Water resources (1)

Water resources
Water resources:
• Water is a renewable resource.

• Three-fourth of the Earth‘s surface is covered with but only a small proportion
of it accounts for freshwater fit for use.
• Freshwater is mainly obtained from surface runoff and groundwater that is continually
being renewed and recharged through the hydrological cycle.
• 96.5% of the total volume of the world’s water is estimated to exist as oceans
and only 2.5% as freshwater.
• 70% of total freshwater is present as frozen ice in icebergs and glaciers.
• A little less than 30% of total freshwater is stored as groundwater.
• India receives nearly 4% of the global precipitation and ranks 133 in the world
in terms of water availability per person per annum.
• The total renewable water resources in India are estimated at 1,897 sq km per
annum.
• By 2025, it is predicted that large parts of India will join countries and regions
having absolute water scarcity.
Water scarcity:
How can water be scarce when it is so abundant and renewable? Let’s understand what
actually water scarcity is?
• The availability of Water Resources varies over space and time, mainly due to the
variations in seasonal and annual precipitation.
• Water scarcity in most cases is caused by over-exploitation, excessive use and unequal access
to water.
Falken marks defined water scarcity as:“ Water stress occurs when availability of water is
between 1,000 and 1,600 cubic meter per person per year”.
Reasons for water scarcity (Quantitative)

(i) Water scarcity may be an outcome of large and
growing population and consequent greater demands for water, and unequal access to it.
(ii) As the population increases, the food demand also increases.
To provide food to a large population, agriculture is done on large scale. Agriculture req
uires much water for irrigation especially in dry-season agriculture.
It further leads to falling groundwater levels, adversely affecting water availability

and food security of the people.
The solution is to develop drought-resistant crops and dry farming techniques.
(iii) Intensive Industrialisation and urbanisation causing water scarcity.

Industries, apart from being heavy users of water, also require power to run them.
Much of this energy comes from hydroelectric power.
Multiplying urban centres with large and dense population and urban lifestyles have not
only added to water and energy requirements but have further aggravated the problem.
Housing society has their own groundwater pumping devices to meet their water needs.
Reasons for water scarcity (Qualitative)

Situation where water is sufficiently available to meet the needs of the people, but, the area
still suffers from water scarcity because of the bad quality of water which is polluted by
domestic and industrial wastes, chemicals, pesticides and fertilizers used
in agriculture, thus, making it hazardous for human use
Need for Water conservation and Management:
• To meet the water demand effectively.

• To safeguard people from health hazards caused by drinking toxic water.
• To ensure food security.
• To ensure the continuation of our livelihoods and productive activities.
• To prevent the degradation of our natural ecosystems.
• To reduce over-exploitation and mismanagement of water resources.
Multi - purpose river projects and Integrated Water Resource Management:
Archaeological and historical records show that in ancient times, we used to conserve
water by constructing sophisticated hydraulic structures like dams built of stone
rubble, reservoirs or lakes, embankments and canals for irrigation.
We have continued this tradition in modern India by building dams in most of our river
basins.
Hydraulic structures in Ancient India:
(i) For channelling the flood water of Ganga, water

harvesting system was built near Allahabad in the first century BC.
(ii) Dams, lakes and irrigation systems were built during the time of Chandragupta
Maurya.
(iii) Sophisticated irrigation systems were found

in Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra.
(iv) In the 11th century, Bhopal Lake, one of the largest artificial lakes of its time was
built.
(v) The tank in Hauz Khas, Delhi was constructed by
lltutmish for supplying water to the Siri Fort area in the 14th century.
Multi-purpose river projects:
Dams:
• A dam is a barrier across flowing water that obstructs, directs or retards the
flow, often creating a reservoir, lake or impoundment.
• Based on structure and the materials used, dams are classified as timber dams,
embankment dams or masonry dams with several sub types.
• According to the height, dams can be categorized as large dams and major dams,
low dams, medium height dams and high dams.
• Multi-purpose River projects large dams that serve several purposes in addition to
impounding the water of a river and used later to irrigate agricultural fields. For
example – the Sutluj-Beas river basin, the Bhakra-Nangal project etc.
First Prime Minister, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, proclaimed Multi-purpose River projects as
The Temples of Modern India, as they initiate development of agriculture and
village economy with rapid industrialization and growth of the urban economy.
Advantages of Multi – Purpose River Projects:

• Electricity generation
• Irrigation
• Water supply for domestic and industrial uses
• Flood control
• Recreation
• Inland navigation
• Fish breeding
Disadvantages of Multi-purpose River Projects:
• It affects the natural flow of the river causing poor sediment flow
and excessive sedimentation at the bottom of the reservoir.
• It destroys the habitats for the river‘s aquatic life.
• It submerges the existing vegetation and soil if created on the flood plains.
• It displaces the local people of the place where it is created.
• These are unsuccessful in controlling floods at the time of excessive rainfall.
• These projects included earthquakes, caused water-borne diseases and pests
and pollution resulting from excessive use of water.
Movements against Multi-purpose Projects:

