Include chapter on springs in syllabus: Expert

Tribune News Service

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Dehradun, December 16

Vibha Puri Das, a former bureaucrat, has stressed the need for making people aware of the importance of water springs in Uttarakhand.

Vibha, while addressing the valedictory session of the two-day workshop on “Water springs of Uttarakhand”, said it was important to include a special chapter on springs in the school curriculum.

Vibha called for empowering panchayats so that they could have a greater role in the conservation of water bodies.

She said adequate measures were required to be taken to ensure the recharging of springs and other water bodies.

Vinod Kothari from Himmothan said since Uttarakhand had numerous rivers, adequate funding from the Centre was required to conserve them.

He said the rivers of Uttarakhand cater to the requirements of most of the northern parts of the country. Manoj Pandey from the Himalaya Sewa Sangh blamed climate change for the drying up of water bodies. Another speaker, Kesar Singh, underlined the need for conserving springs by protecting them from unregulated infrastructure development.

He said a policy framework was needed where the government played a key role in partnership with civil society to facilitate communities manage spring sheds. A large number of delegates from across the country particpated in the workshop.