Tighra

Tighara lakes is one of the many Valsad lakes in Valsad. The district has a huge potential of surface water resources because of these river system and there associated tributarieries.

Located in the previously volcanic region of the deccan traps in taluka Pardi in Valsad district, Gujarat we were looking at a freshwater lake in Tighara. The lake we assume was formed because of the ‘reunion hotspot’, a volcanic crater located in the Indian ocean. It caused volcanic activity and lava flows for millions of years and then gradual erosion which lead to the formation of these basalt based places and the freshwater lakes that are distributed in the northern and southern parts of the deccan traps. The articulation of land form gave rise to natural streams and water reservoirs and thus we studied how the ecology and geology took over the land and thereby the human settlements.

From 2002 to 2022 the lake has evolved a lot. However what we also learnt during the course is that the idea of change if the lake is due to the boundaries we assign to them. To quote Dilip da Cunha in his lecture and studies on the ghats to see ‘ not a river that flowed and flooded but a wetness that rose and fell.’

As we start walking from one edge of the lake we observe the tribal settlements. The edge of the lake is gradual and used in a more organic way where the watersheds for washing utensils and clothes are right on the edge.Moving further along near the temple the edge of the lake is not much used as a social space but the temple and the chowk. There are farms and orchards ahead where the edge of the lake is a boundary wall and the marshy area next to it are paddy fields. The changing edge of the lake and the different ground conditions in relation to wetness and hydrology is what we decided to study in detail.

We started analyzing the edge of the lake in and representing it not as a hardened boundary but something that operates on the basis of negotiating the hydrology and wetness rather than separating the, the idea of ubiquitous wetness,. But also showing the difference of the mechanized water system and the separation it causes.

The mechanized system and how they differ from the natural system of hydrology. The natural system of hydrology that includes lakes streams and drains but also the roots and leaves of trees as a system in the flow of exchange of water. Even the borewells, watersheds clothes and utensils washing sheds and the lifestyle and culture of people. How it also adds to the water systems of the area. The difference in the settlements also causes a change in how the edge of the lake is used. This also causes a change in the different types of soil that are seen across the lake causing change in vegetation and micro climates

Relating the soil type and the hydrology to the plants that grow there in more detail we cut a section through the lake and the different settlements and edge conditions to observe the flora further. We can see how articulation of leaves changes as we move from uppermost layer of tree species to the smallest and lowest layer where the temperatures are much cooler. Also, we tried to have some overview of how animals are habiting the sites

Species identification.pdf

So for further exploration of the moisture retention capacity we studied sections across the lake with visibly different soil conditions along with inferences on the kind of flora and fauna in that area. We also studied that through soil imprints which we collected on the site itself through these sections.As we were studying our site through soil and water , we saw how flora and fauna adapt to certain conditions.

So we started by mapping the different water sources in the region and evolution through the years. The water level in the region varies from 3m to more than 15m below ground level at places during summers and between 0-9m during winters.

The initial water source was the streams flowing through the region followed by the wells. The old wells were usually dug at the backyard of the houses which were about 50m deep. Later came the hand pumps .The boreholes drilled by the Central Groundwater Board in the region is an indicative of the subsurface condition of the region which allows for dug wells and borewells. The water from the ground is suitable for irrigation and domestic purposes both. Understanding the difference between the mechanized water system and how we define them versus how the flow of water, hydrology and wetness happens in the environment.

We were trying to understand and map the network of the Tighara lake. The Tighara lake at the bottom joins the Sarodhi lake through a naturally formed freshwater creek.

The water bodies slightly flood during the monsoons.

The ground water at tighara occurs in porous Unconsolidated formations and fissure formations. The Unconsolidated formations include gravel, silt, clay while the fissure formations mainly include basaltic rock.

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