Water Wells Drilled at World Record Altitudes by Dr. Ritesh Arya

http://geology.com/articles/himalaya-water.shtml Himalaya Water Supply Wells Water Wells Drilled at World Record Altitudes  by Dr. Ritesh Arya If you lived at high altitude in the Himalayas, especially the cold mountain deserts of Ladakh, where would you obtain your water?   You would not be able to rely upon streams.  They are frozen most of the year and filled with sediment-laden glacial meltwater when they are flowing. Melting snow or ice would useprecious fuel, which is not available in the remote areas, and the work might yield contaminated water.  Hauling or pumping water up from lower elevations is turning out to be very expensive. Obtaining safe, reliable,economic water can be a daily challenge for people who live at high altitudes. These areas have extreme geologic and climatic conditions that disconnect people from the rest of the world for more than 6 months of the year.

Villages in the Himalayas are in cold semi-arid environments where successful water wells do more than provide water - they change the daily lives of people. Scene from Ladakh, Northern India. Many homes here do not have running water. © iStockphoto / Bosung Kim.

"I learned that geology,geologists and geological resources can change the destiny of any country" Dr Ritesh Arya                 Drilling for Ground Water at World Record Altitudes Dr. Ritesh Arya was one of the first hydrogeologists to explore and drill high elevation wells in the Himalayas. Since then he has completed many wells that now deliver safe reliable water to thousands of people. In doing this work he has earned three world records. These are for: 1) the highest successful water well at North Polu - 15,400 feet (4694 meters) above mean sea level; 2) the highest well with artesian flow at Chushul - 14,260 feet (4346 meters) above mean sea level; and, 3) a water well drilled under the coldest conditions near the snout of Siachen Glacier - at an altitude of 12,000 feet (3658 meters) where temperatures drop to minus 40 degrees Celsius in winter. We recently had the opportunity to communicate with Dr. Arya about his high mountain drilling. His comments on relevant questions are below. What triggered your interest in high mountain drilling? "My first daily wage job was as a hydrogeologist with the government of Himachal Pradesh at $2 a day. At that time the mountains were considered to be devoid of ground water resources. I had little option but to accept the challenge and work forthe development of ground water resources in the region. The work was to solve the drinking water problems by exploring sites for ground water development by drilling wells and installing hand pumps. My first posting was in Barsar in Hamirpur District of Himachal Pradesh. I saw the drilling rig for the first time when I arrived at the site. All of the villagers were curiously waiting for me to locate the well site so that the drilling could be started. This was a most challenging experience, as we did not have any instruments or any information that  could be used to select the site. I considered it as a challenge and applied simple logic which was mainly based upon the peculiar lithology of the site and the water bodies present in the form of springs, which I felt were nothing but manifestations  of the ground water resources. Within six hours a depth of 150 feet (46 meters) was achieved and by evening the water gushed out from  the well. I was mesmerized and the whole village was overjoyed with the success of a well that could solve their drinking water problems. For the first time I realized the practical significance of geology and its importance in solving the day-to-day problems faced by people  of the mountainous regions. Success continued for three more boreholes; however, the fourth well at Bhota bus stand was dry. No water was encountered even after drilling up to 300 feet (92 meters). I learned that groundwater is not available everywhere. However, at this location there was an old fort at the top of the hill and I wondered how an army could survive there without water. So, I went up to investigate and found two wells in the fort that had been constructed in the 17th century! I was amazed and immediately bowed down in respect of my hydrological ancestors who located these wells without modern instruments, satellite images or other information. Over the years I visited other forts and found successful wells at the top of hills. I learned from these wells and developed a model to explain the occurrence and movement of ground water in the Himalayas. I have used this model with great success and have presented it at scientific meetings." What challenges do you face drilling at high  elevations? "There are several problems to be faced when drilling at high elevations. These include: 1) A Lack of Data: Most wells that we have drilled are the first in their local area.                                                                      With such pioneering work there is usually little or no record of                                                                      subsurface materials that can be used to ascertain the availability                                                                        of ground water in the region. 2) A Short Working Season: These high mountains have a typical problem, as they are accessible                                                                   by road for only a short period of four to five months - from May to                                                                 October. For the remaining part of the year the roads are closed                                                                        and due to dropping temperatures the working conditions are not conducive. 3) Keeping Machines Working: From where the drilling occurs the nearest market is in Chandigarh or Delhi                                                     where a small part could be obtained in case of a breakdown,                                                                          which takes about three to four days. So drilling in high altitudes is                                                                     a race of time. Initially with only Indian Airlines operating three or                                                                    four flights in the region, getting help in case of a breakdown of                                                                     machinery was a big problem. However, with passing years this                                                                         has improved and now two more airlines have started daily flights. 4) Keeping Men Working: The high altitude sickness with which the workers had to cope due to                                                               changes in altitude was devastating to the timing of a completed project. 