Water

Mussoorie Water History

The most basic necessity of a township

  Water is the most basic necessity of us humans. Many Civilizations have risen and vanished due to the changes in the water geography.  The present Landour and Mussoorie, the twin towns which later merged, saw their inception in circa 1825. Primarily a British town where most of the Houses were built near a Spring. Water was in abundance, but the terrains were tough for agriculture. Hence prior to the British occupancy, the region was used by the adjoining Villages for livestock grazing in the hot Summer months. The early residents obtained their water manually from the various springs that were to be found usually at a level somewhat below that on which the houses were built. The water was carried to the houses on Mule back...

Pani, Pahar – Guardian Article

Sacred, Life Affirming and Disappearing

Published in the Guardian on December 27th, 2017 – LINK HERE Rapid urbanisation, dwindling groundwater reserves and changing rain patterns are driving a water crisis in the lower Himalayas of India and Nepal.  Photojournalist Toby Smith took part in a research project charting the shifting demands on this fragile landscape Photographs by Toby Smith/University of Cambridge Text by Professor Bhaskar Vira and Eszter Kovacs