With heat waves becoming a significant struggle, especially in urban India, many people are moving to hill stations with work-from-home options, seeking respite in states like Uttarakhand, at the seat of the Himalayas. This influx includes both short-term tourists and long-term residents. In Uttarakhand, small villages like Kasar and Mukteshwar have been promoted as tourist destinations due to their picturesque views of the country’s highest peaks, surrounding forests and cool temperatures. However, this increased population has strained local resources, particularly water. According to a 2018 government report, “a staggering number” of 12,000 natural springs in Uttarakhand are now thought to be “completely parched.” Among these are an estimated 83% of the springs in the district of Almora. Ninety percent of Uttarakhand’s drinking water depends on spring water. In rural areas, people rely heavily on natural aquifers, called naulas. These stone-walled structures, where water pools from the ground, hold cultural significance and are integral to many sacred rituals. Now, many of these aquifers are nearing depletion, and one of the main reasons is due to infrastructure development aimed at supporting tourism, causing concern among residents about water scarcity. Much infrastructure development in the hills requires cutting trees that act to recharge the groundwater after a rainfall. Ravi Chopra, an environmentalist based in Uttarakhand, says the very act of clearing forests in hills is a major reason for the demise of aquifers in Uttarakhand. “When forests are cut down, particularly … on the slope, then whenever there is a heavy shower, the…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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