Sustainable Water Resource Management: Issues, Challenges & Solutions

In the hilly regions of the Himalayas, the springs serve as the main source of water that sustains life. For ages, springs have been critical for the societies that have evolved in the region. However, rapid population explosion and urbanisation are threatening the water sources at present. In the Ukhrul town of Manipur, springs are life. However, pollution and deforestation have a serious impact on the water resources, which compromises the quality and quantity. In the present study, the status of the springs that provide water for drinking and other domestic uses to the Ukhrul town was assessed during 2022-2023. For the study, spring water physico-chemical characteristics during post-monsoon and pre-monsoon from 15 sampling locations were assessed, and the Water Quality Index (WQI) was calculated. The WQI values showed a good category for drinking throughout the year for most of the sampling locations. However, the water quality parameters from some of the sampling locations showed high electrical conductivity (404.5±30.52 µS cm^-1), poor dissolved oxygen content (2±0.84 mg L^-1) and high magnesium (30.63±3.98 mg L^-1) concentrations, respectively. The result showed the need for continuous monitoring and treatment of the mountain spring water at present for the sake of the locality’s future.