Himalayan Environment Research Articles

Air Quality Assessment in the Foothills of Garhwal Himalayan Environment during the COVID-19 Pandemic Outbreak

Strict lockdown procedures were implemented across the country, including major urban areas, to put a check on the COVID-19 outbreak. Due to the limited extent of commercial activities, these restrictions have significantly impacted improving ecological well-being. The lockdown was imposed at Haridwar, a famous Hindu pilgrimage site with heavy daily foot traffic, industrial activities, and a populated urban area The different air quality parameters (nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter [PM]2.5, and PM10) were analyzed throughout the COVID-19 outbreak lockdown period as compared to a pre-lockdown period in both pandemic waves, 2020 and 2021. Significant variations were observed while assessing air quality during stages of lockdown at different sites during the first and second waves. Pre-lockdown air quality index (AQI) in the first wave varied from 91.12 to 55.47, with SIDCUL having the highest value and Jagjeetpur having the lowest. The AQI improved throughout the lockdown, rising from 41.04 to 54.59, with SIDCUL having the lowest score and Ranipur having the highest. Pre-lockdown AQI ranged from 54.930 to 88.0534 in the second wave, with SIDCUL once again having the highest and Jagjeetpur having the lowest. The lockdown AQI increased from 51.062 to 79.382, with Jagjeetpur continuously having the lowest values and SIDCUL continually having the highest. During the lockdown, the AQI was significantly improved in Haridwar, showing clear improvement throughout the successive phases of limitation. . KEYWORDS :Air pollution, Air quality, COVID-19, Lockdown, Nitrogen dioxide, Sulfur dioxide, Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand State Earthquake Early Warning System: A Case Study of the Himalayan Environment.

The increased seismic activity observed in the Himalayas, coupled with the expanding urbanization of the surrounding areas in northern India, poses significant risks to both human lives and property. Developing an earthquake early warning system in the region could help in alleviating these risks, especially benefiting cities and towns in mountainous and foothill regions close to potential earthquake epicenters. To address this concern, the government and the science and engineering community collaborated to establish the Uttarakhand State Earthquake Early Warning System (UEEWS). The government of Uttarakhand successfully launched this full-fledged operational system to the public on 4 August 2021. The UEEWS includes an array of 170 accelerometers installed in the seismogenic areas of the Uttarakhand. Ground motion data from these sensors are transmitted to the central server through the dedicated private telecommunication network 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This system is designed to issue warnings for moderate to high-magnitude earthquakes via a mobile app freely available for smartphone users and by blowing sirens units installed in the buildings earmarked by the government. The UEEWS has successfully issued alerts for light earthquakes that have occurred in the instrumented region and warnings for moderate earthquakes that have triggered in the vicinity of the instrumented area. This paper provides an overview of the design of the UEEWS, details of instrumentation, adaptation of attributes and their relation to earthquake parameters, operational flow of the system, and information about dissemination of warnings to the public.

Impact of Climate Change on Agricultural Activities in Garhwal Himalayas: A Comprehensive Analysis on Shifts, Changes and Adaptation Strategies

Climate change is adversely affecting many facets of human lives, often varying with the magnitude and scale. The Himalayan environment is showing a perceived change in the climatic parameters and cryosphere response. The aim of the present study is to capture the community perceptions of climate change, and their approaches towards adaptation. A comprehensive field investigation was carried-out in the villages selected within the different elevation range, located in the Garhwal division of Uttarakhand. In the present study, 150 households were surveyed spreading over 25 villages. The analysis shows that most of the respondents (~95%) agreed, about the climate change through their responses, i.e. early and warm summer, short winter months and less snowfall. The variability of precipitation pattern, declining soil fertility and poor yields were the major challenges in agriculture sector, the main source of livelihood of the communities. Traditionally, people are adapting with climatic extremities with adjusting crops Calander, use of improved and high-yielding variety seeds, fertilizer and used of herbicides and pesticides. The findings of the study can be used to prepare policy framework in the climate change adaptations in the Himalayan region.

Free-ranging dogs are seriously threatening Himalayan environment: delineating the high-risk areas for curbing free-ranging dog infestation in the Trans-Himalayan region.

