Vinod KumarJaskaran Singh2022-07-092022-07-092022-04https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810185350Fast expansion in human population encourage new development, deforestation, farming exercises and expansion in number of outing spots are likely causes for the adverse effects on the nature of springwater in the Himalayan area. These changes are a dynamic force at the local, regional and global level of unprecedented changes in ecosystem and processes in the habitat. It is, therefore, important to assess the effect of change in the LULC on the flow characteristics of the region as a whole. The human activity in springshed is the main cause of water degradation. A lack of springshed management has resulted in degraded water quality in recent years. Keeping the problems such as deforestation, rapid urbanization, quarrying and other government and private constructional activities, present study in Pithoragarh district, which is the eastern-most district of the Uttarakhand state, was taken up on restoration and management of regular springs, utilizing springshed approach. The pattern analysis of 26 years rainfall data w.e.f., January, 1995 to December, 2020 was carried out by arranging the daily data into weekly, monthly, seasonal, and annual basis as per CWS-1 format of IMD, Pune. The decadal monthly variation of rainfall in the district was also carried out from the year 1991 to 2020. The LULC change detection was carried outfor a period of 25 years by comparing the LULC thematic data of 1995 and 2020 using ArcGIS software. A springshed was delineated using valley boundary approach and 3D images of the study area in Google Earth. The springshed management plan has been proposed suggesting the necessary engineering and agronomic measures for the development of the springshed. The rainfall pattern analysis revealed that 29th week (16 Jul – 22 Jul) and 51st week (17 Dec – 23 Dec) receiving average weekly rainfall of 60.38 mm and 0.25 mm respectively was the wettest and driest week. Similarly the July and November month receiving average rainfall of 241.29 mm and 5.32 mm, respectively was the wettest and driest month. The analysis of decadal rainfall (1991-2020) showed continuous increasing trend in rainfall pattern (except for the month of October) from decade-1 (1991-2000) to decade-3 (2011-2020). The LULC change analysis for the period of 1995-2020 showed a drastic reduction in the area under waterbodies (28.38%), forest (8.34%), grass cover (87.85%), agriculture (83.62%), bare soil (25.76%), and snow/ice cover (64.09%) over the status of 1995. On the other hand, an increase in scrub/shrub (285.10%) and built-up area (1086.55%) indicate migration from rural areas to urban area, as depicted from the change in built-up area that has mounted to more than 10 times in comparison to 1995 status. Corrective agronomical measures (contour farming, canopy cover, inter-cropping, conservation tillage, strip-cropping, plantation with plants having good biomass, canopy cover, and broad roots) and engineering measures (contour bunding, contour trenching, contour wattling) have been suggested for the development and management of delineated springshed.EnglishThesis