Geography|Water Resources
Water Resources
Water scarcity → Cause Multipurpose river project Rain water harvesting
c
● Meaning ( Dam ) ● Various types and rooftop
● Ancient hydraulic structure rainwater harvesting
Need for water conservation
● Positive V/S Negative
Geography|Water Resources
Water scarcity Unavailability of water due to the variations in seasonal and annual precipitations.
● Over-exploitation, excessive use and unequal access to water, Population growth, Wastage of
Causes fresh drinking water, Intensive industrialisation and urbanisation, Agriculture as one of the major
exploiter of groundwater.
● Areas receiving heavy rainfall also face water shortage (qualitative Scarcity).
● Government of India by announcing the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).
Solution ● Enable every rural household get assured supply of potable piped water(55 litres per capita per day )
● Atal Bhujal Yojana (Atal Jal) : Objective is to bring in behavioural changes in the community, from the
prevailing attitude of consumption to conservation and smart water management in water stressed districts.
● Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana : Enhance the physical access of water on the farm and
expand cultivable area under assured irrigation (har khet ko pani)
Conservation is essential to safeguard ourselves from health hazards,
Need for water conservation and management. ensure food security, of our livelihoods and prevent degradation of
our natural ecosystems.
Sophisticated water harvesting system at sringaverapura near Allahabad,
Hydraulic structures in ancient India dams and lakes built during Chandragupta Maurya, irrigation works in
Kalinga, Nagarjunakonda, Bennur and Kolhapur, Bhopal lake and Hauz Khas.
Geography|Water Resources
Dams and multipurpose river projects
Meaning and type Positives Negatives
● A dam is a barrier across flowing water that obstructs, directs or retards the flow, often creating a reservoir. This
reservoir is called dam. This structure has a section called spillway or weir through which water flows.
● Dams are classified according to structure, intended purpose or height.
Positive Multipurpose Projects Negative
- MPP serves variety of purposes such as - They fragment river streams, cause floods, earthquakes, and
irrigation, electricity generation flood landslides and displace hundred thousands people.
control, fish breeding, inland navigation etc. - They cause excessive sedimentation and harm the aquatic life of
- Integrated water resource management the water body.
approach for the development of both rural - Dams have also caused salinisation of soil and changed cropping
and urban area. pattern, leading to increased social and economic gaps.
- “Temples of modern India”- J.L. Nehru - It triggers floods, caused soil erosion, water-borne diseases,
pests, and pollution.
Geography|Water Resources
Rainwater Harvesting The collection, saving, and storage of rainwater for future use or times of crisis.
● Guls or kuls in hill and mountainous.
Traditional rainwater harvesting system
● Inundation channels in the flood plains of Bengal.
● Rooftop rainwater in the flood plains in Rajasthan.
Rooftop rainwater harvesting ● Khadins and Johads in parts of Rajasthan.
● Underground tankas were built in Barmer and Bikaner.
● Bamboo drip irrigation system in Meghalaya.
Common techniques for water conservation are
construction of percolation pits, digging and refilling
of dug wells and trenches, roof water collected in the
tanks below the ground and on the rooftops.
Though it is on the decline in western Rajasthan, rooftop rainwater harvesting is gaining popularity in other states
like Shillong, Karnataka(Gendathur) and Tamil Nadu (made compulsory in this state by law).
Key Words Civics |Gender, Religion and Caste
Water Scarcity : The shortage of water; an imbalance between the
Narmada Bachao Andolan: It is an Indian social movement
demand and supply of water, also good quality of water. Water
initiated and mobilised by tribal people, farmers,
scarcity is the shortage of water, but it is not only associated with
environmentalists and human rights activists against the
regions having low rainfall or those that are drought-prone. It also has
Sardar Sarovar Dam, being built across the Narmada river
a qualitative aspect.
in Gujarat.It focused on the environmental issues and
aims to rehabilitate displaced people.
Jal Jeevan Mission : It is an initiative launched by government in 2019,
the main objective of this mission is to ensure the supply of 55 litres
of water per person per day to every rural household through Rain Water Harvesting: It is a method that involves the
Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTC) by 2024. collection and storage of rainwater for further use. Water
harvesting system is a viable alternative, both
socio-economically and environmentally. People had
Multipurpose river Projects : A dam built across a river often serves in-depth knowledge of rainfall regimes and soil types and
more than one purpose at a time and is termed as a multipurpose developed wide-ranging techniques to harvest rainwater
project. These projects are planned for various purposes like for future use.
irrigation, hydropower generation, water supply for drinking and
industrial purposes, flood control, and navigation. Guls or Kuls: In hilly and mountainous regions, people built
diversion channels to collect rainwater, spring water and
Dam : It is a barrier across flowing water that obstructs, directs or store in circular tanks called 'guls' or 'kuls'.
retards the flow, typically creating a reservoir, lake, or
impoundment.The main purpose of dams is that they facilitate the
conservation of water.
