Census of springs: 63.4% of springs in Kerala are under private ownership

The First Census of Springs shows that 63.4% of the springs in Kerala are under private ownership. This is in stark contrast to the other States and Union Territories covered in the First Spring Census Report where the larger share is publicly owned.

The Union Jal Shakti Ministry had released the report covering Karnataka, Ladakh, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Bihar in New Delhi in March. Of the 4,333 springs in Kerala, 2,688 are under private ownership and 1,556 (36.6%) under public ownership. The report defines springs as “natural discharge points of groundwater emerging at the surface,” constituting a critical water source in the mountainous regions of the country.