Surveys to trace missing springs in Himalayan states

Surveys to trace missing springs in hilly pockets of the Himalayas from the region stretching from Jammu and Kashmir to the North East will be conducted by the Centre to find a solution to water woes of locals.
This is the first such exercise to be conducted by the Centre.
The surveys will be conducted in collaboration with state governments, officials in the water resources ministry said.
The Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) has already submitted a proposal to the ministry to conduct pilot studies in Uttarakhand and Sikkim in the project's first phase.
Rejuvenation of springs, which will be identified as potential resources of water in the first phase, will take place in the second leg of the project, which is expected to take off "soon" after the ministry approves it, they said.

"People in hills rely heavily on two resources: springs and rivers. But it has been observed that springs have dried, disappeared at several places due to variety of reasons like disasters including landslides, change in climatic conditions, etc.," said the officials, who did not wished to be named.

"So, to deal with the problem of shortage, faced during summer particularly, in the long-run, the CGWB has proposed to conduct the study in the first such attempt," they added.
The sources cited an example of a hot water resource in Gaurikund in Uttarakhand which disappeared after the 2013 floods and landslides in the northern state.

The CGWB has already conducted a survey there.
According to the officials, Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh had also discussed the issue of two springs that disappeared in the state with Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti.
"For now, we will conduct pilot studies in Uttarakhand and Sikkim with the help of the state governments there. The two states have responded positively," the officials said.
On revival of springs, they said each spring has a different character and therefore, the time it takes to be restored may vary.
The revival of springs is dependent on how effectively groundwater recharges in the area and the rate of water withdrawal there.