Methods to investigate the hydrology of the Himalayan springs: a review

Chinnasamy, Pennan; Prathapar, S. A.

doi:10.5337/2016.205

Cited by 29 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 69 publications

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“…The greater number and high yield of springs in the northern parts can be correlated with the high degree of weathering and fracturing of gneisses in area. This shows that the occurrence and discharge of springs is influenced by the spatial variation in geology (Chinnasamy and Prathapar, 2016).…”

Section: Slope Aspectmentioning

confidence: 85%

“…Also, the spring water quality is reported to be deteriorating, being a serious issue for society and the environment. However, the studies on spring hydrogeology in the Nepal region of the Himalayas are very limited (Chinnasamy and Prathapar, 2016). Therefore, it seems necessary to create database on springs at local level so that effective planning, monitoring and protection of groundwater system can be carried out in hills and mountains.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Distribution and classification of springs in Bansbari area of Melamchi Municipality, Sindhupalchowk, Nepal

Pandit¹,

Shakya²,

Shrestha³

2019

Journal of Nepal Geological Society

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Springs are the primary source of drinking water and irrigation in hills and mountains in Nepal. In recent years, the life sustaining springs are reported to be drying and degrading in quality. However, there is a lack of information and knowledge in various aspects of springs in Nepal. This has limited the scope for groundwater development and management in hills and mountains. The present study focuses on identifying, surveying and keeping records of spring sources in the Bansbari area of Melamchi Municipality, Sindhupalchowk, Nepal, and intends to understand the distribution of springs in the area. Assessment of spring water quality and classification of springs is other major component of this study. Out of forty-one springs observed in the area, 85% are perennial and others are seasonal in nature. It is found that majority of the springs are located in the middle altitude ranging from 1000 to 1350m above mean sea level and in moderate slope varying from 10° to 35°. In terms of land use, 37% are located in forest followed by 34%in bushes and 29% in agricultural land. In terms of stream density, 61% of springs are located in places with low stream density. In terms of type of deposit, 51% are located in colluviums, followed by 25% in rock and 24% in residual soil. The springs in the study area are classified as depression spring and fracture spring. They are mostly non-thermal with weakly mineralized water ranging from soft to hard. The general order of dominance of major cations in the sampled springs is Ca2+>Mg2+>Na+>K+ and major anions is HCO3-> Cl->SO42-. Springs of magnitude fifth and less are observed in the study area with significant decrease of discharge in the dry season. Regular monitoring of spring discharges is recommended to quantify the groundwater in the area.

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Section: Slope Aspectmentioning

confidence: 85%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution and classification of springs in Bansbari area of Melamchi Municipality, Sindhupalchowk, Nepal

Pandit¹,

Shakya²,

Shrestha³

2019

Journal of Nepal Geological Society

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“…Identifying dominant spring recharge zones is a prerequisite for successful management and augmentation of springs through a suite of potential interventions such as infiltration structures (ponds and trenches) and land management activities to sustain water availability and reliability (Kresic and Bonacci 2010). Depending on the objectives and scale of the intended study, appropriate choice of physical, tracer and numerical modeling-based methods can be used to delineate and estimate groundwater recharge (Scanlon et al 2002;Chowdhury et al 2010;Chinnasamy and Prathapar 2016). The combination of geophysical investigations, hydro-geochemistry and naturally existing tracers-the environmental isotopes ( 2 H, 18 O and 3 H)-can provide critical insights into the spatial distribution of groundwater aquifers and their recharge areas (Clark and Fritz 1997).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The combination of geophysical investigations, hydro-geochemistry and naturally existing tracers-the environmental isotopes ( 2 H, 18 O and 3 H)-can provide critical insights into the spatial distribution of groundwater aquifers and their recharge areas (Clark and Fritz 1997). To understand the groundwater recharge dynamics in data-scarce, small, ungauged mountain catchments, tracers (natural and artificial) and geophysical methods have been widely used to identify groundwater residence time and to locate recharge zones (Stimson et al 1993;Mathieu and Bariac 1996;Chinnasamy and Prathapar 2016). The environmental isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen isotopes (δ 18 O and δD) have been used to determine recharge mechanisms, trace the origin of spring systems, and estimate residence time of groundwater in the Himalayan region (Jeelani et al 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Delineation of spring recharge zones using environmental isotopes to support climate-resilient interventions in two mountainous catchments in Far-Western Nepal

