WATER RESOURCES
Water: Some facts and figures
▪ water is a renewable resource → hydrological cycle
▪ three-fourth of earth’s surface is covered with water→ 96.5% oceans and 2.5 % freshwater[70
% of it glaciers and 30 % groundwater].
▪ India receives 4% of the global precipitation and ranks 133 in the world in terms of water
availability per person per annum.
▪ water resources of India are 1,897 sq km/ annum.
▪ According to Falken Mark, a Swedish expert, water stress occurs when water availability is
between 1,000 and 1,600 cubic metre/ person/ year.
Causes of water scarcity in India
▪ over-exploitation, excessive use and unequal access to water among different social groups.
▪ large and growing population
▪ commercilisation of agriculture
▪ intensive industrialization[role of MNCs] and urbanization
▪ Overutilisation and misutilisation→ water logging
▪ Variation in seasonal and annual precipitation
▪ Bad quality of water due to pollution and industrial wastes
Hydraulic Structures in Ancient India
▪ Sringaverapura [Allahabad] – 1st century B.C
▪ Chandragupta Maurya built dams, lakes and irrigation systems.
▪ Irrigation works in Kalinga (Orissa), Nagarjunakonda (AP), Bennur (Karnataka), Kolhapur (Mah).
▪ Bhopal Lake[artificial lake] built in 11th Century.
▪ tank in Hauz Khas, Delhi was constructed by Alauddin khilji for supplying water to Siri Fort area
in14th Century.
Multi-purpose projects[dams]
▪ A dam is a barrier across flowing water that obstructs, directs or retards the flow, often creating
a reservoir, lake or impoundment. “Dam” refers to the reservoir rather than the structure.
▪ Jawaharlal Nehru called it ‘temples of modern India’ to integrate development of agriculture of
village economy with rapid industrialisation and growth of urban economy.
Features[benefits]
1. irrigation
2. electricity generation
3. water supply for domestic and industrial uses
4. flood control,
5. recreation
6. inland navigation
7. fish breeding.
Criticisms
▪ Have caused many new social and environmental movements like ‘Narmada Bachao Andolan’
and Tehri Dam Andolan’.
▪ affect natural flow of rivers causing excessive sedimentation and triggers flood
▪ making it difficult for aquatic fauna to migrate, especially for spawning.
▪ large-scale displacement of local communities
▪ Irrigation has also changed the cropping pattern of many regions with farmers shifting to water
intensive and commercial crops → salinisation of the soil.
▪ increasing the social gap between the richer landowners and the landless poor.
▪ flood plains are deprived of silt → land degradation.
▪ induced earthquakes, caused waterborne diseases and pests and pollution resulting from
excessive use of water.
▪ Failed in controlling floods at the time of excessive rainfall.
▪ Destruction of vegetation
Rainwater Harvesting
▪ Diversion channels like ‘guls’ or ‘kuls’ in Western Himalayas for agriculture.
▪ Inundation channels In the flood plains of Bengal to irrigate fields
▪ ‘Rooftop rain water harvesting’ in Rajasthan to store drinking water in tanks or tankas . Rainwater,
or palar pani, is considered the purest form of natural water.
▪ Rain fed storage structures [‘khadins’ in Jaisalmer and ‘Johads’ in other parts of Rajasthan]. In
arid and semi-arid regions to moisten the soil.
▪ In Bikaner, Phalodi and Barmer, almost all the houses traditionally had underground tanks or
tankas for storing drinking water.
▪ RWH system is also in Shillong.
▪ Tamil Nadu is the first and only state in India to make RWH structure compulsory.
▪ Bamboo Drip Irrigation System in Meghalaya is a 200-year old system.
▪ Gendathur village in Mysuru, has installed nearly 200 RWH system.
Some Facts
1. NBA or Save Narmada Movement is a NGO that originally focused on the environmental issues
Recently it has re-focused at oustees (displaced people) to get full rehabilitation .
2. The Krishna-Godavari dispute is due to the objections raised by Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh
Governments. It is regarding the diversion of more water at Koyna by the Maharashtra government
for a multipurpose project.
2. Sardar Sarovar Dam covers four states—Mah, MP, Guj and Raj. The Sardar Sarovar project
would meet the requirement of water in drought-prone and desert areas of Gujarat (9,490
villages and 173 towns) and Rajasthan (124 villages).
Traditional Water Conservation forms in Rajasthan
1. Baori (Stepwell): These are quadrangular, circular or oval in shape, bricks and artistic stones
are used from their entry part till their central part and verandah type structures are present in
their front side. Steps are built to reach these parts. Bundi city is known as "The City of Step
Wells".
2. Nadi : A smaller form of a pond, which is mostly found in western Rajasthan.
3. Taanka: A traditional source of water conservation in western Rajasthan.
4. Johad: In Shekhawati region and Haryana, johad is the source of rainwater collection.
5. Beri / Choti Kui: This is built by digging a 5-6 feet deep hole in Aagore land of a pond or khadin in
western Rajasthan( Barmer and Jaisalmer).
6. Khadin: Khadin is basically a technique of water conservation and water collection adopted by
Paliwal Brahmins of Jaisalmer district.Due to this rainwater in khadin land, level of underground
water increases, soil remains conserved and soil remains moist.
Indian government has launched Jal Kranti Abhiyan and Rajasthan has launched Chief Minister
Jal Swavalamban Programme for water management at local level.
