Impact of spring rejuvenation on the status and wellbeing of women in Uttarakhand

Introduction

In mountainous regions across the globe-and particularly in the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR)-natural groundwater springs (dharas for gravity springs and naulas for shallow harvested wells) represent the lifeline of rural communities, supplying over 80% of drinking and domestic water needs (NITI Aayog, 2018; Tambe et al., 2012) [1,2] . However, changing rainfall patterns, environmental degradation, deforestation, and unscientific infrastructure development have critically impaired groundwater recharge mechanisms (Kumar et al., 2014; Ranjan et al., 2019) [3,4] . Consequently, thousands of mountain springs are either drying up completely or turning seasonal, exhibiting severe discharge reductions during the critical lean season from March to June (Joshi, 2006; Vashisht, 2017) [5,6] . Gender roles in the Himalayan region dictate a strict division of water-related responsibilities. While men primarily oversee productive water uses like major canal irrigation or industrial applications, women and young girls hold sole responsibility for domestic water collection, storage, and management (Crow et al., 2002) [7] . In the rural hill districts of Uttarakhand, women shoulder 70% to 100% of the daily domestic water collection workload (Sugden et al., 2014) [8] . When localized springs fail, women are forced to traverse treacherous mountain terrain across long distances, spending between two to four hours daily to collect basic survival water. This daily burden induces significant "time poverty" -a structural condition where the severe lack of available time prevents individuals from acquiring education, developing skills, resting, or engaging in incomegenerating enterprises (Tambe et al., 2012; Mahamuni et al., 2018) [2,9] . Furthermore, the physical burden of carrying heavy water vessels (gagars) on head or hips causes long-term musculoskeletal disorders among hill women. Hydrogeologically guided spring rejuvenation-utilizing watershed restoration, contour trenching, afforestation, and recharge area management-offers an effective solution to revive degraded aquifers (Kulkarni et al., 2015) [10] . While the hydrological benefits of spring-shed management are documented, its socio-economic impacts on gender empowerment and women's daily time allocation remain under-studied. This paper examines how spring revival reduces water-fetching drudgery and alters socio-economic outcomes for rural women in Uttarakhand.

Materials and methodology

Study area

The study was conducted across rural landscapes in five districts of Uttarakhand: Pauri Garhwal, Pithoragarh, Dehradun, Almora, and Nainital. A total of 24 rural villages were selected where communities depend predominantly on natural springs (dharas and naulas) for domestic water supplies, and where hydrogeological spring-rejuvenation interventions had been undertaken prior to data collection.

Sampling and data collection

Data collection took place during the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. Due to travel limitations and social distancing mandates, data were gathered using telephonic interviews, structured video calls, and remote Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). A total of 50 female respondents were selected using a purposive sampling strategy. Selection criteria were primary water collectors for their respective households and had lived in the village prior to and following the implementation of local spring rejuvenation projects.

Data analysis

A structured questionnaire was deployed to collect both qualitative and quantitative data regarding pre-and post-rejuvenation scenarios. Indicators analyzed included:

Daily water collection duration (hours/day).

Utilization of saved time (leisure, income generation, domestic care).

Self-perception of confidence, autonomy, and community participation.

Perceived environmental and structural challenges to long-term spring maintenance.

Results and discussion

Impact on water collection time and drudgery reduction

Prior to spring rejuvenation, respondents reported spending an average of 2.5 to 4.5 hours daily fetching water, with significant spikes during the summer months (March to June). Post-rejuvenation data indicate a uniform reduction in water collection duration across all surveyed villages. Rejuvenation projects stabilized water discharge throughout the lean season, eliminating the need for long queues and trips to distant water sources.

Average daily time saved: 2 to 3 hours per household.

Travel distance reduction:

Reduced from 1-3 kilometers to immediate local availability (often within 50-150 meters).

Physical health impact:

Lower incidence of chronic back/neck pain and fatigue reported by respondents.

Self-esteem, confidence, and empowerment

All 50 respondents (100%) reported a positive psychological shift following the restoration of their local water sources (Figure 1). The liberation from daily physical exhausting routines increased self-es-teem and empowered women to participate actively in community governance. Women shifted from passive beneficiaries of water supply to active managers of local hydro-geology. Several respondents stepped into leadership roles as community mobilizers and active members of Para-Hydrogeologist networks or local Water User Committees, driving local awareness on spring-shed protection.

Leisure and saved time utilization

The revival of natural springs effectively addressed time poverty among rural women. Time lost previously to fetching water was systematically reinvested into economic, social, and domestic activities (Figure 2). Surplus discharge from revived springs enabled micro-irrigation for kitchen gardens, allowing households to grow organic vegetables for self-consumption and localized sale, augmenting household income and dietary diversity.

Perceived future challenges to spring rejuvenation

Despite the positive outcomes, respondents identified critical anthropogenic and environmental threats that endanger the long-term sustainability of rejuvenated springs (Table 1).

Conclusion

Natural spring degradation in the Indian Himalayan Region imposes severe physical and economic burdens on rural women. Hydrogeologically guided spring rejuvenation directly mitigates water drudgery, reducing daily collection times by two to three hours. This dynamic addresses time poverty, enabling women to reallocate time toward income-generating activities, group enterprises, childcare, and personal well-being. Furthermore, involvement in springshed management elevates women's social status from passive sufferers of water scarcity to active water stewards and community leaders.

To sustain these gains, state policies must institutionalize gender-inclusive spring-shed management programs while protecting critical aquifer recharge zones from unregulated infrastructure and deforestation.

References

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11. How to cite this article: Ghosh P. Impact of spring rejuvenation on the status and wellbeing of women in Uttarakhand. International Journal of Agriculture Extension and Social Development. 2026;9(9):982-984. doi: https://www.doi.org/10.33 545/26180723.2026.v9.i9m.4303