Background

It is quite a fact that the National Capital Region (NCR) including Delhi and the suburbs of Gurgaon and Faridabad face drinking water scarcity. However, there are options to address this which includes securing and enhancing ground water availability especially in the Aravalli hills (for their quality ground water), drawing water from further afar, e.g. by damming a sub-stream of the Yamuna – the Giri river at Renuka, Himachal Pradesh, to store water flows from the monsoon season and supply it to Delhi in the lean season. In this context, the watershed service functions for enhanced recharge of groundwater, especially in the Aravalli hills in southern Haryana and reduced erosion in the Giri river catchment respectively, are critical for enhancing the long term sustainability and feasibility of these options and safeguarding the water supplies for the NCR.

Objective

The specific objective of this project is to develop a framework and evaluate the feasibility for a Payment for Ecosystem Services mechanism for the two sites of Aravalli hills in southern Haryana, and Giri river catchment in Himachal Pradesh.