TMI completes seasonal discharge measurement of springs in Soreong

WATER SOURCES COMPROMISED BY CLIMATE CHANGE AND LAND USE SHIFTS
GANGTOK, 27 May: Under the Spring project funded by Arghyam, Bangalore, TMI-India has been carrying out “seasonal discharge level measurements/ monitoring of springs”.
In the Gram Panchayat Units of Soreng block - Soreng, Timberbong, Buriakhop, Malbasey, Tharpu, Zoom, Samsing-Gelling, Chumbong, Chakhung, Singling-Gumpadara, Chota Samdong-Arubotay, Khanisherbung, Mabong-Segeng and Suldung Kamling, this seasonal measurement has been completed, informs a press release.
According to the release, the Soreng block in West Sikkim is one of the drought prone areas of West Sikkim. Ironically, while some areas in the block have sufficient and underutilized water resources, some areas are reeling under acute drinking water scarcity.

Furthermore, availability of drinking water is a big issue in the dry winter season in almost all the GPUs. Shortage of drinking water has been recorded in Zoom, Chumbong, Suldung-Kamling and Mabong-Segeng GPUs while poor management of water is witnessed in almost every GPU which can be attributed to lack of water governance mechanism at the local level.
This study and field interviews revealed that springs are gradually drying-up and disappearing in the rural areas, the release informs. The primary causes of the drying-up and disappearance of springs which TMI-India has identified after a series of field visits and informal interviews with the local people are erratic rainfall and sometimes prolonged dry period over the last 10 to 15 years.
Other reasons include land-use change, development activities such as road construction (e.g. PMGSY) and construction works in the spring catchments, underground tunneling and use of dynamites in the areas of hydropower projects. All these factors retard the percolation of water into the aquifers (groundwater storage system) affecting both the recharge of groundwater and the discharge of springs.
In the meantime, TMI-India has been carrying out various sensitization programmes on drinking water scarcity, institution building (Water User Groups), capacity building of the Panchayats, Bare Foot Engineers and local plumbers for addressing water related issues in the project areas while Rural Management and Development Department, Government of Sikkim, is carrying out catchment area treatment for rejuvenation and recharge of springs and groundwater in the state, the release adds.