30-Impact of human interference and land use changes on the Nainital Lake region

Abstract

Nainital lake region is one of the important lake regions of the new state of Uttaranchal. It has situated on the terminus of the lesser Himalayan ranges. The lake sprawls over an area of roughly 200 sq. Km and there ecological importance has made the district of Naini Tal as famous lake districts of Himalaya. Among the major lakes of this important area are Naini tal, Bhim tal, Sat Tal, Naukuchia tal, Saria Tal and Khurpa Tal. For a century and a half, this region has earned its name in the international tourist map but owing to the sudden spurt in tourism in the last three decades; there has been a mad rush for the construction of new hotels and group housing complexes. The real estate developers cashing in on the great demand for new houses have scarred the lovely hillside and at times rules are being flouted for illegal construction. Even the buildings rubble has not been removed; debris is dumped oil the drains and slopes, which ultimately flows into the lake during the rains. The whole land use pattern has thus changed. Besides garnishing to the aesthetics of the region, these lakes are the source of potable water and of irrigation to the nearby plains. The sedimentations in the lake and pollution are a matter of serious concern. The very existence of the lake endangered and without the lakes, the ecology of the whole regions will be disturbed. In this paper we have tried to show that how land use change has led to a decline in forest cover and environmental degradation of the lake region.