It is becoming more widely recognised that free-ranging dogs, which have a nearly global distribution, threatening native wildlife. Their increasing population and spread to new areas is of growing concern for the long-term viability of wildlife species. Hence, it is imperative to understand the factors responsible for their infestation and map areas where native species are most vulnerable. Using the random forests algorithm, we modelled the free-ranging dog infestation in the Trans-Himalayan region to pinpoint the high-risk areas where free-ranging dogs are threatening the native wildlife species. We found that the likelihood of free-ranging dog occurrence is most in valley regions and up to 4000 m, often in proximity to roads. Our results also indicated that free-ranging dog prefers areas with wildlife near to protected areas. The predictor variables, such as potential evapotranspiration of the coldest quarter, distance to protected areas, elevation, distance to roads, and potential evapotranspiration of the driest quarter, significantly influence the distribution of the free-ranging dogs. We found that within the Ladakh region of the Trans-Himalayan area, the high-risk zones for free-ranging dogs are located in and around Hemis National Park, Karakoram Wildlife Sanctuary, and Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary. While, in the Lahaul and Spiti region the high-risk areas encompass Pin Valley National Park, Inderkilla National Park, Khirganga National Park, Kugti Wildlife Sanctuary, and several other protected areas. We identified the potentially high-risk areas for implementing strategies to mitigate the possible impact of free-ranging dogs on native wildlife of the Himalayas. Hence, the identified high priority areas can be used for implementing actions for controlling the population growth and further preventing the infestation of the free-ranging dogs into the new areas.

Rationalizing donations and subsidies: Energy ecosystem development for sustainable renewable energy transition in Nepal

Donor-driven research and implementations in renewable energy (RE) might not necessarily resonate with the physical, social, economic and political settings of the developing world. We take a developing South Asian country – Nepal – to examine why solar and wind technologies have failed despite tremendous donor-support and subsidies during the last three decades. We combine extensive literature review, expert interviews and own readings from our two decades-long professional career in the RE sector of Nepal to arrive at rational conclusions. Almost all past internationally funded and government-subsidized off-grid solar and wind energy projects failed upon discontinuation of funds. Furthermore, the pristine Himalayan environment was forced to bear the burden of hazardous waste management. Nepal, being one of the best countries for hydropower, should concentrate on this technology. The suitability, convenient availability of other feasible alternatives and social acceptance decides the fate of technologies. Donations/subsidies need to be better utilized by developing a bottom-up “ecosystem” fostering new technologies to be a part of the energy mix sustainably. Through this paper, we provide specific recommendations for the use of donations and subsidies in the RE sector which have been drawn from the Nepal case but are applicable to the Global South in general.

The expansion and migration of small mammals in the Makalu Barun region induced by changes of the Himalayan environment during the Quaternary

This paper describes the course of migration and expansion of small mammals in the Makalu Barun region influenced by the orogenetic uplift of the East Nepal Himalaya and climatically conditioned changes in the extent of morphogenetic zones from the Upper Pleistocene up to the present. The results of zoological and parasitological research are compounded with the knowledge of the dynamic development of landforms, which testifies to significant changes in the high-mountain environment during the Quaternary. The migration of Palearctic species of small mammals across the gradually emerging orographical barrier during the orogenesis of the High Himalaya was completely interrupted by the glaciation in the Upper Pleistocene. This extensive glaciation also excluded occurrence and survival of small mammals in the high-mountain valleys of the Makalu Barun region. Migration routes and the extension of the territory of small mammals remained open only in the periglacial zone of the Arun and Barun Khola valleys. Following the interstadial period of warmer and humid climate conditions were changed by the Late Glacial Maximum when small mammals were again pushed away from heavily glaciated valleys to the lower altitude periglacial zone. During the Holocene interglacial, the occurrence of fauna and flora in the high-mountain valleys depended on repeated spatial changes of periglacial and glacial morphoclimatic zones. Current biogeographical hazards are accentuated due to the rapid retreat of glaciers, the expansion of the periglacial morphoclimatic zone and the increased human impact in the High Himalaya.

