increased by 60% after forested land converted to
agricultural land at farm level. Moreover, water
for household activities and animals are obtained
from springs or flowing mountain streams.
Because of heavy runoff, there is increasingly
shortage of drinking water. But there is a
potential for improving water quality and quantity with proper land use management practices
in the study area. Therefore, watershed conservation is an important step in Garhwal Himalaya,
and Alaknanda river basin, Uttarakhand to
manage water, forest and other natural resources.
The main purpose of this study is to establish the
relationships between the forest plantation and
water conservation for agricultural and domestic
use such as for animals and household. This is
done by relating land use/land cover (LULC)
patterns and soil erosion rate in sub-watershed,
using a computer-based GIS software system.
The need for understanding forest and water
relationship is necessary especially in the areas
where the runoff is very high and source of
income is only agriculture. The study shows
opportunities for increasing water conservation
in forest plantation and for improving fastgrowing plantation management which meet the
goals for productivity. The results suggest that
soil erosion is more prone to the area where the
plantation is very less and possibilities of very
high runoff. Local communities have undertaken
plantation of forest with the local leaders, in
order to develop the management strategies for
effective water conservation in forest plantation.
However, limitations associated with the availability of hydrological data are difficult to
increase the accuracy and reliability of results.
12.4.2 Community Participation
and Water Resources
Management in Garhwal
Himalaya
By 1990–1991, the Doodhatoli Lok Vikas
Sansthan (DLVS) in Garhwal Himalaya becomes
connected with another critical problem in the
hills. Many hilly districts in Alaknanda river
basin such as Rudraprayag, Pauri Garhwal, and
Tehri Garhwal were in the grip of acute water
scarcity. The land of heavy rainfall was fast
becoming a case of water-thirsty region. In the
early 1990s, the neighboring district of Almora,
once considered a water content region had about
85% of the area, facing severe water shortage.
The situation was more serious in upper slopes
and deforested areas (Pandey et al. 2004).
The small water bodies help to maintain the
moisture in the soil and became the source of
replenishing the drying watercourse. Within
2 years the dry Gadhera became alive with the
splash of rolling water for the entire year. The
water management system adopted by Doodhatoli Lok Vikas Sansthan (DLVS) in Garhwal
Himalaya is typically unique to their home in
mountain watersheds. In the past l0 years the
people of Gadharak and Dulmoth in Garhwal
Himalaya have developed an indigenous network
of water ponds, along the face of the hillside, to
tap the rainwater. The size of rectangular earthen
pits is generally 2 m in length, 1 m in width, and
1 m in depth. The excavated soil serves to line
the periphery in raised earthen mounds, planted
with indigenous species of grasses like Chamliu
and Munj. Another smaller earthen pits of about
2 feet  2 feet and a depth of 1 m mark the
distance between two water ponds, to anchor
indigenous trees. In Garhwal Himalaya, Dulmoth, these water ponds are found in about 30 ha
of a large tract of a hillside, from upper hill to the
river valley Pasol. Total water ponds are about
1500, and there are about 1000 walnut trees
grown. Unlike government estimates, the total
cost of water ponds comes around only Rs 55
excluding labor donation. This area of hillside
has been harnessed, to curb the surface drainage
and the rampant soil erosion, which has washed
away much of the topsoil, in the absence of
adequate vegetative cover. The erosion of soils
into the Pasol river of Garhwal Himalaya has
also checked. Besides this water pond also offers
good quality of fodders to animals. In Gadkharak
village of Pasol Gad, Garhwal Himalaya most of
the water ponds have been built in the village
forestland within dense vegetative outgrowth.
About 500 water ponds are found in this village.
Therefore, the water seeping into the watercourse
12 Water Resource Management Through Ecological …
163
agricultural land at farm level. Moreover, water
for household activities and animals are obtained
from springs or flowing mountain streams.
Because of heavy runoff, there is increasingly
shortage of drinking water. But there is a
potential for improving water quality and quantity with proper land use management practices
in the study area. Therefore, watershed conservation is an important step in Garhwal Himalaya,
and Alaknanda river basin, Uttarakhand to
manage water, forest and other natural resources.
The main purpose of this study is to establish the
relationships between the forest plantation and
water conservation for agricultural and domestic
use such as for animals and household. This is
done by relating land use/land cover (LULC)
patterns and soil erosion rate in sub-watershed,
using a computer-based GIS software system.
The need for understanding forest and water
relationship is necessary especially in the areas
where the runoff is very high and source of
income is only agriculture. The study shows
opportunities for increasing water conservation
in forest plantation and for improving fastgrowing plantation management which meet the
goals for productivity. The results suggest that
soil erosion is more prone to the area where the
plantation is very less and possibilities of very
high runoff. Local communities have undertaken
plantation of forest with the local leaders, in
order to develop the management strategies for
effective water conservation in forest plantation.
However, limitations associated with the availability of hydrological data are difficult to
increase the accuracy and reliability of results.
12.4.2 Community Participation
and Water Resources
Management in Garhwal
Himalaya
By 1990–1991, the Doodhatoli Lok Vikas
Sansthan (DLVS) in Garhwal Himalaya becomes
connected with another critical problem in the
hills. Many hilly districts in Alaknanda river
basin such as Rudraprayag, Pauri Garhwal, and
Tehri Garhwal were in the grip of acute water
scarcity. The land of heavy rainfall was fast
becoming a case of water-thirsty region. In the
early 1990s, the neighboring district of Almora,
once considered a water content region had about
85% of the area, facing severe water shortage.
The situation was more serious in upper slopes
and deforested areas (Pandey et al. 2004).
The small water bodies help to maintain the
moisture in the soil and became the source of
replenishing the drying watercourse. Within
2 years the dry Gadhera became alive with the
splash of rolling water for the entire year. The
water management system adopted by Doodhatoli Lok Vikas Sansthan (DLVS) in Garhwal
Himalaya is typically unique to their home in
mountain watersheds. In the past l0 years the
people of Gadharak and Dulmoth in Garhwal
Himalaya have developed an indigenous network
of water ponds, along the face of the hillside, to
tap the rainwater. The size of rectangular earthen
pits is generally 2 m in length, 1 m in width, and
1 m in depth. The excavated soil serves to line
the periphery in raised earthen mounds, planted
with indigenous species of grasses like Chamliu
and Munj. Another smaller earthen pits of about
2 feet  2 feet and a depth of 1 m mark the
distance between two water ponds, to anchor
indigenous trees. In Garhwal Himalaya, Dulmoth, these water ponds are found in about 30 ha
of a large tract of a hillside, from upper hill to the
river valley Pasol. Total water ponds are about
1500, and there are about 1000 walnut trees
grown. Unlike government estimates, the total
cost of water ponds comes around only Rs 55
excluding labor donation. This area of hillside
has been harnessed, to curb the surface drainage
and the rampant soil erosion, which has washed
away much of the topsoil, in the absence of
adequate vegetative cover. The erosion of soils
into the Pasol river of Garhwal Himalaya has
also checked. Besides this water pond also offers
good quality of fodders to animals. In Gadkharak
village of Pasol Gad, Garhwal Himalaya most of
the water ponds have been built in the village
forestland within dense vegetative outgrowth.
About 500 water ponds are found in this village.
Therefore, the water seeping into the watercourse
12 Water Resource Management Through Ecological …
163