Identification and study of impacts of drying springs in Devprayag, Uttarakhand: a perception analysis
Student name: Ms Trinayana Kaushik
Guide: Dr Kamna Sachdeva
Year of completion: 2017
Host Organisation: The Energy and Resource Institute (TERI), New Delhi
Supervisor (Host Organisation): Ms Suruchi Bhadwal
Abstract: My study is a part of ICIMOD’s spring-shed research programme, which is a part of Hi-
AWARE project. Rural population is most Himalayan region depends on mountain springs
as their sole resource for daily water needs. But recent climate trends and various human
interventions have led many of these springs to dry up. As a result many rural areas are
facing acute water shortage. The chosen study area of Devprayag is one such tehsil where
the people feel a severe water crunch every day. This brings me to my research question
“What could be the driving forces and consequential impacts of drying springs in rural
areas of Devprayag tehsil?â€
The research was conducted with the help of primary data collected by CEDAR through
field visit and secondary data collected from existing literature. An attempt to study the
geology of the region was made to substantiate the existing scenario. Real life incidents
were listed through informal interviews and various tools like FGDs and KIIs. Some critical
springs of the region were also mapped so that their on-ground rejuvenation can be done by
ICIMOD.
The geological study indicates, the presence of hard crystalline rocks in Tehri Garhwal
making groundwater an already scarce resource. On the top of it, due to recent changes in
rainfall patterns the infiltration contribution to groundwater recharge has further reduced.
45% of the chosen springs have been found to be in a critically endangered stage. Water
crisis has been perpetual, in spite of numerous existing water supply schemes. Thus the
study finds that, the recent changes in climate, insufficient implementation of water supply
schemes coupled with low groundwater potential of the region could be reasons of the
current situation of water scarcity.
Key Words: Geology, Spring-shed, Climate change, Groundwater, water-supply scheme
