For How Long Can the Water Be Trusted? Understanding Water Management in the Hills

The available water resources in the hills should not be taken for granted and the urgency of caution with regard to the exploitation of water – a critical resource – must not be underplayed. It is about time to reflect on these words of WC Fields, “You can’t trust water. Even a straight stick turns crooked in it,” and understand their true meaning in a broader connotation, writes Rajshekhar Pant in this timely and relevant article on water management in the Central Himalayan region.

- Rajshekhar Pant

In the ecologically fragile Central Himalayan region, the developmental activities undertaken by government institutions/departments, a large number of NGOs, and civic bodies, haven't had much impact on the lives of the inhabitants residing in the hills. Often, the development activities have involved a compromise with aesthetics or a blatant disregard to the traditional wisdom, indigenous material and skill. En route Nanda Devi Biosphere, Pindari, or Milam glaciers, and several other higher Himalayan destinations, one may notice iron railings and benches scattered all over, even rolling down the steep slopes. Huge funds from Asian Development Bank (ADB) have been used in hauling the heavy iron to these Himalayan heights. At a considerably low cost, better facilities could have been provided using locally available materials and skill. This misplaced model of development is generally being followed in the hills. However, on a positive note, in all these regions with extreme climatic conditions, construction techniques perfected by the local artisans and craftsmen have stood the test of time. Houses erected by the local populace using locally available material way back in the 17th century in the Milam village are still standing intact despite the settlement lying deserted since 1962 following the Chinese debacle. Indeed, by way of giving its due space to the traditional wisdom, the self-styled harbingers of development in the hills could have empowered the hill-folk – who have been the victims of the proverbial poverty in terms of cash in hand – in a rather laudable manner.

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