WATER RESOURCES

AMAZING FACTS OF WATER RESOURCES

WATER RESOURCES: water is a natural resources.

SOURCES OF WATER: Surface water, Ground water, Atmospheric water and

Oceanic water. MEAN ANNUAL FLOW: 1869 billion cubic

meters. GROUND WATER: 433.9 billion cubic

meters. IRRIGATION AREA: 8.47 crore hectares. CANAL IRRIGATION: 39.9 per cent area. HYDRO ELECTRIC POWER: 84000 MW. WATER POLLUTION: A serious problem. RAIN WATER HARVESTING: a technique

of increasing the recharge of groundwater.

FACTOR RESPONSIBLE FOR DEPLETION OF WATER

RESOURCES The availability of water per person is decreasing.

The use of water in increasing due to increasing population.

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

Water is used for irrigation to increase the agriculture productivity.

Water pollution is increasing.Ground water depletion is

highest in Punjab and Haryana due to agriculture.

FACTORS THAT DETERMINE ITS SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION

AVALIABILITY OF SURFACE WATER RESOURCES

There are four major surface water: These are RIVERS, LAKES, PONDS & TANKS.In the country, there are about 10,360 rivers and their tributaries longer than 1.6 Km each.The mean annual flow in all he river basins in India is estimated to be 1,869 cubic km. However, due to topographical, hydrological and other constraints, only about 690 cubic Km. (32 per cent) of the available surface water can be utilized.

FACTORS FOR DISTRIBUTIONRAINFALL: Water flow in a river depends on

size of its catchment area or river or river basin and rainfall within its catchment

area.VARIABILITY: Precipitation in India has very

high spatial variation, and it is mainly concentrated in monsoon season.

RIVERS: Some of the rivers in the country like Ganga, the Brahmaputra and the Indus have huge catchment areas. Given that

precipitation is relatively high in the catchment areas of the Ganga, the

Brahmaputra and the Barak rivers, these rivers although account for only about one

– third of the total area in the country, have 60 per cent of the total surface water

resources.SEASONAL RIVERS: Much of the annual water

flow in south Indian rivers like the Godavari, the Krishna and the Kaveri has been harnessed, but it is yet to be done in the Brahmaputra and the Ganga basins.

SOCIAL CONFLICTS AND DISPUTES OF WATER

RESOURCES The sharing of water of rivers of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh

is a contesting issue.

Since long, the dispute is going on between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka

over the waters of Kaveri river.

The sharing of water Narmada Basin is a dispute between the state of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh,

Gujarat.

METHODS: It in involves prevention of runoff and storage and recharge of ground water through various methods like percolation tanks, recharge wells, etc.

AIMS: However, in broad sense watershed management includes conservation, regeneration and judicious use of all resources – natural (like land, water, plants and animals) and human with in a watershed.

PROGRAMMES: (i) Haryali, is a watershed development projects sponsored by the central government which aims at enabling the rural population to conserve water for drinking, irrigation, fisheries and afforestation.

(ii) Neeru – Meeru : (water and you) Programme (in Andhra Pradesh ).

(iii) Arvary pani: Sansad (in Alwar, Rajasthan)

CHALLENGES ARE EXPECTED TO BE FACED IN FUTURE

Demographic transition

Technological advancement

Geographical shift of population

Degradation of environment

Water scarcity

LOW COST TECHNIQUES TO RECHARGE THE GROUND WATER

Roof water harvesting

Refilling of dug wells

Recharging of hand pumps

Construction of percolation pits

Trenches around fields

Bunds and stop dams on rivulets

Groundwater flow

RAINWATER HARVESTING It is a

technique of increasing the recharge of groundwater by capturing and storing rainwater locally in subsurface water reservoirs to meet the households needs.

RAINWATER HARVESTING

OBJECTIVE OF RAINWATER - HARVESTING

Soil conservation. Conservation of water. Conservation of arable lands. Development of horticulture. Development of forestry and

silvi – culture. Conservation of environment. Increase in agriculture outputs. To check environmental

degradation.

AIMS OF RAINWATER – HARVESTING

Meets the ever increasing demands for water.

Reduce the run – off which chokes drains.

Avoid the flooding of roads.

Augment the groundwater storage and raise the water table.

Reduce groundwater pollution.

Improve the quality of groundwater.

Reduce the soil erosion.

Supplement domestic water requirement during summer and drought.

USE OF GROUNDWATER RESOURCES IN INDIAStates with high use: The

groundwater utilization is very high in the state of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu.

States with low use: There are states like Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Kerala, etc., which utilize only a small proportion of their groundwater potentials.

States with moderate use: State like Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Tripura and Maharashtra are utilizing their ground water resources at a moderate rate. If the present trend continues, the demands for water would need the supplies. And such situation, will be detrimental to development and can cause social upheaval and disruptions.

WHY IRRIGATION IS NECESSARY IN INDIA? 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.

North – western India and Deccan plateau constitute such areas.

Winter and summer seasons are more or less dry in most parts of the country.

Hence, it is difficult to practice agriculture without assured irrigation during dry seasons. Even in the areas of ample rainfall like West Bengal and Bihar, breaks in monsoon or its failure creates dry spells detrimental for agriculture.

IRRIGATION IN INDIA

INDIA’S NATIONAL WATER POLICY,2002The national water policy,2002 stipulates

water allocation priorities broadly in the following order: DRINKING WATER, IRRIGATION, HYDRO – POWER, NAVIGATION, INDUSTRIAL, and others uses. The policy stipulates progressive new approaches to water management. Irrigation and multi – purpose projects should invariably include drinking water component, wherever there is no alternative sources of drinking water.Providing drinking water to all human beings and animals should be the first priority.Measures should be taken to limit and regulate the exploitation of groundwater.Both surface and groundwater should be regularly monitored for quality. A programme should be undertaken for improving water quality. Awareness of water as a scarce resources should be fostered.

QUESTIONS BASED ON DATA

S.No Name of Basin ground water resources Total replenish

able utilization (%)Level of Groundwater

1.2. 3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10.11.12.13.14.15.16.17.18.

Brahmai with Baitarni Brahmaputra Chambal compositeKaveriGangaGodavariIndusKrishnaKuchchh and saurashtra including river Luni Chennai and south Tamil NaduMahanadi Meghna (Barak & Other)Narmada North – east compositePennar Subarnrekha Tapi Western Ghat Total

4.0526.557.1912.3170.9940.6526.4926.4111.2318.2216.468.5210.8318.844.931.828.2717.69431.42

8.453.3740.0955.3333.5219.5377.7130.3951.1457.686.953.9521.7417.236.69.5733.0422.8831.97

(I) Which river Basin has the highest total replenishable groundwater resources?

Ans. Ganga river.(II) In which river basin is the level of groundwater utilization the highest?

Ans. Chennai and Tamil Nadu.(III) Which river basin has the lowest total

replenishable groundwater resources?Ans. Subarnarekha.

(IV) In which river basin is the level of groundwater utilization the lowest?

Ans. Brahmaputra.

STATE PERCENTAGE OF AREA IRRIGATED BY WELLS AND TUBEWELLS

Gujarat

Rajasthan

Madhya Pradesh

Maharashtra

Uttar Pradesh

West Bengal

Tamil Nadu

86.6

77.2

66.5

65

58.21

57.6

54.7

(I)Which state has the highest irrigated area by wells and tube –

wells?Ans. Gujarat.

Reason: Absence of canals.

(II) Which state has low irrigated area by wells and tube – wells?

Ans. Tamil Nadu.Reason: canal irrigation is more.

EVERY DROP OF WATER IS PRECIOUS

CONSERVE IT