Conv ened by Him motthan, TATA Trusts and Arghyam with The Springs Initiative

Springs, Lives and Livelihoods A PARTNERSHIP TOWARDS REVIVING AND REJUVENATING UTTARAKHAND’S SPRINGS State Level Workshop Dehradun, 15-16 December 2015

A Briefing Paper by the Springs Initiative

A Springs Initiative Briefing Paper

Springs, lives and livelihoods A partnership towards reviving and rejuvenating Uttarakhand’s springs

The abundant springs of India’s mountains, be they the Himalaya in the north and east or the Western and Eastern Ghats, are the source of rivers, are vital to preservation of biodiversity and the lifeline for human settlements in these regions. Springs emerging from fissures and fractures are the major source of drinking water for hill communities. In fact, 90% of drinking water systems in Himalayan states are derived from springs.

While springs typically are a function of the hydrogeology and rainfall patterns of an area, increasingly anthropogenic causes such as land use changes, deforestation, sanitation and population growth, as well as climate change, are affecting the availability, quantity and quality of their waters. Once perennial springs are now becoming seasonal and place enormous stress on livelihoods and biodiversity. Being the only lifeline resource this has an immediate and direct impact on people’s lives as well.

Simple science-based and community-led springshed management interventions have proven to greatly enhance discharge in springs even in the lean seasons. Natural springs are critical to providing drinking water as well as water for agriculture in Uttarakhand. A state-wide springshed program would greatly enhance the sustainability of this finite resource and ensure lifeline supply for its population. Such a program would entail a paradigmatic shift in water governance from focussing on developing water sources to the management of water as a resource in aquifers.

The collective knowledge and intent of government, the community, civil society and academia can be harnessed to create the necessary policy environment, the institutional architecture and requisite investments for rejuvenating springs across Uttarakhand. The Government of Uttarakhand has a ready partner in the Springs Initiative, which has been reviving springs across India including in Uttarakhand.

The  Springs  Initiative  Several   organizations   have   been   facilitating   communities  in   reviving   springs   in   mountainous   regions   across   the  country.   Some   eighteen   months   ago   these   organizations  came  together  as  a  platform  called  the  Springs   Initiative,  to   learn   and   adopt   best   practices   and   disseminate   their  models   of   springshed  management.   The  Springs   Initiative  currently  comprises   thirteen  organisations   (four   are   from  Uttarakhand)   including   two   north-­‐eastern   state  governments.   While   the   partners   approach   the  management   of   springs   through   varying   lenses,   the  commonalities  that  underpin  this  consortium  are:  

• Program   approach   to   rejuvenating   springs   for  drinking  water  security  

• Hydrogeology-­‐based  springshed  management    • Action   research   to   generate   evidence   to   enhance  

understanding  of  springshed  systems    • Cross-­‐learning   and   capacity   enhancement  

between  and  across  partners    • Creation   of   scalable   models   of   springshed  

management    for  adoption  by  governments  

A Springs Initiative Briefing Paper

FIGURE  1  SIMPLE  HYDROGEOLOGICAL  CYCLE  OF  A  SPRING  

Philosophy and Practice

The underlying principles that govern the development of springsheds by the Springs Initiative partners are participation, equity and sustainability. These principles are embedded in practice of springshed management by recognizing that ground water is a common pool resource and empowering local communities through capacity enhancement. A cadre of para-hydrogeologists or parabs trained in various aspects of hydrogeology-based springshed management (Figure 1) have filled an important skills gap for implementation and provision of services at the community level.

The Springs Initiative in Uttarakhand

In Uttarakhand the Springs Initiative partners – People’s Science Institute (PSI), Central Himalayan Rural Action Group (CHIRAG), Himalaya Seva Sangh (HSS), Himmotthan Society (and its four partners) - have been working relentlessly to revive natural springs in five districts namely Nainital, Rudra Prayag, Tehri Garhwal, Pihoragar and Bageswar. Till date their work through communities have identified over three hundred and fifty springs and already many show great success, benefitting more than a hundred thousand people directly and indirectly.

Approaches and measures used to improve natural recharge include trenches, pits and check-dams in the catchment area of the springs and these are protected as a ‘springs sanctuary’ through community support (Figure 2). The boundaries of recharge and discharge areas – the springshed - are identified by mapping the hydrological layout of natural springs. Community members are also trained in regularly measuring water discharge and testing water quality. They are also encouraged to protect their resource and source from bacteriological contamination through social fencing.

Different evidence-based models of springshed management have emerged from interventions by the Springs Initiative partners in Uttarakhand. Systematic data collection of over thirty technical and socio-econimic variables including rainfall, spring discharge rate, water quality and livelihoods are beginning to show promising results. CHIRAG for example have been tabulating rainfall and discharge data since the year 2012 and has been able to demonstrate the recharge patterns of the springs being managed and monitored. Lean season discharge has trebled in revived springs since

FIGURE  2  SOCIAL  FENCING  AND  INSTALLATION  OF  LOW  COST  SAND  FILTERS  (HSS)

A Springs Initiative Briefing Paper

September 2014 (Figure 3). This equated to an additional 260 litres per person or 2000 cubic metres additional discharge per spring. PSI data from springshed protection in the region also shows statistically significant reductions in bacterial contamination.

FIGURE  3  CHIRAG'S   INTERVENTIONS   IN   FOUR  SPRINGS   INDICATING   INCREASE   IN  SPRING  DISCHARGE  DESPITE   LOW  QUANTUM  OF  RAINFALL.  INTERVENTIONS  IN  3  OF  4  SPRINGS  BEGAN  IN  SEPTEMBER  2014

As a result of an outcome that emerged after the second national Springs Initiative meeting and advocacy workshop held in June 2015 in Bhimtal, CGWB (Central Groundwater Board, Ministry of Water Resources, Government of India) and CHIRAG have started training programs and one of the first was for community members. Additionally, capacity building and training programs are organized for different tiers of government personnel, civil society organizations and village level institutions. Besides hundreds of community members, several NGO partners and associates have also been trained in the last several years.

