Conservation Strategies for the Traditional Water Systems: A Case of Almora City, Uttarakhand

• Published in: Journal of the Institution of Engineers (India). Series A, Civil, architectural, environmental and agricultural Engineering Vol. 104; no. 4; pp. 807 - 817
• Main Authors: Bhandari, Sanjay, Kaur, Harsimran
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Delhi Springer India 01-12-2023; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Civil Engineering; Drinking water; Engineering; Fluid flow; Freshwater resources; Geography; Hydraulics; Nondestructive testing; Original Contribution; Sustainable development; Urban planning; Water harvesting; Water management; Uttarakhand India; India; Traditional knowledge systems; Mountain; Conservation; Indian hill city; Naulas; Sustainable; Freshwater
• ISSN: 2250-2149; 2250-2157
• DOI: 10.1007/s40030-023-00759-0

It is essential to understand how culture, geography, and environment interact to create water systems that have sustained communities for years in hilly terrains of the globe. In India, Almora, Uttarakhand, is one such example where
Naula
and
Dhara
’s traditional water harvesting systems still persist as a consistent source of fresh drinking water. These systems are valuable due to historical, religious, and architectural importance as they exhibit ancient knowledge about architecture and hydraulics in hills. However, unplanned development and a decline in associated knowledge systems have damaged
Naulas
and their structures in the city. This paper aims to assess the Naulas in the Almora hill city and propose strategies for conserving traditional water sources and protecting their structures. A comprehensive survey of traditional water sources is carried out based on field surveys for resource mapping, inventories, documentation, visual inspection, and unstructured interviews with local historians and stakeholders. The findings are validated through analysis and condition assessment using non-destructive techniques. The study’s findings indicate that numerous barriers exist to integrating traditional water sources into the current water management system due to lack of expertise and training, persistent conflict and competition between conservation needs and developers’ interests, and lack of funding. There is an immediate need to protect and preserve these traditional water systems and elevate their neglected status to sustain freshwater resources along with associated knowledge systems as a valuable resource for sustainable and inclusive development.