• Multi-purpose projects and large dams have also been the cause of many new
environmental movements like the ‘Narmada Bachao Andolan’ and the ‘Tehri
Dam Andolan’ etc.
• Resistance to these projects has primarily been due to the large-scale
development of local communities.
• Local people often had to give up their land, livelihood and their meagre access
and control over resources for the greater good of the nation.
• Perhaps, the landowners and large farmers, industrialists and a few urban
centres are only benefitting from such projects.
Irrigation:
• Irrigation has also changed the cropping pattern of many regions with farmers
shifting to water-intensive and commercial crops.
• This has great ecological consequences like salinization of the soil.
• At the same time, it has transformed the social landscape i.e. increasing the social gap
between the richer landowners and the landless poor.
• In Gujarat, the Sabarmati-basin farmers were agitated and almost caused a
riot over the higher priority given to water supply in urban areas, particularly
during droughts.
• Inter-state water disputes are also becoming common with regard to sharing
the costs and benefits of the multi-purpose project.
Rainwater Harvesting
• Economically and environmentally viable alternative in period of resistance
against Multi-Purpose Projects.
• Variation in water harvesting system, keeping the local ecological conditions and their
water needs in mind.
• In ancient India, along with the sophisticated hydraulic structures, there
existed an extraordinary tradition of water-harvesting system.
(i) Guls and Kuls
• In mountainous region of Western Himalayas for agriculture.
• Impoundment on hill tops.
(ii) Khadins and Johads
• Jaisalmer and Rajasthan

• In arid area, agricultural field were converted into Rain fed storage structures.
(iii) Bamboo drip irrigation system
• In Meghalaya, 200 year old system of using bamboo pipe to transport water.
• 18-20 litres of water enter the bamboo pipes and 20-80drop reaches at the site of
plants.
(iv) In the flood plains of Bengal, people developed inundation channels to irrigate their
fields.
(v) Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting.
Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting

Tanka System
• In arid and semi-arid area of Rajasthan [Bikaner, Phalodhi]
• Had Tankas [underground]
• Connected with Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting.
• Through pipes water is transported to tankas.
• Reliable Source of Drinking water.
• Beat the summer heat.
Gendathur Model
• In Gendathur, a remote backward village in Mysuru,Karnataka villagers have
installed rooftop rain water harvesting system to meet their water needs.
• Nearly 200 households have installed this system and the village has earned the
rare distinction of being rich in rainwater.
• Gendathur receives an annual precipitation of 1,000 mm,and with 80% of
collection efficiency and of about 10fillings, every house can collect and
use about 50,000litres of water annually.
• From the 200 houses, the net amount of rain water harvested annually amounts
to 1,00,000 litres. Tamil Nadu is the first state having Compulsory legal
provision for Rooftop Rain Water Harvesting.
Map work:
Important questions;
I. short answer type questions: (3M)
1. Identify any three hydraulic structures as part of water management programmes

initiated in ancient India along with the period when they were built.
2. Multi-purpose projects are ‘Temples of Modern India’. Justify.
3. What were the reasons for launching multi-purpose river projects in India after
independence?.
4. “Traditional harvesting system is a useful system to conserve and store water”.

Highlight the importance of this system with two examples.
5. How has urbanisation posed a threat to existing freshwater resources in India?
II. Long answer type questions: (5M)
1. Explain any five reasons responsible for water scarcity in India
2. How have industrialisation and urbanisation posed a great pressure on existing

freshwater resources in India? Explain with examples.

Water resources (1)

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Water resources

• Water is a renewable resource.

Reasons for water scarcity (Quantitative)

It further leads to falling groundwater levels, adversely affecting water availability

(iii) Intensive Industrialisation and urbanisation causing water scarcity.

Reasons for water scarcity (Qualitative)

Need for Water conservation and Management:

• To meet the water demand effectively.

Multi - purpose river projects and Integrated Water Resource Management:

Hydraulic structures in Ancient India:

(i) For channelling the flood water of Ganga, water

(iii) Sophisticated irrigation systems were found

Multi-purpose river projects:

Advantages of Multi – Purpose River Projects:

Disadvantages of Multi-purpose River Projects:

Movements against Multi-purpose Projects:

• Jaisalmer and Rajasthan

(iii) Bamboo drip irrigation system

(v) Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting.

Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting

1. Identify any three hydraulic structures as part of water management programmes

2. Multi-purpose projects are ‘Temples of Modern India’. Justify.

4. “Traditional harvesting system is a useful system to conserve and store water”.

5. How has urbanisation posed a threat to existing freshwater resources in India?

II. Long answer type questions: (5M)

1. Explain any five reasons responsible for water scarcity in India

2. How have industrialisation and urbanisation posed a great pressure on existing

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