GEOGRAPHY

CONSERVATION OF WATER WHAT IS WATER CONSERVATION?

Water conservation encompasses the policies, strategies  and  activities  to  manage fresh water as a sustainable resource to protect the water  environment  and  to meet  current  and future human demand.

             AIMS OF CONSERVATION- Revive traditional structures as well as create new infrastructure for water conservation- Increase the groundwater recharge in the watershed area- Increase water use efficiency in agriculture and domestic sectors by ensuring the adoption     of water management techniques                                                                            - Conserve fertile soil through soil and moisture conservation

   

In urban areas,  the  construction of houses,  footpaths  and  roads  has left little exposed earth for water to soak  in.  In  parts  of  the  rural  areas of India, floodwater quickly flows to the  rivers, which  then dry up  soon after  the  rains  stop.  If  this  water can  be  held  back,  it  can  seep  into the  ground  and  recharge  the groundwater supply.This  has  become  a  very  popular method  of  conserving  water especially  in  the  urban  areas. Rainwater  harvesting  essentially means  collecting  rainwater  on  the roofs  of  building  and  storing  it underground for later use. 

RAINWATER HARVESTING

Some of the benefits of rainwater harvesting are as followsa. Increases water availabilityb.Checks the declining water table is  environmentally friendly c.Improves the quality of    groundwater through the dilution of fluoride, nitrate, and salinity d.Prevents soil erosion and flooding especially in urban areas

WATERSHED MANAGEMENT 

Watershed management is the study of the relevant characteristics of a watershed 

aimed at the sustainable distribution of its resources and the process of creating and implementing plans, programs, and projects to sustain and enhance watershed functions that affect the plant, animal, and human 

communities within a watershed boundary. Features of a watershed that agencies seek to manage include water supply, water 

quality, drainage, storm water runoff, water rights, and the overall planning and 

utilization of watersheds. Landowners, land use agencies, storm water management experts, environmental specialists, water use surveyors and communities all play an integral part in the management of a 

watershed.

RAINWATER HARVESTING IN INDIA

Rainwater harvesting can be seen in the northeastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur and Nagaland. This is also in use in Bikaner, Jaisalmer and Jodhpur districts of Rajasthan. In recent years, at the initiative of the Central and State Governments, the practice has been increasingly adopted in many cities and towns in different parts of the country. 

 Arunachal Pradesh Water Resources department has achieved a milestone in implementation of demonstrative projects on roof top rainwater harvesting and artificial recharge to groundwater under cent per cent Central sector scheme "Ground water management and regulation" during the 11th Five Year Plan. The total detailed project reports cleared by the state level technical core committee and accepted by New Delhi covered 235 projects in 11 districts, official sources informed here today. The districts, includes Tawang, West and East Kameng, Papum Pare, Kurung Kumey, Tirap and Longding.

The  inhabitants  of  border and hill top villages would be  the main  beneficiaries of  these  projects  as  the state  government  was committed  to  conserve rainwater in storage tanks to  supplement  water requirement  during  lean period.

TANKA – A RAINWATER HARVESTING TANK FOUND IN INDIA

ECONOMIC

DEVELOPEMENT

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The importance of groundwater for the existence of human

society cannot be overemphasized. Groundwater is the major source of drinking water in both urban and rural

India. Besides, it is an important source of water for the

agricultural and the industrial sector. Till recently it had been

considered a dependable source of uncontaminated water

During the past two decades, the water level in several parts of the country has been falling rapidly due to an increase in extraction.

The number of wells drilled for irrigation of both food and cash crops have rapidly and indiscriminately increased. 

India's rapidly rising population and changing lifestyles has also increased the domestic need for water. The water requirement for the industry also shows an overall increase. 

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The quality of groundwater is getting severely affected because of the widespread pollution of surface water.

REASONS THAT HAVE LED TO DEGRADATION IN GROUNDWATER

SUSTAINABILITY OF WATER

         INDIA’S GROUNDWATER SCENARIO

India is heading towards a freshwater crisis mainly due to improper management of water

resources and environmental degradation, which has lead to a lack of access to safe water

supply to millions of people. This freshwater crisis is already evident in many parts of India,

varying in scale and intensity depending mainly on the time of the year.

