Western Himalayas

The Last Builder of Naulas in Chatola, Nainital
Constructing naulas, the small structures that house springs in Uttarakhand, requires an intimate knowledge of many sciences. One of the last practitioners of this dying craft tells his story. Posted on 03 Jan, 2016 05:57 PM

No temple is as venerated in Uttarakhand as the little unassuming naulas. These small hut-like structures dot the mountains and hold within them a great treasure--water. Usually made of stone masonry with pyramid-like slate roofs, every naula respresents within it a residing spirit which can range from a simple stone piece to an ornately carved statue.

Ratan Singh Bisht is one of the few people today who constructs naulas
Springs are more than just a source of water for humans
Springs exist in the most biodiverse regions of the country and anchor entire ecosystems. That fact must be respected while undertaking springs conservation work. Posted on 02 Dec, 2015 09:04 PM

"If you do good work on the ground, policy will happen", says Himanshu Kulkarni of ACWADAM. This has proven to be in true at least in the case of springs.

Springs not only provide humans with water but anchor entire ecosystems.
China operationalises one of the biggest dams on the Brahmaputra
News this week Posted on 20 Oct, 2015 07:01 PM

China's Zangmu Hydropower Project, one of the biggest dams on Brahmaputra, is operational

Brahmaputra river in Tibet (Source: Luca Galuzzi via Wikipedia)
Media workshop on climate change adaptation in Assam
Applications are invited for the media workshop on climate change adaptation in Assam that will be held in Jorhat and Majuli from November 2 to 5, 2015.
Posted on 22 Sep, 2015 03:59 PM

About the Event:

Shimla school goes from students bathing every other day to swimming daily!
Bishop Cotton School in Shimla tides over water scarcity by harvesting rainwater, setting an example for other residential schools located in hilly regions. Posted on 07 Sep, 2015 10:26 PM

Mathew Jacob, estate supervisor at Bishop Cotton School (BCS) in Shimla, remembers when he took his students walking in single file to the nearby stream to wash and bathe

Four storage tanks are linked to 1350 sqm of rooftop area at Bishop Cotton School in Shimla.
Sunderbans and Siachen glacier to become trans-boundary protected area
Policy matters this week Posted on 31 Aug, 2015 10:25 PM

Sunderbans and Siachen glacier proposed to be recognised as a trans-boundary protected area

Farm fields in the Sunderbans (Source: India Water Portal Flickr Photo)
Mantra for the Char Dham: Don't Panic!
The monsoons regularly lead to road blocks and panicking pilgrims being airlifted out of Garhwal. Can this repeated narrative change especially since the Char Dham isn't an ancient practice at all? Posted on 13 Jul, 2015 07:36 AM

'To be or not to be' may well be the new mantra for people undertaking the Himalayan Char Dham pilgrimage this year.

Pilgrims enroute to Kedarnath (Image: Sundaram + Annam)
Who's to blame for Shimla's water shortage?
It isn't just the tourists or its hilly terrain but a 140-year-old leaking water distribution system set up by the British in 1875 which is leading to heavy losses and contamination. Posted on 30 Jun, 2015 09:03 AM

Most tourists visiting Shimla won’t know that they are walking on a water tank when they wait to get their pictures taken or go horse riding on Ridge road but they will know that the city faces water shortage -- their hotel bathrooms have messages asking them to use water judiciously. 

The Ridge houses Shimla's first underground water tank
Barefoot hydrogeologists: The next generation
The time taken for villages in Nainital district, Uttarakhand to resolve their spring-related disputes has shrunk from two year to six months. Here's why. Posted on 18 Jun, 2015 02:55 PM

I first met Kunti and Priya at a meeting of the Springs Initiative, which is a network of organisations and individuals working across India to restore their springs.

Kunti and Priya discuss their plans with Budani
Water, science and us
The science behind groundwater isn't well understood but how can this be changed so that people manage their water better? Posted on 02 Mar, 2015 10:11 PM

Groundwater isn't understood very well, especially in hilly areas where springs seem to appear and vanish of their own accord. However, as science tells us, there's no effect without a cause, and understanding the reason why water flows where it does can ensure optimal use of this natural resource to support life and livelihood. 

Testing is one of the components of workshop.
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