vi) system of crop intensification, and (vii) river conservation.

5. Unique Features
PSI’s Participatory Springshed Development
•Need based capacity building of stakeholders
•Hydro-geology based planning of
springsheds
•Community driven approach through water
user groups
•Integrating demand management
•High resolution hydrological monitoring
•Development of spring MIS
PSI’s Outreach

6. • A non government organisation founded in 1986 registered under Societies Registration Act,
1961
• Vision - To be a catalyst for the creation of a society rooted firmly in the principles of dignity,
justice and solidarity.
Mission - To improve the quality of life of rural people – especially women and children and
disadvantaged – in the Himalaya.
• Does this through interventions in Health, Education and Natural Resource Management, and by
providing access to diversified Livelihood.
• Promotes the sustainable ownership and management of common resources by the community.
• Over 33 year experience in water sector and in 2006 pioneered the springshed approach to
spring rejuvenation in the Himalayas in collaboration with ACWADAM and PSI.
Central Himalayan Rural Action Group (CHIRAG)

7. Key strategies followed by CHIRAG
• Building capacities of the local communities and organisations in
understanding the issues and proposed solution - geo-hydrology
and distribution and management of water.
• Proper identification and development of detailed treatment plan of
the springshed.
• Active involvement of the community in the planning the
interventions for rejuvenation of the spring.
• Create a post project operation and maintenance (O&M) budget
for project sustainability.
• Liaise closely with Government (at block, district, state and
national) for scaling up this model and impact ground water policy.
• Document the impact thoroughly and scientifically so that the
impact can be captured accurately and disseminated widely.
Participatory Springshed Management –
Since 2006
Watershed Development - Since 1996
Rural Sanitation – Since 1986
Water Distribution Schemes - Since 1996
Micro-irrigation and Rain Water Harvesting
- Since 1992
CHIRAG Work in Water Sector

8. PRASARI
• A livelihoods promotion institution registered under Societies Registration Act, 1961
• Works with a mandate to fulfill the need for professional services to disadvantaged families
in the society
• Develops partnership with the National and International Agencies to work with and for the
rural disadvantaged households
• Mainly focuses on three aspects e.g. Natural Resource Management, Research Based
Activities and Policy advocacy
• Strongly focuses on working in collaboration with Local Governments, thus to ensure a
cumulative coverage for vulnerable categories across a larger region
• Women is the ‘key constituent’ for any activity, may be in the form of simple SHGs or in the
form of their larger collectives.

9. The Northern hills
19055 HH reached
40% to 200% additional water supply
690 rejuvenated springs
Himalayan foothills
8000 HH reached
40 WUAs
64 DPRs
144 Water sources for rejuvenation
Coastal Sunderbans
50% reduction in salinity and no
submergence in the treated
catchments
Red laterite zone
INR 2500 Crores in funding
allocated by the Govt.
INR 100 Crore/year allocated
by the Govt. for 2 River Basins
2000 Micro watersheds
Our Impact

10. INTRODUCTION
Water cycle, groundwater, aquifers
&
SPRINGS

11. Springs are important, they need to be
protected and conserved…
• WHY?
• WHAT?
• HOW?

12. Legacy of groundwater usage until 19th century
• ACCESS: Access was
widespread but from shallow
sources, often ‘community’
dug wells, springs and
qanats (infiltration galleries).
• EXTRACTION: Human and
animal traction – pulleys,
rahats, mhots.
After: Moench, Kulkarni and Burke, 2013

13. Wells: converting (groundwater)
stocks to flows…
Sources of water: dams, wells and springs…
Dams: converting river flows to stocks…
Springs: a natural source in the
ecosystem…

14. …also, the
GREENEST source
of groundwater
The oldest source of
groundwater…in use
much before dams and
wells…
SPRINGS…

15. Top 10 in groundwater extraction…
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
India China USA Pakistan Iran Bangladesh Mexico Saudi
Arabia
Indonesia Turkey
Groundwater abstraction in km3/year
Source: Margat and van der Gun, 2013
NEARLY HALF THE
ANNUAL GLOBAL
GROUNDWATER
EXTRACTION BY
COUNTRIES THAT
ARE PART OF THE
HIMALAYAN
SYSTEM..

