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The eye surface is kept moist with tears secreted by the tear glands. Tears help to keep the eye surface healthy and transparent. Excess tears are drained through a system of tubes present in the inner corner of the eye. Watering occurs when excessive tears are produced, which overwhelms the drainage system, or when there is a block in the tear drainage system.

Excessive tear production

Emotional tears. Crying is an emotional response and is a natural cause for watering
Irritation to the eye surface. A host of conditions can lead to excess tear production. The common conditions are

Inflammation of the eye surface, either infective or allergic conjunctivitis
Ulcers of the cornea
A foreign particle, like dust or grit.
Irritants like soap, shampoo, holi colors

These conditions are accompanied by redness of the eyes. Chemical irritants should be washed out with copious amounts of clean water. A foreign body should be looked for if there is a specific history. Those on the conjunctiva can be removed carefully, but those on the cornea need to be removed by an eye doctor. Often, foreign bodies hide under the upper lid. Pulling the upper lid down across the lower lid of a closed eye and releasing it often helps dislodge these foreign bodies. Glass pieces are often left in the eye after spectacles break. It is advisable that an eye doctor remove these particles. Infective conjunctivitis is treated with eye drops and ointments.

Tear drainage problems
Watering may occur due to a blockage in the tear drainage system. The child may either have watering alone or a discharge which may be sticky or yellow. However, the eye is usually not red. Blockage may be either in one or both eyes. The tear duct is often blocked at birth, but most children improve in their first year on massages alone. A small surgery is done if the problem persists beyond this age. By the time a child is in school, the parents would usually have had the problem corrected. However, some children may remain untreated, and would need to be seen and treated by an eye doctor.