Background

Mountain natural springs are the main fresh water sources which serve nearly 40 millions of people across the Himalayas.The water problems of hill towns like Shimla are a direct result of drying of springs. According to one estimate, almost all 58,000 inhabited villages in IHR are dependent on the natural water springs or small streams originated from springs, of which at least half of the springs are drying up or have witnessed decline in water discharge resulting in acute water shortages across thousands of Himalayan villages and hill towns.

GBPIHED through its various partners is taking lead in maintaining the Geo Database of spring inventory & developing demonstrative models of Gram Jal Abhyaranya in at least one village of selected districts of 12 IHR States that also include majorily the aspirational districts identified by NITI Ayog. This will help the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, New Delhi in taking lead in launching a massive drive for Himalayan spring rejuvenation using Village Water Sanctuary (Gram Jal Abhyaranya) approach for rejuvenating at least one drying spring in each of the 58,000 villages with the active support of State Forest Departments and other Ministries and organizations.

"Aspirational districts of IHR"

Kupwara (Jammu Kashmir), Chamba (Himachal Pradesh), Champawat/Almora^* (Uttarakhand), Darjeeling^* (West Bengal), West Sikkim (Sikkim); Namsai (Arunachal Pradesh), Dima Hasao^* (Assam), Kiphire (Nagaland), Chandel (Manipur), Mamit (Mizoram), Dhalai (Tripura), Ribhoi (Meghalaya).

Envisaged Outcomes

• Baseline data/information of mountain springs in terms of i.e. seasonal, dry-up and perennial spring and springs characteristics in inhabited villages of all 12 Himalayan States.
• Operational field demonstration models in each Aspirational Districts in all 12 IHR states for field training and capacity building and creation of 1200 para- hydrogeologists.
• Revival/Rejuvenation of dry up spring(s) in water stress area of Himalayan State using the Technology and Community based approaches through state agencies.
• State specific policy documents on conservation and management options for monitoring, protection, enhancement and restoration strategies for Springs.