Participation: Local People of Dwara Gaon Sabha; Village Panchayats; Mahila Mangal Dals and Staff of Watershed Management Directorate

BACKGROUND

There are numerous natural springs in the Doon Valley. These are important sources of clean water and were highly dependable, but are susceptible to local and long-term changes induced by human activities like road-building, deforestation and construction. Many of the springs in the region have become seasonal and others have disappeared.

A concerted effort to rejuvenate hill springs and develop community management systems for their effective utilisation was necessary.

The Dwara watershed programme is a pilot project for designing watershed conservation programme of WMD, Dehradun. The report presents a assessment of the resource base, socio-economic status, landuse practices and management etc. The report presents in detail, the spring location, catchment characteristics, flow, hydrogeological components and controls. A detailed action plan for the conservation and augmentation of spring waters was developed indicating the recharge zones and a training schedule was developed for the local people in the design of storage structures and distribution systems.

SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES

Ten Springs in and around Dwara Microwatershed and measures to consistently monitor were established.

The storage systems were constructed and afforestation was undertaken in specific spring catchment zones. The villages have initiated a process for the establishment of Van Panchayat.

LASTING RELATIONSHIPS

Communities in Dwara and Kesarwala have been participants in various other meetings and programmes in the region. Intervention to create markets for the Basmati has helped some farmers. Watershed Management Directorate has been seeking inputs or providing support to some of the suggested activities.