espite
being the “water bank” of the subcontinent, villages situated in the Himalayas, from where most of the rivers originate, are parched. People spend most of their day trudging long distances to fetch water.However, an experiment by the Himalayan Environmental Studies and Conservation Organisation (HESCO), in collaboration with the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai, has brought hope. BARC scientists used isotope hydrology technology to recharge 16 water sources that had dried up, leading to a crisis in the Gauchar area of Rudraprayag district, Uttarakhand.
Mangal Devi of Gwarchowki village would spend four hours every day to get water for her family after the village source dried up a few years ago. But now the water source has been charged.
The idea
Bikaram Singh of Gwarchowki was thinking of migrating, but is now a successful vegetable grower. The recharged springs helped him cultivate crops in his terraced fields.
It started in 2003, when at the initiative of Dr MA Chidambaram, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, BARC scientists went to the area. Working with HESCO, a local voluntary organisation, the scientists started collecting samples from the catchment of the dried-up springs during monsoon. “We traced the recharge areas of these sources,” says Dr Gursharan, head of the Isotope Application Division of BARC.
Using the latest isotope hydro geo-chemical techniques, the scientists worked tirelessly to track the origin of the springs. They built bundhs so water would start percolating down the earth. As many as 33 bundhs and tanks to hold rainwater were built in recharge zones with the help of village residents. Once this happened, the springs got recharged downstream.
Technology to rescue
It was found two new springs had also come up. “We should be able to recharge fresh water sources in the Himalayas as the global demand for water is going to increase. The local population dependent should benefit from the latest technology,” says Dr Anil P Joshi, founder of HESCO and a Padma Shri.
The discharge in the springs has risen to 16 litres per minute from a scanty 2 litres. During summer, when the temperatures rise to 40 degrees Celsius, the discharge is not less than 6 litres per minute.
The experiments are now being replicated in other areas. The BARC team, along with HESCO volunteers, is working at Brahm Khal village in Uttarkashi district; Pipaya in Jaunsar area of Dehradun district; Sarla village near Nahan; and Kandela village near Poanta Sahib in Sirmaur district. “We have identified the catchment areas and have built check dams. We are awaiting results after the monsoon,” says Vinod Khati, a HESCO volunteer.
Catching them young
The team is also working at Mand village in Udhampur district of Jammu. Encouraged by the results of nuclear technology in recharging underground water aquifers in the Himalayas, BARC has decided to spread the technology by making it simple and affordable. It has set up an isotope hydrology laboratory to train the youth in the isotope technology.
“This will go a long way in preserving and recharging water and helping in agriculture,” says Dr Joshi. The Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan, responsible for providing potable water, has 3,169 water schemes in the Garhwal region and 5,864 in Kumoan region. Due to the drying up most of natural water resources, one-fourth of these schemes are either closed or damaged.
Even in the urban areas, the situation is far from satisfactory. As per official figures, in 25 municipal areas, the per capita requirement has been earmarked between 71 and 135 litres per person per day. In most cities and towns, the situation has worsened as on an average only 60 litres are available per person per day.
Even in Dehradun, the availability of water is only 114 million litres against the demand for 140 million litres. Official sources say over 2,030 water supply schemes are facing closure due to the drying up of natural resources. In Pauri Garhwal district, out of 774 water schemes, 556 schemes are facing a drop in discharge from natural resources.
With the starting of the BARC laboratory, the village youth from the Himalayan states would be trained to locate the sources of water springs and aquifers in their localities and use techniques to recharge them. With the situation getting aggravated due to deforestation, less rain, forest fires and rapid urbanisation, the only way to keep human habitations intact in the Himalayas is by saving water for them.