Spring Water Management to Ensure Long Term Sustainability in North-Eastern Regions of India

Abstract

Spring water is the lifeline of the Himalayan communities. They depend on it for drinking and household use and farming. In recent decades, the region has been facing acute water shortage in the lean period due to climatic variabilities, especially rainfall. The rainfall pattern has changed from low-intensity, longer duration to high-density, shorter duration, which causes the “too little and too much water” syndrome. Rainwater does not have sufficient time to infiltrate due to high reliefs and undulating terrains. As a result, quick runoff dominates the region, reducing groundwater recharge and health. Springs also contribute to the base flow of many rivers in the region. The changing land use and land cover is another issue in water management, and the different studies indicate that deforestation, forest fire, mounting tourist spots, rapidly growing towns, and development activities reduce the infiltration capacity. In this region, most rural populations are completely dependent on perennial springs and streams for water needs such as drinking, agriculture, livestock feeding, and other household consumption. It is noticed that sudden water scarcity and demand increased during the non-monsoon period, which is uncertain for the long-term sustainability of the human population in the region. Hence, different water-saving techniques must be adopted to sustain this water scarcity condition at the household level and in irrigation practices. This can be achieved by bringing awareness of different water minimizing and saving techniques at the community level. Also, implementing a highly efficient irrigation system during the lean period instead of a flood irrigation system such as gravity-fed drip irrigation, bamboo drip irrigation, and pitcher irrigation is recommended.