Springs in Uttarakhand State Policy and Program

The importance of springs in the lives and livelihoods of people inhabiting the mountainous regions of Uttarakhand cannot be overemphasized. And with the ever decreasing perennial springs, creating the necessary policy environment for revival, rejuvenation and protection of springs has become a requisite. This includes protection of springs from externalities of infrastructure development including roads. Such a policy ties well with the Government of India’s strategic focus

The  Springs  Initiative  has  revived  more  than  350  springs  in  5  districts  of  Uttarakhand:  Nainital,  Rudra  Prayag,  Tehri  Garhwal,  Pihoragar  and  Bageswar,  benefiting  thousands  of  people.  And  these  efforts  are  cost  effective:  between  Rs  8,500-­‐  30,000/ha.  

A Springs Initiative Briefing Paper

on sustaining Himalayan geo-systems in the context of climate change.

The government’s programs on improving the availability of water have often focused on supply side interventions. However, the model promoted by the Springs Initiative is different in that it involves communities to identify and map recharge areas followed by steps to rejuvenate and protect them. And these efforts are cost effective - ranging from as little as Rs. 8,500/ha to Rs. 30,000/ha – as demonstrated by CHIRAG and PSI respectively.1 Further, PSI has found that recharge treatment areas for springs is on average 2ha as compared to 10ha used by traditional watershed management approaches. This would potentially reduce overall costs by 80% if a springshed approach is adopted. Clearly, public investments required for springshed management will not overburden the state treasury.

Contours of a Springs Program

There are many challenges when it comes to effectively managing springs including a general lack of knowledge of springs, hydrogeology and aquifers. A paucity of skilled human resources with an understanding of springshed management, a poor understanding of eco-hydrogeology, water quality and biodiversity and the connection to groundwater, and difficulties in integrating institutional support and participation into springshed management, add layers of complexity.

The complexities that entail springshed management make a compelling case for a broad statewide Springs Program. It would provide an overarching frame under which some of the institutional difficulties can be rationalized. Further, the evidence-based models that have emerged from the work of the Springs Initiative would require a paradigm shift in the practice of groundwater management that entails a shift from source to resource, from supply augmentation to demand management, from ‘ridge to valley’ to ‘valley to valley’ (in the context of Himalayas), from private resource to common pool resource, and from disjointed governance to coordination between departments including the forest department. These cognitive and systemic shifts are required for successful and sustainable springshed management.

The key components of a Springs Program arising out of the collective experience of the Springs Initiative partners across the country is outlined below. These are not linear and can occur concurrently.

a) Mapping of springs and springsheds: A situation analysis to ascertain the number and locations of springs, mapping springsheds and delineating aquifers across the state to understand their extent in Uttarakhand and provide a baseline. [The Government of Sikkim has successfully completed the inventory of springs in their state; Meghalaya has commenced the exercise.]

b) Mobilizing communities: Community mobilization plays a crucial role at all stages of planning the interventions. With the help of traditional knowledge, communities are able to understand the various aspects of springshed management and derive a sense of ownership. Involving gram panchayat institutions from the get-go can ensure sustainability.

                                                                                                                         1  CHIRAG’s  costs  include  essential  infrastructure  and  community  contribution;  in  addition  to  infrastructure  PSI’s  costs  include  facilitation  such  as  human  resources,  knowledge  transfer,  community  contribution  etc.  

A Springs Initiative Briefing Paper

c) Capacity building: Since the practice is based on hydrogeology, science is simplified and disseminated to communities. They are also trained in measuring discharge, rainfall and sometimes even water quality parameters such as fecal coliform using field test kits. The same training can be imparted to line department personnel. Besides, training sessions on sensitization about springs and hydrogeology based participatory management is also essential for bringing a mental shift towards community management approaches.

d) Infrastructure interventions: Requisite infrastructure in the delineated springshed, such as trenches and fences, for recharge augmentation and source protection adhering to the norms set out for drinking water. Interventions would also involve setting up protocols and allocations to manage supply-side and demand-side activities, regular data collection on rainfall, discharge and water quality, operations and maintenance and conflict resolution.

e) Convergence and coordination: Resources for springshed management could be obtained through convergence of existing government schemes including MGNREGS, National Rural Drinking Water Program, Integrated Watershed Development Program and others, as well as collaboration between responsible line departments. These very programs should be able to offer enough resources for providing the basic infrastructure, technological support, training and capacity building at different levels. The recently promulgated Jal Kranti Abhiyan also provides an enabling mechanism for convergence of programs and investments. The government must also put in place an enabling institutional architecture for communities to access spring recharge areas including in forest lands.

Conclusion

A state Springs Program is urgently needed in Uttarakhand to manage springsheds so that access to safe and sustainable water for lives and improving livelihoods, including those involved in agriculture, is enhanced. Conservation of springs and protecting them from unregulated infrastructure development will ensure sustainability and better adaption to climate change. A policy framework is needed where the government plays an enabling role in partnership with the civil society to facilitate communities manage their springsheds. Himmotthan’s partnership with the state government to improve rural livelihoods through community-led initiatives, including natural resource management, is an excellent example of such a collaboration. The Springs Initiative with its collective experience, expertise and learnings is willing to partner with the Uttarakhand government to develop and roll out a state Springs Program. From context specific models to capacity building to raising awareness and advocacy with communities, the Springs Initiative can effectively complement the Uttarakhand government’s initiatives in this regard.