Springshed Management in the Mountainous Regions of India.

Abstract

Springs, the visible manifestation of groundwater on the earth’s surface, serve as the primary source of water for millions of inhabitants in the mountain ranges across India. A gross estimate of nearly 200 million Indians depends on spring water mainly in the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR), Western Ghats (Sahyadri mountain range, traversing the states of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu), Eastern Ghats (Northern Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamilnadu) and Central India (Satpura and Vindhyas mountains). Water resources are a vital aspect of the mountainous ecosystem, which is the source of several major rivers that are crucial for the agriculture and industry of the nation. The mountainous ecosystem also contains several wetlands, lakes, and springs that are essential for the survival of aquatic species and the region’s biodiversity. Water resources, including springs, are indispensable for sustaining life in the IHR and other mountainous regions of India.