55-Rejuvination of Natural Springs of Uttarakhand.

Abstract

Studies indicate that springs which are the main source of water for drinking and irrigation in hilly region, are drying up or becoming seasonal. Various development activities have reduced the "sponge action" of land and have created hydrologic imbalance in the fragile watersheds of this region. One natural spring, located in Tehri-Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, was selected for rejuvenating and sustaining discharge. Appropriate engineering measures were taken after studying its hydrological trend and consequently, maximum weekly discharge for the spring increased by 22.64 percent from year 2003 to 2004, whereas this figure became 38.95 percent from year 2004 to 2005. Therefore, such mechanical treatments may be useful in rejuvenating other springs of Uttarakhand also.