ITANAGAR, May 19: A recently held stakeholder consultation meeting on springshed management in Arunachal Pradesh has called for urgent scientific and institutional collaboration to address the growing crisis of declining spring discharge and rural water insecurity across the region.
The consultation was organized by G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment (GBPNIHE), North-East Regional Centre (NERC), in collaboration with Central Himalayan Rural Action Group (CHIRAG), with support from HCL Foundation.
The meeting brought together representatives from GBPNIHE-NERC, CHIRAG, HCL Foundation, Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), North East Initiative Development Agency (NEIDA), Water Resources Department (WRD), Rural Development Department (RDD), and Soil & Water Conservation (S&WC) Department to deliberate on the emerging threats to spring-based water systems in the state.
The meeting was coordinated by Tridipa Biswas, Scientist-C (GBPNIHE-NERC), who stated that declining spring discharge in Arunachal Pradesh is increasingly linked to climate variability, deforestation, changing land-use patterns, and unsustainable development practices. She emphasized the urgent need for hydrogeological investigations, springshed mapping, groundwater monitoring, and integration of traditional ecological knowledge to ensure sustainable water resource management in mountain ecosystems.
She stressed that protecting spring systems is essential not only for ecological sustainability but also for securing rural livelihoods and drinking water sources in remote Himalayan communities.
Addressing the gathering, Dr Paromita Ghosh observed that springshed management must be treated as a long-term environmental governance priority closely connected with climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable mountain development.
Representing CHIRAG, Abhishek Likam highlighted that successful spring rejuvenation requires convergence between hydrogeological assessment, community participation, and institutional coordination. He stressed that collaborative frameworks involving data sharing, aligned planning, and joint field implementation are critical for addressing the complexity of spring degradation in the region.
Speaking on behalf of the HCL Foundation under the HCL Harit initiative, Ankit Kumar expressed interest in supporting collaborative pilot projects, technical training programmes, community awareness initiatives, and scientific monitoring systems for springshed management in the Northeastern Himalayan region.