5) Well Site Logistics: The most challenging thing about drilling the wells in the mountains is                                                                   the accessibility of the drill site and the logistics to sustain the drilling                                                        equipment at that altitude where temperatures in winter drop to minus                                                                30 degrees Celsius. Not only the machine but also the men fail to work.                                                        We developed new and innovative ways to sustain the tube wells                                                                   even when temperatures drop to minus thirty.                                                                                                    These are very simple and effective. 6) Water Line Problems: Using high density polyethylene pipe instead of metal pipe                                                                                  and laying it at five feet depth (1.5 meters) with natural clay as an                                                                    insulator paved the way for the first piped water from a well in this                                                                region and was operational at an altitude of 15500 feet (4724 meters)                                                            above mean sea level at North Polu. With these problems being solved, now every borehole drilled                                                                                                 successfully helps break the notion of the limited availability of ground                                                                              water in the region. We also find joy in bringing water to where previously                                                                             the inhabitants were forced to fetch water from distant sources and things                                                                             were miserable in winters when everything froze." What types of aquifers are the wells drilled into                                                                    and do you have a prediction of their lifetimes? "The aquifers mainly tapped in the area are perennial and found in                                                                                        both confined and unconfined conditions. The aquifers are manly in                                                                                    the form of paleochannels. The entire Himalayas has been divided into                                                                              various hydrostratigraphic zones. A word coined by me to explain the                                                                                behavior of ground water resource in a particular lithostratigraphic unit. The rule of thumb for exploring for water in the mountains is that there                                                                                     is enough water available; however the identification of the well                                                                                     location has to be site specific. There could be a distance of thirty feet                                                                                   (ten meters) or less between a successful well and a failure well. They                                                                                  are mainly controlled by the lithology, the structure and also the                                                                                geomorphology of the region. All these parameters have to be                                                                                          worked out in detail before selection of the site to get 100% successful results.                                                                 The water can be found in thin, 3-4 inch (7 to 10 centimeter) thick zones in                                                                         glacio-fluvial deposits. Depths of aquifers vary from a few feet / meters                                                                            below the ground to 330 feet (100 meters) below the ground. The granites were generally considered to be devoid of ground water resources                                                                     and whatever water we were finding was confined to the intermountain valley region.                                                         However, to our surprise, a well drilled at an altitude of 15,200 feet (4633 meters)                                                                at South Polu at the base of Khardungla Hill failed to yield any water up to the                                                                 depth of 230 feet (70 meters). This is the thickness of the glacio-fluvial deposits.                                                                At one point of time, since no water was encountered, the entire project was                                                                  abandoned as the basement granite batholiths were encountered. But the decision                                                               of the driller to try drilling into the granite hills paved way and after drilling for                                                                       about 20 feet (6 meters) we got the aquifer. So the notion that the granite batholiths are devoid of water was broken                                                                                and we had water at that altitude. This has been happening every time.                                                                                   