Effect of Different Types of Sugarcane Bagasse Biochar on Soil Enzymatic Activities under Spinach Crop Grown in an Experimentally Fluoride Contaminated Soil

Aims: To elucidate the impacts of fluorine contamination in soil at various levels on soil enzymatic activities, as well as the effects of adding biochar made from sugarcane bagasse and modified with alum and phosphoric acid to the substrate to reduce the deleterious effects of fluorine.
 Study Design: The pot experiment was carried under factorial CRD (complete randomized design).
 Place and Duration of Study: The pot experiment followed by laboratory analysis was conducted in the Net house of Centre for Environment Assessment & Climate Change, G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan environment, Kosi-Katarmal, Almora (UK), India during Rabi season (January to March) 2022.
 Methodology: The present study was undertaken with 2 levels of fluoride (Factor A) and 3 levels of each three types of biochar viz. non activated biochar, phosphoric acid activated biochar and alum treated biochar with a control (no biochar) i.e. 10 treatments of biochar (Factor B). The combination of Factor A and Factor B comprises 20 treatment combinations with three replicates. The soil enzymes such as urease, dehydrogenase, acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase, were examined in the postharvest soil sample.
 Results: The outcomes demonstrated that the soil enzymatic activity of post-harvest soil under spinach crop was greatly improved with the application of fluoride in case of soil dehydrogenase, acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase except soil urease. Application of alum modified biochar and phosphoric acid modified biochars at different application rates significantly all the 4 studied soil enzymatic activities. Compared to the control, PAMB40 increases the urease, dehydrogenase, acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase by 32.71, 58.83, 142.60 and 31.10%, respectively.
 Conclusion: This study suggested that biochar treated with phosphoric acid and alum might be utilised as a long term improvement to enhance quality of soil, the importance of which would be vital for agriculture.

Geospatial technology for sustainable development

The recent events in the Himalayas have depicted more than ever, that we require development strategy for the Himalayas that assesses the susceptibility of the region and requirement for the safety of environment. There is no distrust that the economic growth is the need of the region, but this cannot come on the cost of the environmental degradation. The resource base of Himalayan watersheds sustains traditional mountain societies. However, driven by population explosion, the Himalayan environment has experienced the effects of extension and intensification of agriculture, deforestation; land use and land cover changes and land degradation. The fragile watersheds of Himalayan region are facing multiple and complex environmental crisis and challenges. Therefore, the objectives of the present paper are following – (i) to identify the key drivers for maintaining environment services of the Himalayan watersheds; (ii) to assess the resource base and processes operating within the watershed as an ecosystem; (iii) to establish links between ecological and social ecosystem services and finally (iv) to analyze the LULC (Land use/Land cover) changes and patterns to evolve a sustainable strategy based on geospatial technology.

Fingerprints of Climate Change from the Indian Himalayan Environment: Need to Inculcate in Environment Education for Schools and Colleges

Himalayas are the youngest mountain range in the world that are experiencing the implications of climate change occurring at the local and regional levels. This does not only affect the ecologically diverse natural landscapes in the Himalayan region but also disrupts the natural habitats and distribution of species. The synthesis of the available literature indicates that abrupt changes in climate, especially at higher elevations are affecting the natural distribution of plant and animal taxa. The unpredictable movement of wildlife beyond their natural ranges underpin disturbances under micro climatic conditions and alteration of environmental niches. Though upslope movement of quite a few species has been observed, the extent to which these can be attributed to climate change is not clearly known. Considering the fingerprints of climate change in the Indian Himalaya, which has been considered as an ecological fragile landscape, there is a need to revisit and restructure our priorities for wildlife conservation. Moreover, monitoring species’ responses over time and documenting indigenous knowledge of local communities would strengthen our actions in addressing the impacts of climate change. Furthermore, by adding climate change education in the school system, considering it to be mandatory, can be remedied only by providing appropriate knowledge and through a structured training programme on climate change mitigation and adaptation process.

Statistical Analysis of Total Column Ozone over Uttarakhand: Environment of Himalaya

Total Column Ozon is a critical factor affecting the earths atmosphere, especially in the Himalayan region. A comprehensive study of TCO trend analysis and corresponding consequences in the Himalayan atmosphere needs to be analyzed. We statistically examine TCO variability by analyzing the daily TCO dataset of the last 15 years i.e.2005-2019 over the crucial region of the Himalayan environment i.e. Uttarakhand, India. The outcomes of this study are expected to be beneficial for future study of TCO over other crucial regions of Himalayan territory.

