Sustainability of Traditional Drinking Water Sources in Himachal Pradesh

Water is a marvellous and unique substance which is very essential for life on earth. Water has been regarded as an essential commodity since time immemorial, and all the ancient civilizations settled and developed close to a source of water. But the steady increase in human population, widespread technological modernization, and new and unsustainable lifestyle have invited calamity in the form of water scarcity. This paper examines the traditional water resources in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, which is blessed with varied and bountiful natural water resources such as baories, wells, khads, nalas, nawns, chhrudus, khatries, etc. However, this study has revealed that about 18% of the traditional water resources are in disuse, many of them dying a natural death due to poor maintenance, non-repair and the availability of modern facilities such as hand pumps and piped water supply. The study also reveals that the water in 60% wells, 55% baories and 36% khatries is contaminated and not fit for human consumption. There is an urgent need to develop policies and programmes for the revival of the traditional water resources, so as to combat the problem of increasing water scarcity.