The mountains are full of mystery and we are just trying to unfold the                                                                                  different layers of their nature. Although most boreholes drilled fit into                                                                                  my model of the Himalayas, some boreholes do shock me and make                                                                                 me think certain that the science of geology is mysterious and always                                                                                      has something new to offer." Do you think that the yields from these wells will be sustained                                                and what could be the impact of global warming on these                                                   resources in the mountains? "Yes, this is the million-dollar question. How long these resourses are going to                                                                        last when water sources in other parts of the country and world are drying up                                                                       and ground water levels are going down due to over exploitation. I don't expect this to                                                       happen in the mountains. We should expect a bounty of ground water as the                                                                         climate warms and the snows melt. In fact I visualize that in next few years the                                                                     volume of water will increase in the mountains at an alarming rate as a result                                                                         of melting of snow due to global warming. The channels in the mountains in various hydrostratigraphic zones have a                                                                          particular storage capacity and once the subsurface water in the mountains                                                                       reaches that threshold point, the mountains will not be able to retain and                                                                         channelize the ground water. This will result in mountain bursting leading                                                                                  to massive flash floods. This phenomenon can be seen in the mountains                                                                             today but only on a small scale and often confused with a cloud burst.                                                                                Unfortunately, mountain flooding of a larger magnitude could occur in the                                                                             near future, triggering major geomorphological changes besides leading to                                                                              the end of major habitations enroute as it did in the past leading to the                                                                               end of the Indus, Harappan and other contemporary civilizations.                                                                                           The impact of global warming in the mountains is a poorly understood                                                                           phenomenon and its impact on human civilization could be more                                                                                     devastating than that caused by tsunamis in the coastal areas." Who are possible clients for high altitude wells? "The first project was sponsored by Water Aid, a charitable trust                                                                                         in England who wanted to solve the drinking water problems of about                                                                                10,000 Tibetans residing in the deserts of Ladakh, bordering the Indo-Tibetan border.                                                            The funding was done through the Central Tibetan Administration  of his Holiness                                                                  the Dalai Lama with their headquarters at Dharamsala. The project was successfully                                                       completed in 1997 and even after a span of ten years, the Tibetan community  can boast of having a 24-hour water supply, 365 days per year. Prior to this the situation was bad and entire families were surviving on 20 liters (5 gallons) per day. After the success this project, the local administrations, military, oil companies , and various other government and non-government organizations approached me to solve their drinking water problems in and around Leh. Many projects have been completed and are still running successfully and the dependency on water tankers has decreased. I feel the most important opportunity came my way when the Leh Field Research Laboratory approached me to develop ground water resources to for their agricultural projects. This was a great challenge and on completion of this project the production rose by almost 60% in the first year. Not only this, but the milk production also increased as cattle were more comfortable drinking ground water which was warm as compared to frozen water from streams in winter. Now, ground water development has become a people's movement because more and more civilians, including hoteliers and homeowners are developing wells to meet their water requirement. To summarize it all, the journey of ground water development in the last ten years has revolutionized the concept of water planning and its distribution in the Himalaya region. The dependency on surface water has decreased and the cost incurred to procure water has drastically decreased. But still a lot has to be done to actually instigate the policy makers and executors as a majority of decision-makers are engineers who have very low respect/knowledge for the subsurface waters and want to restrict the role of hydrogeologist to give the site only." What are your plans for future drilling? "The satisfaction of being able to provide water to the people living in water deficient areas in Himalayan mountain ranges especially in the high altitude cold mountain deserts of Ladakh is immense. In the future I look forward to helping farmers to bring about a green revolution in the mountains and popularise ground water resource development in the Hindu Kush Himalayas where, even today, irrigation systems are poorly developed and still in a primitive stage, i.e. dependant on nature mainly snow melt from the glaciers. I also plan to develop sites along the highest motorable road in the world which is at 18000 feet (5486 meters) and prove that every peak which is less than 29,029 feet (8848 meters) - the height of Mt. Everest - above mean sea level will have ground water provided certain geological conditions are met. Since the area is pollution free and the water available here is naturally endowed with minerals, I plan to develop such sites to provide pure water sources for bottling companies. Ground water fluctuations and chemical change can be an important scientific study which can be used to understand plate movements and as a precursor to earthquakes in the Himalayan region. Data collected from the borewells is being seriously studied and reinterpreted to understand the global warming phenomenon. Last, but not least, I would request hydrogeologists, scientists and policy makers to consider mountain hydrogeology as an entity that is very different from the plains of the Indo-Gangetic region and peninsular India where it is depleting. Contrary to this groundwater will increase in the mountains in years to come."