Isotopic,hydrologic and geomorphologic approach for the rejuvenation of few drying springs in mountainous region of Dhouli Rao and Kandela,Himachal Pradesh,India

Springs are the only available source of water for domestic and agricultural use in mountainous regions of Dhouli Rao and Kandela in the Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh, India. These springs are mainly gravity, contact or fracture and solution tubular (Karst) type. Drying of springs during summer causes much hardship to the inhabitants of this region. Hence, environmental isotopes (²H, ¹⁸O, ³H) were employed along with hydrogeochemistry and geomorphology to identify the recharge zones of the drying springs. From the stable isotope data of rainwater, the altitude effect was estimated (?0.3?‰ for δ¹⁸O per 100 m elevation) and used to determine the recharge zones of the drying springs (+1,000 to +1,430 m amsl). The geo-morphological setting of the valley indicated that either check dam, contour bunding or levees structures with gabion method of rainwater conservation can be implemented to augment the recharge of the springs.