Imperial Hunting and the Sublime: Race, Caste, and Aesthetics in the Central Himalayas

Abstract This article examines the relationship between imperial hunting and the sublime through the historical analysis of race, caste, and aesthetics in the Central Himalayas. Reading Raja Rudra Deva’s sixteenth-century Śyainika Śāstra against the career of nineteenth-century timber merchant Frederick Wilson, it argues that the bodies of the courtly hawker and the imperial sportsman simultaneously articulated and naturalized hierarchies of caste and race in the Central Himalayas. In the precolonial context, dramatic displays of hawking calibrated caste status but did not codify boundaries between “nature” and “culture.” In contrast, the aesthetics of the sublime were deployed in English hunting journals to demarcate racial difference and legitimate colonial rule in the Central Himalayas. The aesthetics of courtly hawking and imperial sportsmanship were thus consequential to the elaboration of race and caste-based forms of authority over the Himalayan environment.

Impact of lockdown Covid-19 pandemic on himalayan environment

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 Pandemic have caused severe impact on lives in various ways, but our environment has experienced a positive outcome due to the lockdown which was imposed all over world including Himalayan region of India. The worldwide spread of COVID 19 has reduced movement of vehicles, industries and all tourism activities. Due to shutdown of all the commercial activities and traffic has helped the environment to reclaim naturally. The Himalayas is one of the world’s most fragile and sensitive hotspots to global climate change, with impacts manifesting at a particularly rapid rate. The Himalayan glaciers are the water towers of Asia, and the source of many of the world’s great rivers. In this research paper, an attempt has been made to describe the improvement in physiochemical characteristics of surface water, all parameters were compared with BIS standard of drinking water quality during pre lockdown and lockdown period. The ambient air quality have also been significantly improved and noise level were also found under permissible limit of Ambient air quality Standard.

Changing forest coverage and understanding of deforestation in Nepal Himalayas

The environmental situation of the Hiamlayas is a matter of global concern. Understanding on Himalayas environment is usually shaped by the changing views expressed by research institutions, doner organizations, and finally by politics and power relations. In line with changing paradigms in knowledge-producing institutions, different understandings of environmental challenges in the Himalayas have emerged. Based on the literature and available data, we have tried to discern changes in forest policies, their implication on forest management and various understandings of deforestation in Nepal Himalayas that are salient in the scientific literature. The debate of deforestation/degradation on the state of Himalayan environment came on the global agenda in the 1950s. The initial focus was on population growth and pressure on natural resources. It was followed by attention to processes of development and physical interventions in a fragile environment. Most recently local participation and poverty alleviation have been high on the agenda. In this context, the present paper attempts to examine the debates in the light of recent events and circumstances related to environmental processes in general and forest management of Nepal in particular.

Heavy metals in surface sediments in the trans-Himalayan Koshi River catchment: Distribution, source identification and pollution assessment.

Rivers flowing across the Himalayas are important water resources and deliver large amounts of sediment to regional and downstream ecosystems. However, the geochemistry of Himalayan river sediments has been less studied. Surface sediment samples collected from a typical trans-Himalayan river, the Koshi River (KR), were used to investigate the distribution, pollution status and potential sources of heavy metals. Heavy metals did not show significant spatial differences between the upstream and downstream areas of the river, but Cd and Pb displayed higher values in the upstream area. The average heavy metal concentrations in the KR sediments are comparable to the natural background values and are lower than the sediment guidelines. Pollution assessment using the geo-accumulation index (Igeo), enrichment factor (EF) and pollution load index (PLI) suggested negligible anthropogenic disturbances except for slight contamination by Cd, Pb and Cu at a few sites. Principal component analysis revealed that Cr, Co, Ni and Zn were primarily from the parent rock and that Cu, Cd and Pb were derived from both natural and anthropogenic sources. Despite contrasting environmental settings and human activities in the upper and lower reaches of the river, the heavy metals concentrations in the KR sediments showed consistency with natural backgrounds and negligible contamination. The geochemistry of river sediments is a useful indicator of environmental changes, and long-term observations of the geochemistry of trans-Himalayan river sediments are needed to understand the impacts of intensified climate change and human activities on the Himalayan environment.

