Malappuram, Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur districts have the highest number of springs in the state, as per the first spring census report released by Union ministry of jal shakti on Monday.Of the 4,333 springs counted in the state, Malappuram has 709 of them, Thiruvananthapuram has 633 and Kannur has 572. Alappuzha with 24 has the least number of springs. Springs are widely distributed across the tropical and hilly landscape, particularly concentrated in the rugged terrains of Western Ghats and midland districts.Around 53.3% (2,310) are free-flowing ones, while 46.7% (2,023) are those that slowly seep out of the ground. Around 3,335 or 77% of the springs are perennial, considered to be a good sign for the state as 30% of them are used by people.But 63.4% (2,688) of the springs are on private land. Residents are found to be the primary users of the water in 59.7% of springs, non-residents utilise 33.5% and wild animals access 6.8%. Nevertheless, the report says that 91.5% of springs don’t face resource threats.The springs are formed due to the presence of unique geological formations, including thick lateritic caps and fractured crystalline rocks, combined with heavy monsoon precipitation.Lal Thompson, superintendent hydrogeologist and nodal officer of the national hydrology project, said govt proposed a draft policy with regard to risks faced by the springs.This is the first inventory, and a protocol and standard operating procedure will be finalised, he said. It will also address further data collection and further management of the springs, he added. The first-of-its-kind census was conducted by state groundwater department as part of an initiative by Union ministry of jal shakti to document water sources across the country.Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Karnataka, Ladakh and Sikkim have also finished the census, with the remaining states yet to complete it.
