India People And Economy Chapter 6 Water Resources

D.

Cyclic resource

C.

The Ganga

B.

4,000

A.

Tamil Nadu

A.

Agriculture

The factors responsible for the depletion of water in India are as follows:

1. Industrial effluents

2. Agricultural effluents

3. Domestic effluents.

The ground water utilisation is very high in the states of Punjab, Haryana and Tamil Nadu because these states are advanced agricultural states.
Water is used mainly in irrigation. The share of agriculture sector in total water utilisation is much higher than other sectors. Irrigation is needed because of Spatio-temporal variability in rainfall in the states. The large tracts of the country are deficient in rainfall and are drought prone.  Further, the high yielding varieties of crops need regular moisture supply, which is made possible only by a developed irrigation systems.

The use of unclean water affects the health of the poor. The contaminated water causes the water-borne diseases such as diarrhoea, cholera and other stomach ailments.

India accounts for about 2.45% of world surface area, 4% of world's water resources and about 16% of world's population. The total water available from precipitation in the country in a year is about 4000 cubic km. The availability from surface water and replenishable ground water is 1,869 cubic km. The total utilisable water resources in the country is only 1122 cubic km.

Watershed management refers to efficient management and conservation of surface and groundwater resources.

It is correct that it will play an important role in sustainable development.

Major water resources are:

The great plains of India rich in ground water because water percolates easily in the alluvial soils and hence, the potentiality of the ground water development is high in the great plains of India. The soft sedimentary rocks easily seep surface water. Contrary to it, seepage of water in the hard rocks of south India is very slow.

The principal usage of water are:

Methods of Rainwater Harvesting:
1. Harvesting through watershed management.

2. Harvesting through lakes (Eries)

3. Harvesting through Service Wells

4. Harvesting through Recharge wells.

The Ganga and the Yamuna are the two highly polluted rivers in the country.

Key features of National Water Policy, 2002:

(i) Irrigation and multi-purpose projects should invariably include drinking water component, wherever there is no alternative source of drinking water.
(ii) Providing drinking water to all human beings and animals should be the first priority.
(iii) Measures should be taken to limit and regulate the exploitation of groundwater.
(iv) Both surface and groundwater should be regularly monitored for quality. A phased programme should be undertaken for improving water quality.
(v) Conservation consciousness should be promoted through education, regulation, incentives and disincentives.

Rain water harvesting is a method to capture and store rainwater for various uses.
(i) It is also used to recharge groundwater aquifers.

Another way through which we can improve fresh water availability is by recycle and reuse.
(i) Use of water of lesser quality such as reclaimed waste-water would be an attractive option for industries for cooling and fire fighting to reduce their water cost.
(ii) Similarly, in urban areas water after bathing and washing utensils can be used for gardening.
(iii) Water used for washing vehicle can also be used for gardening. This would conserve better quality of water for drinking purposes.

Lagoons and Backwaters:
(i) India has a vast coastline and the coast is very indented in some states. Due to this, a number of lagoons and lakes have formed.
(ii) The States like Kerala, Orissa and West Bengal have vast surface water resources in these lagoons and lakes.
(iii) Although, water is generally brackish in these water bodies, it is used for fishing and irrigating certain varieties of paddy crops, coconut, etc.

Rivers are major source of surface water in India. There are 10360 rivers and tributaries. The mean annual flow is estimated to 1869 billion cubic meters. Because of the topographical hydrological and other constraints only about 690 billion cubic meters (32%) of the available surface water can be utilized.
The table shows the basin wise ground water resources potential.

Basin-wise groundwater resources potential

Water resources problems are mutli faced. They are the followings :

Factors responsible for the depletion of water resources in India are :

1. The use of water is increasing due to increasing population thereby causing Water pollution.

3. Water resources are being used in industrial sector of a fast rate.

4. Water is used for irrigation excessively.

Measures to control water pollution in India :

The five characteristics of surface water resources in India are mentioned under :

The five characteristics of groundwater resources in India are as under :

D.

71%

B.

4%

D.

Mountain

B.

85%

C.

Arsenic

B.

Irrigation

A.

The Ganga basin

When water is without unwanted foreign substance.

70%

10360.

A covered underground tank in Rajasthan.

in 1974.