16. Net Groundwater Abstraction
Doll et al., 2012

17. At least 2-3 Million Perennial Springs
(based on various studies on springs)
452 BCM of annually replenishable
groundwater
India: dams, wells and springs
Some 5000-8000 MCM/well
every year
…at 10 lpm, each spring yields a
discharge of 5256 m3 per year
Some 16 BCM is the potential
base flow contribution by spring
discharge each year
1761 major and medium
irrigation projects
690 bcm of usable surface
water (India WRIS, various years)
Some 30 million wells (Shah, 2009)
250 BCM of annual groundwater
extraction (CGWB, various years’
assessments)

18. Groundwater –
remained a blind spot -
sparse data on
groundwater in general
and springs in
particular.
At least 60% dependency
on spring water.. In many
areas, especially in the
Lesser Himalaya, this
dependency is 100%!
Himalaya: a paradox
150 million people
• 50 million resident population
(Census 2011)
• 100 million per year as tourist
footfall (Niti Aayog, 2018)

19. ‘Spring-scapes’ of India

20. Topography and river basins of Meghalaya
after CGWB, 2014

21. Meghalaya: aquifer systems
After CGWB, 2014

22. Springs: sources of many rivers

25. Geological mapping and its correlation with groundwater movement…
Tanmay Kulkarni (2007) – ACWADAM intern in partnership with CHIRAG

26. Why does a
spring yield
water?

27. Why does a well produce water…?
• The permeability or
hydraulic conductivity of the
aquifer…allows water to
flow towards the well.
• The storage of groundwater
in the aquifer due to the
porosity of the rocks/rock
material provides storage of
water to feed the well
through permeable zones.

28. Springs: not just water emerging
from the ground…

29. Aquifers
An aquifer is a rock formation that is saturated with water. An aquifer is able to store
and transmit reasonable quantities of water to sources such as springs and wells.

32. The storage capacity of the aquifer depends on the porosity of the rock formation
Aquifer storage
➢ The volume of aquifer storage can be simply estimated using the relation:
St= A x D
St= Aquifer storage
A= Surface area on which the aquifer is exposed, i.e. aquifer surface area
D= Saturated thickness of the aquifer
? But we do need another factor to account for the fact that water is stored in rocks / rock material
x ?
Geological conditions
tend to vary, both
laterally and
vertically…

33. Beyond porosity and
permeability
How will wells in each of
these systems behave?
How will springs be
different in these two
systems

34. 0
20
40
60
80
100
120
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
R
a
i
n
f
a
l
l
(
m
m
)
D
i
s
c
h
a
r
g
e
(
l
p
m
)
Rainfall (mm) Badarukh mul Baspani dharo Batokuwa mul Bukakhali dhara Maikarol mul Ganja khanepani
Data credit - ICIMOD

35. The hydrological cycle and groundwater
Developed by ACWADAM for Springshed Management Manual (in collaboration with
ICIMOD, Nepal)
Stocks
and flows

36. The hydrological cycle and groundwater
Developed by ACWADAM for Springshed Management Manual (in collaboration with
ICIMOD, Nepal)

37. Time
Quantity
of
water
Spring discharge depletion: resource depletion
Changes in land-use, land-cover, climate, natural hazards

38. 0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
Rainfall (Melli)
PALLO DHARA
SAUNEY DHARA 1
DAHAL DHARA 1
DWAREY DHARA
Dhara Vikas: Rainfall and spring discharge hydrograph
Credit: Mr. Suren Mohra, RM&DD-Sikkim

39. Time
Quantity
of
water
Recharge programme
Managing demand
Sustainability: systems

40. What is behind a spring?
What lies beneath/behind a spring?

41. Groundwater Model
Spring
A spring in a watershed: classical
hydrology

42. A watershed
map

43. A conventional map vs a map with aquifers…

44. Springs, watersheds, aquifers: springsheds
Springshed 1
Springshed 2
1
2
3
4
5
6

45. Shift in perspective: not just a source!
Watershed

46. Mapping aquifers in the mountains…

47. Part of aquifers: resource, supply and demand – common pool
resource
Watershed 1
Watershed 2

48. Meghalaya: a schema of spring systems
Laterite
Lithomarge (clay)
Granite
Granite
Fractured sandstone
with intercalated shale
Wetland / bog
with seeps
Contact
spring
Fracture +
contact
spring system

49. Meghalaya: a schema of spring systems
Bedded sandstone-shale sequence
Springs
Fracture +
depression
spring
system

50. East – Khasi Hills
Name of spring pH Temperature Salinity
Three-and-a-half mile,
Shillong
7-8 63 ̊ F 50 ppm
Madanlyngkhi 6.45 60 ̊ F < 5 ppm
Pynursla 6 58 ̊ F 10 ppm
Wahmawpdang 6.9 68 ̊ F 5 ppm

51. Jowai
Name of spring pH Temperature Salinity
Khimusniang 6 56 ̊ F 23 ppm
Chilliang Raij 6.4 64 ̊ F 38 ppm
Iongpiah 6 58 ̊ F 10 ppm
Myntdu River 6.5 64 ̊ F 1 ppm

52. Springshed management is a
transdisciplinary approach

53. Chakosa Neima, Demul village, Lahaul-Spiti
N32.14o
E78.77o
4600 m asl
Bharmani, Bharmaur, Chamba
N32.43o
E76.53o
2720 m asl
Thori, Ayodhyapuri VDC, Chitwan, Nepal
(India-Nepal Border)
N27.37o
E84.57o
296 m asl