Change in springs
Many springs changed colour and flow after the earthquake. The Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology says a large number of springs became completely dry, but some began to discharge murky water with a burnt smell. In other places, discharge levels recorded perceptible increases -- about eight times the normal flow in the case of a hot-water spring near Banas village. A similar change was noticed in the hot spring called Garam kund beyond Bhatwari.
But in Netala village, a spring used for drinking water dried up completely and in Maneri Bhali, villagers reported their springs were erratic. While one spring near the village dried up, another on the outskirts began to discharge a much larger volume of water. Jamak villagers reported their spring changed colour several times before regaining its usual clear tone. Geologists say spring flows could have increased because ground vibration may have increased in the rock strata.
Though a scientific follow-up was not done to monitor the fate of these springs, there are reports that in Dhedsari and a few other places, some springs have come alive again.
Related Content
- Landscape of climate finance for agriculture, forestry, other land uses, and fisheries
- Distributional impacts of COVID-19 in the Middle East and North Africa region
- Turn the tide: the state of the world’s water 2021
- Working with the environment to protect people: UNEP’s Covid-19 response
- Working With the Environment to Protect People UNEP’s COVID-19 Response
- Conserving springs as climate change adaptation action: lessons from Chibo–Pashyor Watershed, Teesta River Basin, Kalimpong, West Bengal, India