Diminishing discharges of mountain springs in a part of Kumaun Himalaya

Abstract

Deforestation of vulnerable hill slopes leading to 13.1% reduction of the protective forest cover in 22 years up to 1985 and accelerated erosion at the rate of 170.3 cm/1000 years have greatly affected the hydrologic regime in the catchment of the Gaula River--a tributary of the Ramganga in the Kumaun Himalaya. This is manifest in the drying up of springs and the diminished discharges in more than 40% villages of the Gaula catchment. The extent of decrease in discharge ranges from 25 to 75% during the past 5 to 50 years. Consequently, the flow in the Gaula River has also diminished--29.2% between 1951-60 and 1961-70 and 38.5% between 1971 and 1981. Deficiency in rainfall amounting to 9.5 to 76% between 1958 and 1986 has been noticed in many parts of the catchment area.