Till Shimla's water crisis almost forced a shutdown of the tourist economy, the immediacy of climate change did not hit home. But with perennial streams turning seasonal, a water emergency is on the cards
For long, falling water tables in the time of extreme weather conditions have featured in the context of human settlements along our great riverine plains. But seldom do we focus on depleting flows and springs in the Himalayas, often considered to be the water towers of the world but which are fast losing their appeal as our best environmental insurance next to the polar ice caps. If the unprecedented water crisis in Shimla proved anything, it was that glacial retreat and the drying up of Himalayan springs and aquifers portends a bigger crisis than we can imagine. Shimla, of course, gave us a headline moment but villagers of Spiti have been the worst impacted by shrinking water supplies for the last couple of years.
Even the Niti Aayog’s recent facts and figures indicated how three million Himalayan springs — and India has five million of them — are now drying up faster because of increased water demand in expanding settlements, changing land use patterns to facilitate the development economy and tourism, encroachment of watersheds and deforestation. Till Shimla’s water crisis almost forced a shutdown of the tourist economy, the immediacy of climate change or the lack of human sensitivity to it did not hit home. But with perennial streams turning seasonal or even vanishing, this seems to be the major cause of concern.
Glacial meltwater forms about 80 per cent of the headwaters of our major river systems. While experts may differ about the quantum of glacial shrinkage due to warming, given that the overall temperature in the Himalayas has gone up by about two degrees, the initial gush of meltwaters may have over-fed river catchment areas leading to flooding and temporary voluminous flows. But that discharge will diminish over time, as they have already, with the retreating ice caps. Extreme weather has made rain and snow erratic and patchy. Much of the runoff is getting wasted, given the gradient, slope and terrain of the mountains and most importantly the absence of natural sinks that could trap the water and help recharge aquifers.
A rapid depletion of forest cover and rapacious construction activities to feed the crucial tourist and agricultural economy have meant that there is no green buffer to harness or hold this water. longer summers and the earlier than usual onset of spring are leading to a faster evapotranspiration and concurrently greater loss of the aqua habitat. Most Himalayan villages and even burgeoning towns are dependent on springs and groundwater for their uses. Things have come to such a pass that extraction is higher than any replenishment and the rain streams and waterfalls are now just vapid reminders of what nature used to be. The desertification of the mountains has become even more apparent with the appearance of black peaks in winter months in their rugged nakedness and ferocity that have so far been cushioned by thick snow caps.
While agricultural practices are slowly changing as the Israeli drip irrigation technology gains traction in areas other than the plains, it is time to revisit the development paradigm and most importantly existent tourism models across the spans of the Himalayas. Responsible tourism should not be seen as just a new age fad — many surveys have even pointed out how young Indians would factor that in while making holiday choices — but as a regular livelihood practice.
Modern tourism in the Himalayas, of course brought about by the colonial legacy of summer retreats, started in the 1960s. So imagine the kind of depredation the hills have been subjected to since then with growing numbers of tourists and demands on natural resources to feed their indulgences. The impact on Nainital was graphically documented by SC Joshi and P Pant in 1990 in their study titled Environmental Implications of the Recent Growth of Tourism in Nainital, Kumaon Himalaya. They wrote, “Sukhatal, a small lake northwest of the town at an altitude of 1,960 m, has dried up and its bed is being used as a dumping ground for building debris… the waters of the Naini lake are no longer clear due to increased turbidity. Bacteriological pollution and the concentration of coliform and E-coli bacteria in the lake are at unsafe levels. Similarly the levels of chlorine, lead and manganese are far beyond considered safe.”
Three decades down, one only shudders to think the current state of the Naini lake and for that matter other water bodies. last heard, Sukhatal had completely dried up as had 30 of the 60 springs that feed the lake. Worse the overuse brought on by human habitation and tourism had plunged the depths of the lake to new lows, it being the only source of potable water. The water requirement of Nainital town is now 16 million litres per day!
While you have trouble deciphering a hill slope in Shimla, sprouting brick and mortar tenements than greens, the resort economy has spread its tentacles in virgin pine areas, promising a hideaway and exclusive experience but in the end building a porosity that’s too easily intruded upon.
Certain hard decisions are in order, particularly for tourism players, who have for long gained from the flush of natural bounty. Restoration of the ecology should be made mandatory by way of first building water harvesting systems, not too costly an affair given a network of pipelines can run parallel to existing supply ones, can trap runoff and divert them into a reservoir. Recycling and treating waste water for subsidiary uses is to be strictly complied with.
On paper, most hotels have to ensure water harvesting and recycling systems but in practicality none of these are implemented and conveniently bypassed with under the table fees to inspectors. Similarly, a permit for any new property or establishment should be in sync with the ecological imperatives of the area and even at the cost of high demand, should be issued in a limited manner. Most importantly, locals should be made stakeholders not only in development and revenue but in conservation and sustainable efforts. For example, a lot of native biowealth has been supplanted with cash-rich crops to feed the local economy. Organic or not, the locals and tourism operatives must understand that the natural produce and environment must be preserved and nurtured for long-term exclusivity and gains. For example, the “eat local” theme should not just be a boutique experience but mainstreamed as a hill experience to encourage the growth of native plants that have more soil replenishing properties. Tourism models have to be made more participatory with locals in evolving compatible experiences rather than imposing city resort conveniences or amusement park models. The moment we use local supplies and compliant architecture models, the lesser is the carbon footprint.
Similarly, the problem of over-tourism and the allied economy, which has been stressing water availability the most, should be managed with policies like regulated booking and holiday/camp sites, dynamic pricing and even spreading out the rush off-season. Finally, it is about human practices. Refusing PET bottles, agreeing to using limited bucket volumes rather than a deluge from the showerhead, being mindful about dumping trash, shopping local souvenirs and crafts rather than replicating a city mall and developing new immersive and outdoor experiences by engaging and exploring with the community may sound nice but not that easy to internalise by the Indian tourist, who has for years yielded to selfish creature comforts. But without changing our ways, we may not have enough hill stations left to cherish.
(The writer is Associate Editor, The Pioneer)