Aggregation properties of cold-active lipase produced by a psychrotolerant strain of Pseudomonas palleroniana (GBPI_508)

The present study aims to exploit microbial potential from colder region to produce lipase enzyme stable at low temperatures. A newly isolated bacterium GBPI_508 from Himalayan environment, was investigated for the production of cold-active lipase emphasizing on its aggregation properties. Plate based assays followed by quantitative production of enzyme was estimated under different culture conditions. Further characterization of partially purified enzyme was done for molecular weight determination and activity and stability under varying conditions of pH, temperature, and in presence of organic solvents, inhibitors, and metal ions. The psychrotolerant bacterium was identified as Pseudomonas palleroniana following 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Maximum lipase production by GBPI_508 was recorded in 7 days at 25 °C utilizing yeast extract as nitrogen source and olive oil as substrate in the lipase production medium. Triton X-100 (1%) in the medium as emulsifier significantly enhanced the lipase production. Lipase produced by bacterium showed aggregation which was confirmed by dynamic light scattering and native PAGE. SDS-PAGE followed by zymogram analysis of partially purified enzyme showed two active bands of ∼50 kDa and ∼54 kDa. Optimum activity of partially purified enzymatic preparation was recorded at 40 °C while the activity remained nearly consistent from pH 7.0 to 12.0, whereas, maximum stability was recorded at pH values 7.0 and 11.0 at 25 °C. Interestingly, lipase in the partially purified fraction retained 60% enzyme activity at 10 °C. Medium chain pNP ester (C10) was the most preferred substrate for the lipase of GBPI_508. The lipase possessed >50% residual activity when incubated with different organic solvents (25% v/v) except toluene and dichloromethane which inhibited the activity below 50%. Partially purified enzyme was also stable in the presence of metal ions and inhibitors. The study suggests applicability of GBPI_508 lipase in low temperature conditions such as cold-active detergent formulations and cold bioremediation.

A Model Setup for Mapping Snow Conditions in High-Mountain Himalaya

Seasonal snow cover is an important source of melt water for irrigation and hydropower production in many regions of the world, but can also be a cause of disasters, such as avalanches and floods. In the remote Himalayan environment there is a great demand for up-to-date information on the snow conditions for the purposes of planned hydropower development and disaster risk reduction initiatives. We describe and evaluate a snow mapping setup for the remote Langtang Valley in the Nepal Himalayas, which can deliver data for snow and water availability mapping all year round. The setup utilizes (1) robust and almost maintenance-free in-situ instrumentation with satellite transmission, (2) a freely available numerical snow model, and (3) estimation of model key parameters from local meteorological and snow observations as well as from freely available climatological data. Novel features in the model include the estimation of melt parameters and solid precipitation from passive gamma-radiation based snow sensor data, as well as improved parameterization and estimation of melt water refreezing (36 % of total melt) within, and sublimation/evaporation (57 mm yr-1) from the snow pack. Evaluation of the model results show a reasonable fit with snow cover data from satellite images. As many of the high-mountain regions in central and eastern Nepal show high correlation (>0.8) with the estimated snow line elevation in the Langtang catchment, the results may provide a first-order approximation of the snow conditions for these areas too.

Viscoelastic Modeling of Nocturnal Thermal Fracturing in a Himalayan Debris‐Covered Glacier

Recent observations suggest that the nocturnal thermal fracturing of ice occurs at relatively warm temperatures (above −15 °C) at a high‐altitude Himalayan glacier system unless the ice is shielded by a debris mantle. Here we estimate the stresses induced by diurnal temperature variations using viscous, elastic, and two viscoelastic models, and various thicknesses of the debris mantle. Only the elastic and visco‐elastic models are in agreement with the observations. The timing and amplitudes of the stresses in the upper 15 cm of the glacier are different among the models despite the ability of each approach to predict a diurnal increase in tension exceeding the critical threshold proposed for crevasse formation. For example, the elastic stress is several times larger than the viscous stress at the ice surface (650 vs. 250 kPa) and reaches its peak up to 5–6 hr later in the night. The time lag is in line with the seismic records, suggesting that the viscous model is not appropriate. Furthermore, a debris layer of ≥50 cm in thickness suppresses the diurnal fluctuations in thermal stress and therefore protects the ice from mechanical damage. We suggest that high‐amplitude diurnal cooling and weak ice properties due to weathering are essential factors that influence thermal fracturing in the Himalayan environment. The ongoing expansion of seismic networks into cryospheric regions, which will be capable of detecting local thermal‐contraction‐induced cracks, in combination with the fact that such cracks can erode and weaken the ice, and thereby serve as meltwater and heat channels, warrants further research to better understand these near‐surface processes and to monitor ice properties.

