Water Mill and Global Warming
Carbon emission has become synonymous to global warming since the last few decades. Carbon emission is one of the major factor that scientist rest to global warming. Undoubtedly the increasing energy needs from domestic to commercial applications have multiplied the problem. This was mainly because of the indiscriminate use of fossil fuel and also unbated wood use. Both the racing needs can never be curtailed due to increasing population size and is not anticipated also .It is infact necessary to ensure the balance between outgoing radiation and incoming energy through a proper energy management strategy.

Intense human activities, increased aerosols and the green house gases are the major factors that lead to the warming of the earth's surface. Along with these factors, it is equally important to point out that changing land use pattern in order to gain more from the earth ,have led to the tropical deforestation and expanded cropping and related human activities have upset the balance .It has infact disturbed the carbon cycle thereby hampering production and consumption balance of the CO2 and other emissions. Energy needs that demand anti environment activities (CO2 emission) will have to be abridged.

In India hydro electrical energy contribute 30.94 thousand Megawatts against 119.84 of the total production capacity, whereas thermal contribute 80.90 and the other sources hardly contribute to around 8 thousand MW.

Hydro energy production and efficiency are India's only need to meet the future challenges. There is a big dependence on fossil fuel for meeting the energy gap. Emission of CO2 in India is 1 tonnes against 4 tonnes of the world.(IEA) Presently about 80% of the energy comes from the thermal plants which definitely add to the CO2 emission .It should be diverted to other some other clean source.

This is true that that small hydro power is a clean energy system which needs promotion against indiscriminately promoted big dams with time limitations. The other possibility to obtain decentralised clean energy will be age old watermills. Indian mountains Region is dotted with watermills spread in all the mountain states. These watermills can be upgraded to efficient energy production .The estimate reveals that about Two hundred thousand watermills, spread all along the Himalayan mountain can contribute to a clean decentralized energy. Review of water resources of the Himalayan region illustrate about 1100,000 million cubic meter of water flows every year down the Himalayas offering a potential for generating about 2800 MW of electricity ,which hitherto is poorly tapped. Besides two hundred thousand mills in Indian Mountain Region can generate 400MW/Hr of 6.4 million units of electricity and a cash generation of Rs.76.8 million//hr(Production rate being 6.4 million units/year/hr).

While stepping into measures to mitigate carbon emission ,the utmost importance should be given to the alternative option that reduces the dependence on any carbon emission source . Watermills definitely offer one such option. It will not only produce about 400MW of energy for local industry with electrification but would also save 400MW /hr or will curtail sizeable amount of CO2 emission equivalent to 227quintal/yr.The data shows that 0.568 kg CO2 is produced annually for every KW electrical energy produced. Watermill can be one of the suitable measure to control CO2 emission in the atmosphere by lessening the energy needs which otherwise would have met from other carbon emitting source.

Unemployment, indiscriminate planning, indiscreet land use contributes to imbalance in the ecosystem. The up gradation of existing watermills may also promote more small mini micro units thereby not only meeting the local energy needs but also generating the employment and balance planning.

Spring-Recharging in the Himalayas
The availability of springs has been a major factor in the settlement of mountain villages in the Himalayas. In fact, in many places, it was the single factor that determined the location of the villages. And naturally rainwater has been the source which recharge the catchments of the springs. Forest cover keeps these catchment areas alive for the slow and constant recharging of the springs. In the recent past due to continuous deforestation, the catchment areas have been drastically reduced. Eventually, these denuded lands were unable to conserve water, which has resulted in the drying-up and dying of many mountain springs. Certainly, this became a major threat to both the natural habitats of the springs, as well as to the survival of the communities.

In order to meet the water needs of the villages, the government-development agencies devised a distribution system in which water was diverted from regions with an adequate supply to those deprived of water. This approach to remedy the water shortage brought about significant water conflicts, as the rights to water resources were not well defined. This system also did not adequately address water-management and distribution lines for the water resources.

As an alternative remedy to address the problem, a mechanism for the strategic recharging of springs was inducted in association with the Bhaba Atomic Research Center. An environmental-isotope was employed to identify the catchment areas of selected springs. These areas were then treated with special bunding and check dams. The artificial recharging process resulted in the successful recharging of the springs down to the lower areas of the mountain. Several springs have been recharged.

