Traditional Water Management: Practices of Uttarakhand by Manikant Shah

Author:Manikant Shah [Shah, Manikant]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Infinity Foundation India
Published: 2020-11-12T00:00:00+00:00

Fig. 3.32: Jhanvi Naula and Dhara, Gangolihaat

Fig. 3.33: Synurakot Naula

Fig. 3.34: Thul-Kuro Naula, Dwarahaat

Management of Naulas

Upadhayaya and Bisht wrote in 2001 that almost throughout history, until about 30 years ago, Naulas were distinctly a community property. Usually there were no detailed rules of management. Villagers traditionally built Naulas and the rituals observed in constructing them were similar to those of a temple’s construction. Their water was considered sacred and basic rules of sanitation and hygiene were observed around such water bodies. Sacred trees like the peepal and banyan were planted near a Naula to signify its sanctity and to protect and provide shade to it to minimize evaporation also. The local communities tended to have a holistic perception of the local ecosystem. They not only looked after the Naula but also tried to protect their catchments. All such activities led to a high degree of sustainability (Ravi Chopra: 2007).

But sadly, most of the well known Naulas today are either completely extinct or if extant are in a terrible state of disrepair with no more water to draw from. The questions of ownership, management and exploitation of the resources stand out as the underlying factors that affect the old hydraulic structures. These are also rapidly being encroached upon and many have been buried under the earth due to developmental activities and road construction. Many lie in utter disrepair and neglect (Fig. 3.35).

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