As far as the quality of groundwater is concerned, many states in the country have been identified as endemic to fluorosis due to abundance in naturally occurring fluoride-bearing minerals. These are Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, and TamilNadu, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, and Delhi. Nearly half million people in India suffer from ailments due to excess of fluoride in drinking water. In some districts of Assam and Orissa, groundwater has high iron content. About 31% of the total area of Rajasthan comes under saline groundwater. Groundwater is saline in almost all of the Bhakra Canal in Punjab and the lift canal system in south-western Haryana. Similarly high levels of arsenic in groundwater have been reported in the shallow aquifers in some districts of West Bengal. Certain places in Haryana, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh were also found to have dangerously high levels of mercury.

CHEMISTRY

REACTIONS INVOLVED IN THEFORMATION OF HARD WATER

Hard drinking water is generally not harmful to one's health, but can pose

serious problems in industrial settings, where water hardness is monitored to

avoid costly breakdowns in boilers, cooling towers and other equipment that handles water. In domestic settings, hard water is often indicated by a lack of suds

formation when soap is agitated in water, and by the formation of limescale in kettles and water heaters. Wherever water hardness is a concern, water

softening is commonly used to reduce hard water's adverse effects.

 With hard water, soap solutions form a white precipitate (soap scum) instead of producing lather, because the 2+ ions destroy the surfactant properties of the soap by forming a solid precipitate (the soap scum). A major component of such scum is calcium stearate, which arises from sodium stearate, the main component of soap :2 C17H35COO- + Ca2+ → (C17H35COO)2Ca

Hard water also forms deposits that clog plumbing. These deposits, called "scale ", are composed mainly of calcium carbonate (CaCO3), magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)2), and calcium sulfate (CaSO4)

It is often desirable to soften hard water. Most detergents contain ingredients that counteract the effects of hard water on the surfactants. For this reason, water softening is often unnecessary. Where softening is practiced, it is often recommended to soften only the water sent to domestic hot water systems so as to prevent or delay inefficiencies and damage due to scale formation in water heaters. A common method for water softening involves the use of ion exchange resins, which replace ions like Ca2+ by twice the number of monocations such as sodium or potassium ions.

PHYSICS

WATER AS A SOURCE OF ENERGY

         WATER AS AN ENERGYWater has been found to be a major

source of energyAll types of electricity generation

consume water either to process the raw materials used in the facility or fuel, constructing and maintaining the plant, or to just generate the

electricity itself. Renewable power sources as photovoltaic

solar and wind power, which require little water to produce energy,

require water in processing the raw materials to build the turbines and

solar panels. If a wind turbine is mounted on a concrete or steel

tower, additional tonnes of water are required in the tower's

construction.

 WHAT IS

HYDROELETRICITY?Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy, accounting for 16 percent of global electricity generation – 3,427 terawatt-hours of electricity production in 2010, and is expected to increase about 3.1% each year for the next 25 years.

WHERE IS IT PRODUCED?A Hydropower is produced in 150 countries, with the Asia-Pacific region generating 32 percent of global hydropower in 2010. China is the largest hydroelectricity producer, with 721 terawatt-hours of production in 2010.There are now three hydroelectricity plants larger than 10 GW: the Three Gorges Dam in China, Itapúa Dam across the Brazil/Paraguay border, and Guri Dam in Venezuela

BENEFITS AND EFFECTS OF HYDROELECTRIC POWER…..The cost of hydroelectricity is relatively low, making it a competitive source of renewable electricity. The average cost of electricity from a hydro plant larger than 10 megawatts is 3 to 5 U.S. cents per kilowatt-hour. Hydro is also a flexible source of electricity since plants can be ramped up and down very quickly to adapt to changing energy demands. However, damming interrupts the flow of rivers and can harm local ecosystems, and building large dams and reservoirs often involves displacing people and wildlife

POLITICAL DEVELOPEMEN

T

NARMADA BACHAO ANDOLANNARMADA BACHAO ANDOLAN

INTRODUCTION

Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) is a social movement consisting of

adivasis, farmers, environmentalists, and human

rights activists against a number of large dams being built across

the Narmada river. The river flows through the states of Gujarat, , and Madhya Pradesh in India.

Sardar Sarovar Dam in Gujarat is one of the biggest dams on the

river and was one of the first focal points of the movement. 

CAUSES OF THE MOVEMENT It is a multi crore project that will generate a big revenue for the

government. The Narmada Valley Development plan is the the most

promised and most challenging plan in the history of India. The proponents are

of the view that it will produce 1450 MW of electricity and pure drinking water to 40 million people covering

thousand of villages and towns. Some of the dams have been already been completed such as Tawa and Bargi

Dams. But the opponents says that this hydro project will devastate human lives and bio diversity by destroying

thousand of acres of forests and agricultural land. On the other hand it

will overall deprive thousands of people of their livelihood. They believe that the water and energy could be provided to

the people through alternative technological means, that would be

ecologically beneficial.

