Geoscience Reference
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expansion of human settlements and agricultural land over the marginal
mountain niche is becoming very common which has resulted in shrinking
of forestland. Population growth has forced the local people to bring more
land under cultivation (Rawat et al. 1996). Depletion of forest from the fragile
landscape of mountain has led to environmental hazards in the forms of
landslides, debris fl ow, mass movement and fl ash fl ood. Musudiar (1993),
Ukhimath [(Chamoli District), and Mapla (Pithoragarh District) (both in
1998)] landslides were the consequences of forest depletion which resulted
in heavy damage to the property and loss of life. In the Central Himalaya,
existing land-use pattern is a result of centuries old practices. Forestland
occupies the highest geographical area (above 65%) while agricultural
land is limited (12%). Cropping pattern is dominated by the practices of
traditional subsistence cereal farming mainly millets. Currently, this pattern
has changed as the populace of the region has largely migrated to the urban
areas in search of better livelihood. Non-availability of agricultural land,
unsuitability, and instability of terrain, harsh environmental conditions
and inaccessibility of forestland are other aspects, which affect the land-
use/cover changes (Sati and Kumar 2004). This study reveals that high
population growth rate was observed in the Kewer Gadhera sub-watershed,
increase in forestland and decrease in agricultural land was also observed
during the last four decades. It was mainly due to the large-scale emigration
on the one hand and land abandonment on the other. The main objective
of this chapter is to examine land-use/cover changes during the last four
decades in the Kewer Gadhera.
Description of Study Area
Kewer Gadhera, a perennial stream, is a sub-watershed of the Pindar River,
Central Himalaya (Fig. 12.1). It originates from the root of Kanpurgarhi
top (2,891 m), the highest point of the watershed, and confl uences into
the Pindar River at Narainbagar service centre. It extends between 30 o
5' N and 30 o 8' N and between 79 o 20' E and 79 o 23' E. The total area of
the sub-watershed is 5,684 ha. It has four sub-tributaries. The whole
watershed comprises steep to gentle slopes. During the monsoon season,
it fl ows above the danger mark due to heavy downpour received by the
watershed. Contrary to that, it fl ows below level during the winter season.
Throughout its course, water of the stream is unused due to its rough,
rugged, and precipitous landscape except in few agricultural patches, where
land is irrigated. The whole watershed of the Kewer Gadhera is prone to
soil erosion largely during the monsoon season, when it receives heavy
downpour (mostly from the south-eastern wind). Consequently, landslides
and debris fl ows are very common. There were several instances when the
villages located along the stream and on the fragile slopes and associated
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