Springshed management in Northeast: NEHARI, NIH & CGWB join hands for capacity building

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: NEHARI (North Eastern Hydraulic and Allied Research Institute), NIH (National Institute of Hydrology) and CGWB (Central Ground Water Board) joined hands for capacity building in springshed management in Northeast India diminishing springs in north-eastern hills pose huge challenges to ensure water security in the region.

To achieve the over-arching goal of ensuring water supply to each household in mountainous regions, springshed management programs have become the need of the hour.

Following the recommendations of NITI Ayog on capacity building of state agencies for springshed rejuvenation programs, while keeping the importance of these water pygmies in view Ministry of Jal Shakti, the Government of India has initiated various activities on springshed management in the North Eastern region.

Under the leadership of Rajiv Yadav, IAS(R), Chairman, Brahmaputra Board, Guwahati, NEHARI, an arm of Brahmaputra Board organized a three-day training workshop on - "Scientific Data Collection and Processing Techniques for Springshed Management and Rejuvenation" in association with NIH and CGWB during September 6-8, 2022. The training workshop was inaugurated on the 6th of September 2022 by Dr SV Vijaya Kumar, Scientist 'G' & Head - North East Regional Centre, NIH, Guwahati and SC Kapil, Regional Director, CGWB, NER, Guwahati. In their inaugural address, Dr SV Vijaya Kumar and SC Kapil stressed the need for springshed management in North Eastern States while discussing the efforts of NIH and CGWB towards addressing the issues of diminishing springs across the Indian Himalayas.

The course of the programme is tailored for junior to mid-level officers of the Government Departments related to the water resources sector serving in the North East Region (NER). This training workshop was designed to inculcate knowledge on Springshed Management to help in better conservation and rejuvenation of spring water. Twenty-eight government officials serving in the North Eastern States of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, and Tripura participated in the training workshop. A total of fifteen lectures, including four field lectures, were delivered by the scientists of NIH and CGWB on various topics about springshed management.

Dr SS Rawat, Scientist 'E', NIH, Roorkee, stressed the need for a comprehensive inventory of springs for the Indian Himalayan States. The importance of geological investigation in the identification of the recharge area of the springs was elaborated by Biplab Ray, Scientist 'E', CGWB, Guwahati. Casino Kent and Mophi Mili scientists from CGWB also delivered a lecture on the genesis of spring in the context of North Eastern states of India.

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