Kathmandu, December 18

After a number of springs in Tinpiple and Dapcha in Kavre started drying up in recent years resulting in acute shortage of drinking water, villagers have started constructing ‘recharge ponds’ to revive such springs.

With technical support from Nepal Water Conservation Foundation (NWCF), people in Devisthan of Tinpiple and Darauni Pokhari and Aarubaari of Dapcha have constructed such recharge ponds which according to villagers have increased the flow of water in springs that had started drying up.

“Supply of drinking water was a major problem for people in Dapcha a few years back. However, construction of recharge ponds has revived a majority of springs that had dried up and the drinking water problem is being gradually solved,” said Nabaraj Adhikari, a local from Dapcha, adding that people who had to travel to nearby villages to collect drinking water now have their own source of water.

A study carried out by NWCF shows that 30 per cent of the 174 springs identified in Dapcha and 15 per cent of 70 springs identified in Tinpiple have dried up in the last one decade.

Under this system to revive dried springs, a big pond is constructed at a strategic spot above the dried up spring and rain water is collected in the pond. The collected pond water then replenishes the groundwater in the aquifer and helps increase the discharge to the spring located downstream.

“After the earthquake last year, a number of other springs would also have dried up if recharge ponds were not constructed,” said Adhikari.

According to him, revival of dried up springs has not only ensured drinking water supply but has also supported economic activities of farmers in Dapcha. “It is through these springs that small farmers can do farming in the region.”

Similarly, Chatur Man Shrestha of Devisthan, Tinpiple, says there was a ‘locking’ system in available springs in the region a couple of years ago due to the water supply crunch. “However, available springs are now open 24 hours as the flow of water has increased through the help of recharged ponds,” he said.

Revival of springs in Devisthan has been supporting in livelihood and agriculture activities of 25 households in the region, according to Shrestha.