Analysis of a yoga resort for spring water sustainability in Tehri Garhwal region of Himalayas

Abstract

There are several upcoming proposals for health resorts and yoga ashrams in the Tehri Garhwal region of Himalayas. The present wellness tourism business in this area offers services like yoga, naturopathy, Ayurveda etc. The services involve the use of Himalayan spring water due to its magnificent healing properties. This paper demonstrates how can we make spring water sustainable for these resorts with the help of hydro landscape solutions. The study was done by analyzing spring water requirements of a yoga resort in the Tehri Garhwal region for its operation. The literature and data from various researches, articles, and reports were used to understand geology, geomorphology, climate, hydrogeology, etc., of the area. The field data on monthly spring water discharge and month wise rate of occupancy provided by resort management were used to analyze the total water requirement. The above studies lead to the necessary findings in the research to work out solutions. The source of springs recharge in this region is mainly rainfall and snowmelt water from the Gangotri glacier which makes the springs perennial in nature. However, the water discharge capacity reduces many folds in dry seasons. The spring water required for smooth functioning of the studied resort in Tehri is around 1,42,880 liter per day and the resort occupancy is highest during summer period. The spring water discharge in this time of year reduces 16-18 times and is around 45,000 to 60,000 liter per day. The study and findings can be implemented as a model to develop health resorts and yoga ashrams in this region. Approximately 1000 wellness resorts or yoga ashrams can be built from Gangotri to Rishikesh region. Furthermore, the paper deals with the sustainability of spring water.