Climate Change: An estimate of risk to Himalayan glaciers and environment

The climatic changes occurring in Himalayan areas are varied as the structures, lithology, geomorphology and evolutionary history of Himalaya. The water resources of India are dependant upon meltwater discharge which is presently the livelihood for 0.8 billion downstream peoples and significantly impacts them by its increased frequency and magnitude of extreme events. Changes in atmospheric parameters like temperature and precipitation play an important role in changing/ modifying the availability of water resources. Present study intends to highlight the changes in patterns of long-term climatic fluctuations by reanalysing the 100 years of IMD (water portal) data of atmospheric variables like temperature and precipitation with the support of extreme events that occurred in the recent past. The trends in precipitation and temperature data show the spatially variable response for Himalaya in last 100 years with decreasing pattern in all stations of Himalaya except north-west Himalaya; the weakening of Indian summer monsoon precipitation patterns also provide an evident to this fact. An attempt is done in this direction to assess and minimise the losses caused by the hazards and also use this baseline data of water resource management strategies to eradicate the threat of water availability for the billions of people.

Rising Precipitation Extremes across Nepal

As a mountainous country, Nepal is most susceptible to precipitation extremes and related hazards, including severe floods, landslides and droughts that cause huge losses of life and property, impact the Himalayan environment, and hinder the socioeconomic development of the country. Given that the countrywide assessment of such extremes is still lacking, we present a comprehensive picture of prevailing precipitation extremes observed across Nepal. First, we present the spatial distribution of daily extreme precipitation indices as defined by the Expert Team on Climate Change Detection, Monitoring and Indices (ETCCDMI) from 210 stations over the period of 1981–2010. Then, we analyze the temporal changes in the computed extremes from 76 stations, featuring long-term continuous records for the period of 1970–2012, by applying a non-parametric Mann−Kendall test to identify the existence of a trend and Sen’s slope method to calculate the true magnitude of this trend. Further, the local trends in precipitation extremes have been tested for their field significance over the distinct physio-geographical regions of Nepal, such as the lowlands, middle mountains and hills and high mountains in the west (WL, WM and WH, respectively), and likewise, in central (CL, CM and CH) and eastern (EL, EM and EH) Nepal. Our results suggest that the spatial patterns of high-intensity precipitation extremes are quite different to that of annual or monsoonal precipitation. Lowlands (Terai and Siwaliks) that feature relatively low precipitation and less wet days (rainy days) are exposed to high-intensity precipitation extremes. Our trend analysis suggests that the pre-monsoonal precipitation is significantly increasing over the lowlands and CH, while monsoonal precipitation is increasing in WM and CH and decreasing in CM, CL and EL. On the other hand, post-monsoonal precipitation is significantly decreasing across all of Nepal while winter precipitation is decreasing only over the WM region. Both high-intensity precipitation extremes and annual precipitation trends feature east−west contrast, suggesting significant increase over the WM and CH region but decrease over the EM and CM regions. Further, a significant positive trend in the number of consecutive dry days but significant negative trend in the number of wet (rainy) days are observed over the whole of Nepal, implying the prolongation of the dry spell across the country. Overall, the intensification of different precipitation indices over distinct parts of the country indicates region-specific risks of floods, landslides and droughts. The presented findings, in combination with population and environmental pressures, can support in devising the adequate region-specific adaptation strategies for different sectors and in improving the livelihood of the rural communities in Nepal.

A Geographical Analysis of Land Use/Land Cover Dynamics in Lolab Watershed of Kashmir Valley, Western Himalayas Using Remote Sensing and GIS

This study is an attempt to analyze and highlight the present state of land use/land cover in Lolab watershed of Kashmir valley in western Himalayan environment. Land use/land cover determines the structure, functions and dynamics of most landscapes. The rampant changes in land use/land cover at regional watershed scale have wider ramifications on the environment. The land use/land cover is under tremendous anthropogenic pressure. Rapid and extensive modifications of land use/land cover due to accelerated human activities especially in fragile mountainous ecosystems like Kashmir valley have wider environmental ramifications. Watershed is an ideal spatial management unit for analyzing land dynamics and for initiation of holistic integrated conservation strategies. The present study carries out the land use/land cover change detection studies were from the year 2002 to 2014. A total of seven categories were delineated and during the study period, the forests showed a decrease from 45.31 percent in 2002 to 44.61 in 2014 i.e., 0.7 percent decrease while as horticulture showed an increase from 8.05 percent in 2002 to 9.91 percent in 2014, thus registering an increase of 1.86 percent. Agriculture has decreased to 1.04 percent during the study period. The overall, scenario presented by the study reveals that the land use/land cover change is quite visible throughout the study area.