Study of water quality, socio-economic status and policy intervention in spring ecosystems of Tripura, Northeast India

Abstract

Spring is vital in all hilly areas. Without question, springs have aided in the advancement of human civilization. Mountain springs supply water to rural families in the Northeast. This spring ecological study was conducted in Dhalai, Tripura, with socio-economic policy significance. The springs chosen were Jamircherra (JS) and Govindabari (GS). The seasonal features of each spring were studied. The monsoon season is used to bring the life-giving flow of perennial springs. Several water quality indicators like WT, pH, EC, TDS, Turb, TH, DO, BOD, Ca+2, Mg+2, Cl−, No3, Po4 were examined to assess the risk of spring contamination. The most common aberrant results are samples having excessive phosphate (PO42−) and turbidity levels compared to norms. The spring's water quality was tested using the weighted arithmetic index methodology. The water quality at the two springs was adequate but not great throughout the year, causing human deaths from water-borne diseases. Thus, policy implementation was emphasized to save the spring and human life. A physicochemical evaluation of both springs was used to describe a techno-legal component of Environmental regulations.

Impact of disturbance index on spring ecosystem and its policy implementation

“…Dhalai district is ecologically vulnerable, with underdeveloped infrastructure and remoteness. The research area receives an above-average amount of rain each year (2150 mm), 70% of which falls during the monsoon season (April-September) (Barman et al, 2022).…”

“…Mountain spring water is regarded as the primary source of freshwater that meets the needs of various sectors such as industrial, agriculture, domestic, and other sectors (Agarwal et al, 2013;Das et al, 2018; Barman et al, 2022). Mountain spring water is the most dynamic natural resource because of the important function it plays in the upkeep of the ecological system, as stated by Das (2017).…”

“…Spring water demands have continuously increased in all sectors over the last few decades, resulting in a severe and long-term crisis in this resource's supply (Das et al, 2018). The use of water resources in an unscientific manner, combined with poor management, exacerbates the situation, particularly in developing countries (Thapa et al, 2017; Barman et al, 2022). When a water resource is vulnerable to climate change, non-climatic factors (Chettri et al, 2020; Chhetri and Kumar, 2018) such as population growth, rapid economic development, and land-use changes exacerbate the effects of climate change on freshwater resources (Koutroulis et al, 2019;Chhetri et al, 2020;Stathatou et al, 2016).…”

Assessing and modelling drinking water quality at the railway stations of Tripura, India, with a possible strategic solution

“…Recently, a number of research work has been done on water quality in Tripura (e.g. Barman et al 2022 ; Karmakar and Singh 2021 ; Roy et al 2021 ; Roy and Manna 2021 ; Paul et al 2019 ; Singh and Kumar 2015 ; Lodh et al 2014 ; Sarkar and Mishra 2014 ; Banerjee et al 2011 ). Based on the bibliometric analysis, maximum research follows water quality parameters based on micro-spatial scale.…”

Factors associated with food safety practice and drinking-water quality of food establishments in Bishoftu Town, Ethiopia

“…Many studies showed that food-related health problems are directly or indirectly associated with water [21,22]. Failure to ensure drinking water quality may expose food outlet customers and the community to the risk of outbreaks of many infectious diseases [23,24]. As a result, the importance of clean water to human health and well-being is encapsulated in the Human Right to Water and Sanitation, which states that "everyone has the right to obtain clean, sufficient and affordable water for personal and domestic uses" reaffirmed by the United Nations General Assembly and Human Rights Council [25].…”