The regional conference on global climate change in the Himalayas organised recently at the Bija Vidyapeeth near Dehradun saw Union Minister of Forest and Environment Jairam Ramesh stating that the Government of India would accord green points in the form of financial concession or aid to Indian States according to the extent of area covered by greenery.
The people's charter on climate change in Himalaya (Uttarakhand) released during the event included the alarming findings of survey carried out in 165 villages in Garhwal Himalaya to ascertain the impacts of climate change in the region. The survey revealed that 38.56 per cent of perennial streams and 29.9 per cent of seasonal springs have dried out completely whereas the average water yield of perennial springs is reduced by 64.2 percent.
The rate of drying was found higher at 44.56 per cent in the Bhagirathi watershed area and the lowest at 20.79 per cent in the Mandakini watershed area. About 90 per cent of the springs and streams in the survey area dried off during 2001, 2007 and 2009. Between 50 to 60 per cent of villages depend on tap water supply whereas reduction of water in the source for tap water demolished the drinking water supply in connected villages. Residents of more than 45 villages in the Saterakhal-Chopata area of Rudraprayag depend for drinking water on supplies by water tankers while in Bikhol Gaon and Deoli villages in Uttarkashi District drinking water is being supplied through mule transport. According to Navdanya founder Vandana Shiva, agriculture in the State and people depending on agriculture were facing the damaging results of change in climatic factors.
During the years 2007 and 2008 between 50 to 60 per cent of Rabi crops failed in the middle and lower mountainous regions located at altitude between 600 to 1500 meters above sea level, while they survived in temperate, alpine and irrigated low lying areas of Uttarakhand.
However the failure rate has increased to 90 per cent in the year 2009 in the rain-fed sub-tropical area and 40 percent in the temperate areas. Farmers in areas like Pratapnagar block of Tehri District, have no wheat, lentil and mustard seed for the next year. In most mountainous regions of the State Kharif crops like potato, vegetables, amaranth and pulses failed up to 80 per cent due to excessive rainfall from May to July 2008. In tropical and sub tropical mountain areas about 35 percent of irrigated land is left barren due to unavailability of water with the condition of planted paddy crop on the brink of total failure due to insufficient rainfall in the present year.
The drastic variation in temperature and prolonged drought periods have changed the phenology of plant species as seen in the flowering of rhododendron during January to July in 2009 in stead of the normal flowering time from February to June. Many fruit crops including apple, pear, peach and apricot failed up to 95 percent as flowers could not reach fruiting stage due to sudden rise in temperature. Though the State of Uttarakhand has a wealth of environmental resources, the debilitating effects of climatic irregularities is threatening the very existence of the environmental assets.