The mode of campaign includes hunger strikes and garnering support from film and art personalities (notably

Bollywood actor Aamir Khan). Narmada Bachao Andolan, with its leading

spokespersons Medha Patkar and Baba Amte, received the Right Livelihood Award in 1991. Amongst the major celebrities who have shown their

support for Narmada Bachao Andolan are Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy.

Led by one of the prominent leader Medha Patkar, it has now been turned into the International protest, gaining

support from NGO'S all around the globe. Protestors are agitating the

issue through the mass media, hunger strikes, massive marches, rallies and the through the on screen of several

documentary films. Although they have been protesting peacefully, but they

been harassed, arrested and beaten up by the police several times. The

Narmada Bachao Andolan has been pressurizing the world bank to

withdraw its loan from the project through media.

SUPREME COURT’S DECISION The Supreme Court's decision is still pending, seeking stoppage of construction of the Sardar Sarovar dam. The court initially ruled the decision in the Andolan's favor, thereby effecting an immediate stoppage of work at the dam and directing the concerned states to first complete the rehabilitation and replacement process.The Court deliberated on this issue further for several years but finally upheld the Tribunal Award and allowed the construction to proceed, subject to conditions. The court introduced a mechanism to monitor the progress of resettlement pari passuwith the raising of the height of the dam through the Grievance Redressal Authorities (GRA) in each of the party states. The court’s decision has paved the way for completing the project to attain full envisaged benefits

Led by one of the prominent leader MedhaPatkar,ithasnowbeenturnedintotheInternationalprotest,gainingsupportfro

mNGO'Sallaroundtheglobe.

BIOLOGY

 What is water recyclingWater recycling is a generic term for water reclamation and reuse, where the resulting water is referred to as recycled water. This term will be used throughout this website, but you might also find a number of other terms used in the water industry to describe recycled water or the process to make it. These include:•Water reclamation•Water recycling•Water reuse•Wastewater•Sewage effluent•Reclaimed water•Grey water

 What is water recyclingWater recycling is a generic term for water reclamation and reuse, where the resulting water is referred to as recycled water. This term will be used throughout this website, but you might also find a number of other terms used in the water industry to describe recycled water or the process to make it. These include:•Water reclamation•Water recycling•Water reuse•Wastewater•Sewage effluent•Reclaimed water•Grey water

 Why recycle water?

Increasing population means that the demand for water is increasing. To

ensure that we have enough water to meet our present and future needs, we need to conserve water and expand the

use of recycled water

 BENEFITS OF RECYCLING WATER

Water recycling provides enormous environmental benefits. It also provides an additional source of water for various purposes. This a list of some benefits that water recycling can present:Water recycling decreases the extraction of water form sources that may be dwindling and may stop being viable as habitats for valuable and endangered wildlife.Recycling wastewater can decrease the discharge of effluents that may damage and pollute the ecosystems of the sensitive bodies of water.Recycled water can be used to create new wetlands or to enhance and improve the quality of existing ones.Water recycling can reduce and prevent pollution by leaving damaging pollutants at the treatment plant.

METHODS OF CONSERVATION OF WATER

METHODS OF RECYCLING WATER

Initiate the appropriate recycling methods Conserve water in your everyday routine. Sanitize grey water. Reclaim rainwater. Compare the water bill before and after.

CONSERVE WATER IN EVERYDAY LIFE

With mounting water issues, municipalities are under stress to provide water (potable and non-potable) to industrial, commercial, and residential segments. Though wastewater recycling and reuse is an option to meet water requirements, some factors are limiting its use, such as:•High price sensitivity towards advanced wastewater treatment systems •Negative perception about wastewater recycling •Lack of technological awareness and skilled manpower •Fragmented nature of the market•Weak enforcement of regulations and policies

With mounting water issues, municipalities are under stress to provide water (potable and non-potable) to industrial, commercial, and residential segments. Though wastewater recycling and reuse is an option to meet water requirements, some factors are limiting its use, such as:•High price sensitivity towards advanced wastewater treatment systems •Negative perception about wastewater recycling •Lack of technological awareness and skilled manpower •Fragmented nature of the market•Weak enforcement of regulations and policies

LIMITATIONS OF RECYCLING WATER