Sukhomajri village.

Uttar Pradesh

Precipitation

Surface water

Rivers

Sources of water pollutants created by humans :

(i)Sewage disposal

(ii)Toxic effluents from industries 

The economic and social values of rainwater harvesting:

 (i) It is a low cost and eco-friendly technique for preserving every drop of water by guiding the rain water to bore well, pits and wells.

 (ii) Rainwater harvesting increases water availability and checks the declining ground water table.

 (iii) Improves the quality of groundwater through dilution of contaminants like fluoride and nitrates. 

(18.1) Agriculture sectors accounts for most of the groundwater utilisation.

In agriculture, water is mainly used for irrigation. Irrigation is needed because of spatio-temporal variability in rainfall in the country. The large tracts of the country are deficient in rainfall and are drought prone.

(18.2) However, due to topographical, hydrological and other constraints, only about 690 cubic km (32 per cent) of the available surface water can be utilised.

Major problems related to water in India:

(i) Indiscriminate use of water by increasing population and industrial expansion has led degradation of the quality of water considerably.

(ii) Human beings pollute the water through industrial, agricultural and cultural activities. Among these activities, industry is the most significant contributor.

(iii) Most of the industrial wastes are disposed of in running water or lakes. Consequently, poisonous elements reach the reservoirs, rivers and other water bodies, which destroy the bio-system of these waters.

Suggestions for solving the problem of Erratic Monsoon:

(i) Expansion of irrigation facilities.

(ii) Efficient use of water for irrigation.

(iii) Improvement in the methods of irrigation e.g. use of drip irrigation & sprinklers.

(iv) Rainwater harvesting

(v) Maintenance of existing lakes, ponds, tanks etc.

(vi) Any other relevant point

Suggestions for Solving the problem of Rural Indebtedness:

(i) Minimum support price

(ii) Provision of subsidies (seeds, fertilisers etc.)

(iii) Storage facilities

(iv) Provision of loan at low-interest rates

Due to topographical, hydrological and other constraints, only about 690 cubic km (32 percent) of the available surface water can be utilised.

The quality of water has decreased considerably in India by foreign matters such as microorganisms, chemicals, industrial and other wastes.

• India has a large population compared to the limited water resources.
• India has traditionally been an agrarian economy as two-third of it population has been dependent on agriculture due to which more and more water is required for irrigation purposes to increase agricultural production as rainfall is highly variable in most of the indian states.
• Due to rapid industrial growth there is an increase in the demand of water for various purposes like cooling of machineries etc.
• Urbanization and modern life style has also increased the demand of water.
• The available water resources are also getting polluted with industrial, agricultural and domestic effluents, and this, in turn, is further limiting the availability of water resources.

Improvement in quality of water –

i.  Creating awareness - importance of water

ii.Reuse water – After washing the clothes we can use that water for plants and in gardens.

i. Recycle and Reuse of Water-Use of water of lesser quality such as reclaimed waste-water would be an attractive option for industries for cooling and fire fighting to reduce their water cost. Similarly, in urban areas water after bathing and washing utensils can be used for gardening.

ii. Rainwater Harvesting- Rain water harvesting is a method to capture and store rainwater for various uses. It is also used to recharge groundwater aquifers. It is a low cost and eco-friendly technique for preserving every drop of water by guiding the rain water to bore well, pits and wells.

iii. Watershed Management Watershed Management- Watershed management basically refers to efficient management and conservation of surface and groundwater resources. It involves prevention of runoff and storage and recharge of groundwater through various methods like percolation tanks, recharge wells, etc.

Rainwater harvesting is a technique whereby rainwater is stored for future use. It helps in recharging groundwater, improves the groundwater table and controls soil erosion. In various regions of India, rainwater harvesting has helped in solving the water needs of the people.

a. In Rajasthan, rainwater harvesting is practised by using covered underground tanks called Tanka. It helps save time and energy of the people, especially of women, which otherwise get wasted in fetching water.

b. In Tamil Nadu, rainwater harvesting has been made mandatory in cities. It has reduced the pressure of providing water for daily use on government authorities.

c. Many villages like Hiware–Bazar in Maharashtra carried out rainwater harvesting along with watershed management. It has helped in increasing agricultural productivity.