This whole process of water recharging is a very simple, but it is a systematically devised approach which can be used to recharge the areas of any given spring. In this methodology, an environmental isotope was identified, and applied. Firstly, an upper-catchment zone is investigated, where there is some possibility that a catchment may exist for a given spring. Secondly, the different locations of catchment are surveyed, and rainfall samples form these different locations are collected for isotope studies.

The isotope measured in the water samples form these different locations are then matched to the isotopes in the water found in the actual springs. In the areas where the isotopes match with the spring water, these become the recharging zones for the springs. These catchment areas are then treated with checkdams and bunds, and creeping grasses that absorb the torrential rainfall flow, thus resulting in slow, steady recharging. This water slowly percolates, and recharges the natural acquifers that feed the springs. Interestingly, any water which travels from the catchment reaches the spring in the lean winter-time, and through the summer.

The expirament described above was conducted in the Gwar catchment areas in the District Rudraprayag, where the springs affecting three villages were treated. In total, there were fourteen springs involved, where the flow in summer was down to 70 It/min., and eventually were discharging up to 130 It/min. It was felt that this low flow was a result of both denuded catchment areas of these springs, as well as the pine-needle cover which has overtaken the forest. Both of these factors result in inefficient water conservation, and the percolation of water to the natural acquifers becomes scarce.

A brief summary of our spring-recharging intervention is given here. Realizing the poor functioning of the springs in some areas of the Himalayas, some catchments were identified for recording the water discharge. The catchment areas were then treated with checkdams and green bunds. The areas of treatment spread from 300-500 sq.mtrs. Each treatment cost about 50-80000/Rs. The measurements of rainfall and spring discharges were consistently taken. The experimental period covered 24 months, and in this time the results observed were highly encouraging.

There were increased discharges in all of the springs measured. Some of the springs discharges increased from ½ It/second up to 6 It/second. Another spring showed an overall increase of 2/3 greater water discharge following the treatment. On the whole, the average spring discharge increased by 50-300%, with a seasonal variation from summer to winter. These sixteen springs served a community of 2500 people spread out in 300 village-hamlets, which include Gwar, Bhatgaon, Nagrasu, and Gagotu. The performance of these springs steadily increased.

It appears that this one-time exercise has resolved this problem for years to come. Even with a minimum rainfall (600-1200 mm), the springs in this area will be enabled to meet the communities’ needs adequately. The average discharge from these springs has been calculated per annum. During the first four months, the discharge increased from 50 It/min. up to 130 It/min. During the second four months (peak of summer season), the flow increased from 70 It/min. up to 190 It/min. During the third period of four months (winter season), the flow increased from a low of 30 It/min. up to 70 It/min. The villages benefiting from this treatment are located in altitudes ranging from 900-1100 mmsl, and this data was collected both before and after the water recharging. The miraculous increase in discharge has astonished community. The change in the very life of village is discernible. There were the villages where vegetable cultivation had never been done but today, many youths have started commercial cultivation of vegetable. Vikram Singh an unemployed commercial youth today earns Rs. 2000-3500/- monthly from his land now as he cultivates vegetables for local market. Similarly Mr. Jaspal has also enjoyed boons of Surplus water of spring for fisheries.

The spring recharged has produced 4-5 time water which villagers are economically using for several purposes. In order to make it available for all time, many tanks in their catchment are constructed to store the water. Spring recharging has been a community efforts, village youth and women worked together to treat the catchment. The story begun when Dr. Anil P. Joshi requested Dr. R. Chidambaram, Principal Scientific Advisor, Government Of India to explore possibilities of recharging spring through rainwater harvesting structure in the appropriate site of catchment.

Isotope Scientists of BARC Dr. Shivanna and Dr. Gurusharan were requested to use environmental isotope studies to identify exact location of water recharge zone. The success of their experiment has encouraged all of says Dr. Anil P. Joshi. It is a water revolution to bring back life in springs and will be a major thrust of future water policy says Dr. Anil P. Joshi. Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission Dr. Anil Kakodkar has agreed to decentralize this facility of Isotope Studies in mountain in a recent meeting with BARC on the issue.

This is true that decentralized availability and harvesting of rainwater to recharge traditional system is the only answer for future water needs Joshi says.