https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Conserving Water in the Himalayas

By extensively creating small ponds, trenches and check dams, the Rudraprayag forest division in Uttarakhand has managed to store around one crore litres of water- an exemplary achievement.
Indian Masterminds Stories

With monsoon knocking on its doors, the hilly state of Uttarakhand has started recording heavy rainfall. While national highways are getting blocked due to landslides, places like Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Bageshwar and Pithoragarh are facing rise in the water levels of its rivers.

At the same time, the Rudraprayag Forest Division, situated in the middle of Himalayas, is witnessing excellent work done by the forest department for rainwater and soil moisture conservation. District Forest Officer of Rudraprayag, Mr. Vaibhav Singh said, “With the efforts of my staff, field team, and other people, we have managed to conserve around 80 lakh litres of water during these 15-20 days of heavy rainfall.”

VULNERABLE TO FIRE

After the tragic natural disaster which took place at Kedarnath and nearby areas in 2013, people in such hilly areas are now not comfortable with heavy rainfall. Talking about the issues in Rudraprayag forest division, IFS officer Vaibhav Singh said “We have around 15000-16000 hectares of Chir Pine dominated forests. As chir always grows in the dryer parts of the forest it makes it more vulnerable to fire. Secondly, due to the dry forest floor and no soil moisture, hardly any vegetation comes up in these forests.”

The Chir Pine dominated forest in Rudraprayag

“Many villages in the district source their water from the nearby forest areas through small streams and channels. In peak summer season, these water bodies dry up and creates issues for the adjoining villages. Not only humans but the wild and domestic animals also suffer from lack of water,” he added.

To find a solution to these issues, the forest department in Rudraprayag has been working extensively for the past couple of years on the conservation of rainwater and soil moisture.

PUTTING IN EFFORTS

The implementation of the idea to conserve rainwater in Rudraprayag has been taken from the traditional ways of chal khal system followed mostly in the Garhwal region. The villagers would dig small percolation pits on every bit of available land on the slopes that surrounded a drain line. The pits prevent water and soil erosion and also increases percolation. The rainwater infiltrates the soil and recharges the groundwater, and ultimately forms a river body.

Creating check-dams of various types ranging from vegetative to crate wires

Mr. Singh said “We have been doing this work for the past two-three years, but last year in particular we did it on a very large scale. Out of all the six ranges in the division, we selected areas which are vulnerable to fires. With the help of funds availed from the State Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) and Namami Gange scheme, we made around 1732 check dams of various types ranging from vegetative to crate wires and contour trenches were dug up in 330 hectares of degraded Chir Pine forests. With this, around 612 water bodies of different capacities were created with a total water retention capacity of more than 1 crore litres.”

Digging up contour trenches in the degraded chir pine forests

During the Covid19 pandemic, these forest divisions and villages saw a high rate of migration due to a shortage of employment opportunities. Mr. Singh said, “As such initiatives are labor-intensive, they also created local level employment opportunities for many people, especially women.”

BENEFITS

The work done in the Rudraprayag forest division is now bearing fruits with 70 to 80 percent of the water bodies filled up to the brim.

Efforts bearing fruits as water is being stored in these water bodies

Mr. Singh said, “Some of the immediate benefits of this initiative are that we have prevented a lot of soil from eroding; secondly, it adds to the ground water through which it gets recharged; thirdly, these ponds store water for around 20-25 days after the rains stop which helps in growing natural grass and vegetation around these water bodies.”

As this is the decade of ecosystem restoration and almost every state in the country is focusing on water conservation, this initiative can become a model for many places in the country as also in Uttarakhand.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
BSNL
BSNL Surpasses Airtel in Mobile Subscriber Growth After Nearly a Year; Jio Leads with 19 Lakh Additions in August
NTPC_Tapovan Donates_Ambulance_
NTPC Hands Over ₹30 Lakh Advanced Life Support Ambulance to Chamoli District Hospital to Boost Emergency Healthcare
NTPC_Barauni_signed_agreement_
NTPC Barauni to Install 89 High-Mast Lights Across Begusarai to Boost Safety and Community Development
BPCL_bags_Excellence_Awards_
BPCL Wins Top Honours for City Gas Distribution and Customer Service at 19th PNGRB Foundation Day
Allahabad high court
SC Collegium Approves Appointment of Vinai Kumar Dwivedi as Judge of Allahabad High Court
JK Cement Health Camp Panna
Free Health Camp Organised for Forest Personnel During Wildlife Week 2025 by South Panna Forest Division
REC Mobile Medical Units
Union Minister Bhupender Yadav Flags Off REC’s ₹5.71 Cr Mobile Medical Units to Boost Rural Healthcare in Rajasthan
BSNL
Indigenous 5G Coming Soon: BSNL’s 4G Network to Be Upgraded to 5G Within 6–8 Months
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IDES Saquib Alam
UPSC Strategy & Mindset Tips from IDES Officer Saquib Alam | Video Interview 
Dr G K Goswami IPS
Everything you ever wanted to know about e-murder, e-dacoity and data safety
IFS Ravikant Meena UPSC IFS
Ravikant Meena on IFS Preparation, Optionals, and Life in Forest Service
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
IDES Saquib Alam
UPSC Strategy & Mindset Tips from IDES Officer Saquib Alam | Video Interview 
Discover how IDES officer Saquib Alam left his corporate job at Mahindra, overcame six UPSC attempts,...
Utkarsh Ujjwal IAS
IAS Utkarsh Ujjwal Shares Key Advice for UPSC Aspirants: Work Ethic, Failure, and Focus
Read the inspiring journey of IAS Utkarsh Ujjwal, 2023 batch, Gujarat cadre. From IIT Guwahati to clearing...
Sagar Datta Majumdar UPSC CSE 2024 AIR 317
“Don’t get trapped in the vicious cycle of self-doubt,” says UPSC Achiever Sagar Datta Majumdar
Discover how Sagar Datta Majumdar from Agartala, Tripura, cracked UPSC CSE 2024 with All India Rank 317....
Social Media
World Rhino Day India
On World Rhino Day, IFS Officer Parveen Kaswan Shares Rare Insights - India Now Hosts 80% of the World’s One-Horned Rhinos
September 22 Marks Global Call for Rhino Conservation; India Holds 80% of World’s Greater One-Horned...
Parag Madhukar Dhakate
Relentless Rains Wreak Havoc in Dehradun: IFS officer PM Dhakate Warns Citizens Amid Flash Floods
Cloudbursts in Dehradun triggered flash floods. IFS officer Dr. PM Dhakate warned citizens to stay indoors...
Forest Guard Tiger Encounter
Tigers Clash in the Wild as Forest Guards Capture Rare Footage , Retired IFS Mohan Pargaien Posts Viral Video
Retired IFS officer Mohan Pargaien shares viral video of three tigers brawling in Ramnagar, as forest...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
BSNL
BSNL Surpasses Airtel in Mobile Subscriber Growth After Nearly a Year; Jio Leads with 19 Lakh Additions in August
NTPC_Tapovan Donates_Ambulance_
NTPC Hands Over ₹30 Lakh Advanced Life Support Ambulance to Chamoli District Hospital to Boost Emergency Healthcare
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IDES Saquib Alam
Dr G K Goswami IPS
IFS Ravikant Meena UPSC IFS
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT