Context

Union Tribal Affairs Ministry has launched “1000 Spring Initiatives” and an online portal on GIS-based Spring Atlas with hydrological and chemical properties of the Springs on the occasion.

About

• The ‘1000 Springs Initiative’ aims at improving access to safe and adequate water for the tribal communities living in a difficult and inaccessible part of rural areas in the country.
• It is an integrated solution around natural springs.
• It includes the provision of infrastructure for piped water supply for drinking; provision of water for irrigation; community-led total sanitation initiatives; and provision for water for backyard nutrition gardens, generating sustainable livelihood opportunities for the tribal people.
• It will help in harnessing the potential of perennial springs’ water to address the natural scarcity of water in tribal areas.

Spring Atlas

• Springs are natural sources of groundwater discharge and have been used extensively in the mountainous regions across the world, including India.
• However, in the central and eastern Indian belt with more than 75% tribal population, it remains largely unrecognized and under-utilized.
• An online portal on GIS-based Spring Atlas has been developed to make these data easily accessible from an online platform.
• Presently, data of more than 170 springs have been uploaded on the Spring Atlas.