Matheswaran

Khadka

Dhaubanjar³

et al. 2019

Hydrogeol J

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Though springs are the primary source of water for communities in the mid-hills of Nepal, an in-depth scientific understanding of spring systems is missing, preventing the design of effective climate-resilient interventions for long-term sustainability of springs. This study marks the first attempt to combine environmental isotopes analysis with hydrometric and hydrogeological measurements to identify dominant recharge zones for springs in two mountainous catchments-Banlek and Shikarpur-in Far-Western Nepal. In total, 422 water samples collected from rainfall, springs and streams between March 2016 and March 2017 were analyzed for their isotopic composition (δ 18 O and δD). Isotopic composition of rainwater shows seasonality, suggesting that different sources of water vapor cause rains in monsoon and in dry season. Rainfall responses of individual springs were used to identify connections to unconfined and deeper groundwater strata. The isotopic composition of springs in the two catchments ranges from −9.55 to −8.06‰ for δ 18 O and −67.58 to −53.51‰ for δD. The isotopic signature of the spring sources falls close to the local meteoric water line for the corresponding season, indicating strong rainfall contribution to springs. Altitudinal isotopic gradients suggest mean recharge elevation of 2,600-2,700 m asl for springs in Shikarpur, which lies beyond the surface-water catchment, and a recharge elevation of 1,000-1,100 m asl for Banlek, which partially extends beyond the surface-water catchment. The demarcated recharge zones will be used by government agencies to implement recharge interventions to increase the resiliency and reliability of springs in Far-Western Nepal.

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“…Studies on springs have received limited attention in Himalaya though it falls under Global Biodiversity Hotspot (Tambe et al 2011). With increased human intervention, drying of springs is becoming widespread across the Himalaya (Shivanna et al 2008;Chinnasamy and 20 Page 2 of 13…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quality of water resources in Kullu Valley in Himachal Himalayas, India: perspective and prognosis

et al. 2018

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The water quality in mountain regions of Himalaya is considered to be good and quantity adequate. However, recent reports suggest that urbanisation and population growth have been tremendous, which are impacting the land use/cover changes and also endangering the water resources both in quality and quantity. This paper elaborates the systematic investigation carried out on different attributes impacting the drinking water resources in Kullu valley. Two approaches were employed in this study: (1) ex-ante approach involving field survey and secondary data analysis from ancillary sources and (2) hydrochemical approach for the measurement of water quality parameters from springs. Results from ex-ante approach infer rise in population of about 15% during 2001-2011, which led to a significant change in land use pattern, microclimate and also increased water demand. Hydrochemistry of the water samples in the study area has indicated that the current status of spring waters is satisfactory for drinking purposes with a few incidences of high NO 3 − which is mostly attributed to contamination from sewage, while F − , Cl − and TDS contamination is mainly confined to hot springs. From both ex-ante approach and primary hydrochemical data it can be inferred that springs need to be restored in terms of both quantity and quality. Hydrochemical interpretation suggests two main groups of samples: (1) low TDS and Ca-Mg-Cl-HCO 3 type, which are mainly recharging waters with very less interaction with the aquifer material and (ii) moderate TDS and Mg-Ca-Cl, Ca-Na-HCO 3 , Na-CaCl-SO 4 and Ca-Mg-HCO 3 and have undergone water-rock interaction. Based on the inferences obtained from the Piper's, Chadha's and Durov's classification no evidence of hot springs contaminating or contributing to other cold springs and shallow groundwater (hand pump) is found. The study concludes that the water resources are vulnerable to anthropogenic interventions and needs treatment prior to drinking. Periodic monitoring of water quality and adopting proper treatment procedures are essential for supplying safe and sustainable water to the community in the Kullu valley, Himachal Pradesh.

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Methods to investigate the hydrology of the Himalayan springs: a review

Cited by 29 publications

References 69 publications

Distribution and classification of springs in Bansbari area of Melamchi Municipality, Sindhupalchowk, Nepal

Distribution and classification of springs in Bansbari area of Melamchi Municipality, Sindhupalchowk, Nepal

Delineation of spring recharge zones using environmental isotopes to support climate-resilient interventions in two mountainous catchments in Far-Western Nepal

Quality of water resources in Kullu Valley in Himachal Himalayas, India: perspective and prognosis

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