Karnataka home to 274 springs; Belagavi district tops list with 59

The Karnataka Minor Irrigation and Groundwater Development Department has successfully completed the State’s first spring census.

According to the census, 274 springs have been enumerated across 31 districts, with Belagavi reporting the highest number with 59.

Hot spring

The census also noted that there is one hot spring at Bendru Theertha in Dakshina Kannada district.

B.K. Pavithra, Secretary, Minor Irrigation and Groundwater Development Department, said that despite the logistical challenges posed by the monsoon, field enumerators leveraged a digital framework to successfully identify and document a total of 247 springs.

Highlighting the regional distribution and ecological health of these waterbodies, she added: “Our data reveals that Belagavi district leads the State, reporting the highest number with 59 springs. Furthermore, a significant majority of these vital water sources remain active, with 144 springs classified as perennial and 114 as seasonal, while 16 have dried up over time.”

Key rivers

The census report has mapped the origins of key rivers to these springs, noting that the Cauvery originates at Talacauvery in Kodagu, the Hemavati at Javali in Chikkamagaluru, and the Sharavati at Ambutheertha in Shivamogga.

This digitised data will now serve as a foundational database for future spring conservation, rejuvenation projects, groundwater management, and comprehensive water resource planning across Karnataka.

Springs are natural outlets where groundwater flows to the surface through openings in the earth’s crust. They typically occur when the water table intersects with the ground surface or when groundwater is forced out through fractures, faults, or permeable rock layers.

Western Ghats and Malnad

“The Western Ghats and Malnad regions including districts like Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru, Uttara Kannada, Dakshina Kannada, Belagavi, and Shivamogga are primary hubs for spring formation due to high rainfall and favourable geological conditions. Owing to a unique hydrological feature, a hot spring in Bendru Theertha, is located in Dakshina Kannada district,” the Karnataka Minor Irrigation and Groundwater Development Department added.

The Karnataka Minor Irrigation and Groundwater Development Department has received a certificate of appreciation from the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti for its first sprint census.