SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF DRINKING WATER COVERAGE IN THE RURAL AREAS OF UTTARAKHAND HIMALAYA: A GEOGRAPHICAL ANALYSIS

Uttarakhand government has made a good effort towards covering rural areas in meeting basic water requirements. There are various natural water sources such as spring, river, glacier, groundwater, well etc which play a significant role in the supply of water in the villages of Uttarakhand state. The fundamental objective of this research paper is to study the basic water facility in the villages of Uttarakhand state. For this purpose, the piped water supply (PWS) and functional household tap connection (FHTC) are analyzed. There are total 16919 villages in the study area. Out of the total villages, 16568 villages have PWS facility and about 47% households are connected with PWS facility. There are about 38% villages have more than 70% FHTC coverage. The study reveals that unbalanced development of FHTC and PWS facility among the different districts, i.e., some districts such as U.S. Nagar, Champawat, Almora, Haridwar etc have poor development of FHTC and PWS facility whereas some districts such as Dehradun, Chamoli, Bageshwar etc have good facility. The study suggests that all the villages and households should be covered equally under PWS and FHTC facilities to ensure basic water security.

Physicochemical Properties of Soil under Different Forest Types in the Western Ramganga Valley (Uttarakhand Himalaya, India)

The physicochemical properties of soils of six forests varying in elevation (lower, middle, and upper), slope, aspects, and floristic composition viz. L1 (Oak mixed), L2 (Chir pine), M1 (Rhododendron mixed), M2 (Rhododendron mixed), U1 (Abies mixed) and U2 (Abies mixed) from Western Ramganga Valley (Chamoli, Uttarakhand Himalaya, India) were scrutinized. The composite soil samples from three depths (0–10 cm, 11–20 cm, and 21–30 cm) were collected during the different seasons and the physicochemical parameters were analyzed using standard manual and protocol. Texture, bulk density, moisture content, water holding capacity, organic matter, organic carbon, pH, nitrogen content, available phosphorus, exchangeable potassium and C:N ratio of soil samples from each forest site were analyzed and discussed. It was observed that the physical properties of soils either do not vary across the three depths (0–10 cm, 11–20 cm, and 21–30 cm) or show slight changes whereas chemical properties show notable variations comparatively. The significant variation (ANOVA, P < 0.05) was observed in the soil texture (sand, silt, and clay contents), moisture content, water holding capacity, and nitrogen content across the six forest types (study sites). The soil texture ranged between loam and sandy loam which is considered supportive for plant growth. Besides, the lower bulk density and higher soil organic carbon and organic matter with other determined parameters in the studied soils indicate that the studied six forests have sustained nutritive soils. It can be concluded from the present results that the soil physicochemical properties vary with changes in the vegetation composition (forest types) at different elevations in Western Himalaya. Further elaborative study will be done to ascertain interrelationship among the vegetation and soils.

Allium negianum (Amaryllidaceae): a new species under subg. Rhizirideum from Uttarakhand Himalaya, India

A new species, Allium negianum (Amaryllidaceae), belongs to the genus Allium subg. Rhizirideum, sect. Eduardia is described here from the Uttarakhand Himalayan region of India. This taxon grows in Malari region of Niti valley in Chamoli district and Dharma valley of Pithoragarh district, Uttarakhand, India. It is a narrowly distributed species and morphologically more closer to A. przewalskianum Regel but differentiated by its tunic color of bulb, umbel with lax flowers, peduncle length, perigone colour, size and shape and leaf anatomy. Taxonomic delineation and relationship analysis based on nuclear ribosomal Internal Transcribed Spacers (ITS) region indicated that A. negianum is distinct and related to A. przewalskianum. This study provided a comprehensive description and comparison with A. przewalskianum, an identification key and notes on the distribution of the species.

Future Food Sustainability Can Be Traced Back into Local People’s Socio-Cultural Roots in Uttarakhand Himalaya, India

Sustainable food system ensures adequate and safe food supply in an eco-friendly manner. We assessed food sustainability perception and practices of local community through structured interviews in sub-alpine settlements of Uttarakhand Himalaya. Major perceived challenges towards food sustainability were identified using Rank-Based Quotient analysis. Association with various socio-demographic factors (e.g., age, gender, education, socio-economy, and socio-culture) was tested. An overall neutral perception (mean score 2.9) and moderately sustainable practices (mean score 3.1) were observed. Respondents with higher socio-cultural score showed more sustainable food sourcing practices and more positive social and economic sustainability perception, as well as higher participatory willingness. Female respondents were more dependent on sustainable food sources than the males. Education level influenced food quality choice. People identified higher food production cost as major economic constraint; while small landholdings and labor migration were main social challenges. Land and water management issues and climate uncertainty were the major environmental constraints. Socio-cultural exposure played significant role in ranking these sustainability constraints. We encourage direct involvement of socio-culturally active people and conducting extensive outreach programs for future sustainable local food system in vulnerable Himalayan valleys.

Out-migration in Uttarakhand Himalaya: its types, reasons, and consequences

This study examines the types, reasons, and consequences of out-migration in the Uttarakhand Himalaya. Data were collected from secondary sources, mainly from an interim report on the status of migration in revenue villages of Uttarakhand, published by the ‘Rural Development and Migration Commission, Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand’ in 2018. The district-wise analysis was carried out on the types of migration, reasons for migration, age-wise migration, the destination of migrants, and migration’s consequences in terms of depopulation in rural areas. Further, a case study of a village was carried out. The study reveals that in three districts – Pauri, Tehri, and Almora, more than 10% population out-migrated after 2011. Similarly, an exodus migration took place from more than 10% of villages of the same districts. This study further shows that migration is mainly internal – from the mountainous districts to urban centers, within the districts or within the state. About 734 villages are depopulated, and in 367 villages, the population has decreased by more than 50%. Unemployment is the major problem in rural areas as more than 50% of out-migration occurred for employment.