City Water Balance Plan (CWBP) study, conducted by USAID along with the Centre for Urban and Regional Excellence (CURE) to analyse water use in Dehradun and how to optimise groundwater use and recharge has led to certain revelations which states that there has been a 600% increase in urbanization (increase in concrete cover) in Doon between 1995-2015.
As a result, the city has lost over 18% of its seasonal streams, which have now converted into transitory (rain-dependent) seasonal streams. It has also led to a 1% decrease in permanent water cover of the city.
This, in turn, has increased the risk of flooding during the monsoon season and led to greater water scarcity during months of summer.
“Identification of the areas which have better water recharge potential must be initiated to strike a balance between green-grey infrastructure, ensuring better ecological response,” said Swagatam Patnaik from Impact Dash, the technical partner agency of CURE.
The study also highlighted that conversion of 25% of land use from barren and agricultural to urban use has put tremendous pressure on the city’s natural resources, like water.
Experts suggest that the damage done by rapid urbanisation can be countered and minimised by increasing green spaces in the city that enable better percolation of rain water and storm water to the underground reservoirs.
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