News in Frames | The drying naulas of Uttarakhand

Naulas, traditional stone-built water springs and temples in Uttarakhand's Kumaon region, are facing an environmental crisis. Once vital for drinking water and culturally significant, many are now drying up, abandoned, or polluted. Key causes include declining groundwater recharge, frequent forest fires, climate change-induced irregular rainfall and reduced snowfall, rapid surface run-off, and developmental activities like road construction, urbanisation, and rising tourism, all of which damage natural water channels and recharge zones. This situation is leading to acute water shortages for local communities.