Analysing the Rigidity of Water Flows in Small Himalayan Towns: An Analysis of Water Accessibility and Availability in Champawat Town, Uttarakhand, India

Water scarcity in Himalayan towns and cities has become a common phenomenon. Deforestation, urbanization, and heavy construction activities accompanied by climate change have impacted the availability and accessibility of water. In such a situation, water management becomes crucial to ensure water equitably. The remote Himalayan centres lack both research and assessment. The case study provides the condition of water accessibility and accessibility in small Himalayan urban centre of Champawat. The results show various indicators like quantity of water supplied, supply hours, quality standards are below state average. Local people use various coping mechanisms such as using multiple water sources, government water tankers, water rationing, multiple water containers to deal with persisting water scarcity.