This campaign has now closed
More than 75 million people live in the Indian Himalayas, almost all rely on groundwater. 90% of drinking water comes from springs and streams fed by groundwater. 37% of Uttarakhand's 260,000 natural springs are at risk of running dry.
Categories
Beneficiaries
Situation
Around 37% of the 260,000 natural springs in Uttarakhand are drying. Despite adequate annual rainfall, aquifers are not adequately recharged due to the steep Himalayan slopes causing rain to be lost as surface runoff. Due to their fragile nature, the Himalayas are more susceptible to climate change, resulting in significant decreases in spring and river flows throughout the region. A 2018 report found less than 50% of the people of Uttarakhand had access to adequate quantities of drinking water.
Solution
The project will progress from socio-economic and geohydrological surveys, to the creation of village-level institutions for operation and maintenance, developing awareness of WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) protocols, and the practical implementation of spring recharge measures in the ten springs.