Key Words Civics |Gender, Religion and Caste
Atal Bhujal Yojana: The Atal Bhujal Yojana is being
Khadins and Johads: In arid and semi-arid regions, agricultural implemented in 8,220 water-stressed villages across 229
fields were converted into rainfed storage structures. These blocks in 80 districts in seven states. These states account for
allowed the rain water to stand and moisten the soil. 37% of India's water-stressed areas. The scheme focuses on
promoting water conservation and better water management
through community behavior change.
Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting : Rooftop rainwater
Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchaee Yojana : The Pradhan
harvesting is a technique used for the conservation of
Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana is a program aimed at
water. In this technique, the rainwater that has fallen on
enhancing water access for farms, expanding irrigated
the roof of houses or buildings is collected in storage or
land, improving water use efficiency, promoting
underground tanks through the help of pipes. This also
water-saving technologies, and encouraging sustainable
helps us recharge the groundwater levels.
water conservation practices to increase crop yield and
reduce wastage.
Bamboo Drip Irrigation System: This system is in practice
for 200 years in Meghalaya. In this system, water from
streams and springs in the hills get transported to
agricultural fields by using bamboo as pipes.
MuST Know Question Geography|Water Resources
Explain the qualitative aspects of water scarcity?
Water pollution affects the quality of water available. That is the qualitative aspect
of water scarcity.
Overexploitation of water resources, reduces the quality of available water and
causes unequal access of water among different social groups.
Water quality is degrading due to pollution from domestic trash, industrial waste,
pesticides, and fertilisers used in agriculture, making it unsafe for human
consumption.
MuST Know Question Geography|Water Resources
Why did Jawaharlal Nehru proclaim the dams as the "temples of
modern India"? Explain any three reasons.
Jawaharlal Nehru proclaimed the dams as the “temples of modern India” because
it will integrate development of agriculture and the village economy with rapid
industrialisation and growth of the urban economy:
(i) They eliminate or reduce flooding.
(ii) Provide water for agriculture.
(iii) Provide water for human and industrial consumption.
(iv) Provide hydroelectricity for houses and industries.
MuST Know Question Geography|Water Resources
Describe any three different rainwater harvesting systems practised in India.
(i) In hilly and mountainous regions, people build diversion channels like 'gul' or 'kul' in Western
Himalaya for agriculture.
(ii) Roof-top rainwater harvesting integrated with tanks was commonly practised to store drinking
water particularly in Rajasthan and Gujarat.
(iii) In West Bengal, people develop inundation channels to irrigate their fields.
(iv) In semi-arid regions agricultural fields are converted into rain-fed storage structures that allowed
the water to stand and moist the soil known as Khadins and Johads.
MuST Know Question Geography|Water Resources
How has urbanisation posed a threat to A existing fresh water resources in India?
● Urban areas are densely populated.
● Housing societies and buildings have their own pumping devices to draw groundwater.
● Depletion of fresh water resources and over exploitation of groundwater.
● Urbanisation have aggravated the problem of water scarcity.
● Any other relevant point (open-ended question)
MuST Know Question Geography|Water Resources
Describe the working of the rooftop rainwater harvesting technique.
● The rainwater falling on the roof is collected through a PVC pipe
and filtered using sand and bricks.
● Then, it is collected in the sump for immediate use.
● Excess water from the transferred to a well, which recharges the
sump groundwater.
● Any further requirement of water can be taken from the well.
MuST Know Question Geography|Water Resources
What is water scarcity and what are its main causes?
The shortage of water; an imbalance between the demand and supply of water, also good quality of
water, is referred to as water scarcity.
Causes of water scarcity are :
I. The availability of water resources varies over space and time, mainly due to the variations in
seasonal and annual precipitation.
II. In agricultural sector to facilitate higher food-grain production, water resources are being
over-exploited.
III. Overuse of water resources due to rapid industrialisation and urbanisation.
IV. Scarcity due to the bad quality of water.( Pollution )
MuST Know Question Geography|Water Resources
Ancient hydraulic structures Describe the hydraulic structures made in ancient india?
(i) In the first century BCE, Sringaverapura near Allahabad had a sophisticated water harvesting system
which could channel the flood water of river Ganga.
(ii) During his reign Chandragupta Maurya, constructed many lakes, dams and irrigation systems.
(iii) Sophisticated irrigation works are also found in Kalinga (Odisha), Kolhapur (Maharashtra),
Nagarjunakonda (Andhra Pradesh), Bennur (Karnataka), etc.
(iv) One of the largest artificial lake was built in Bhopal in the 11th century.
(v) In the 14th century, Iltutmish constructed the tank in Hauz Khas, Delhi to supply water to the Siri Fort
area.
MuST Know Question Geography|Water Resources
State the importance of multi-purpose projects.
Some of the main functions of the multipurpose projects are:
I. Electricity Generation: Dams generate hydroelectric power, providing a renewable source of energy.
II. Water Supply: They supply water for domestic and industrial needs, ensuring availability for daily
activities and economic growth.
III. Flood Control: Dams help in controlling floods by regulating water flow and storing excess water
during heavy rains.
IV. Recreation: Reservoirs created by dams offer recreational opportunities such as boating and
tourism.
V. Inland Navigation: Dams facilitate inland water transport by creating navigable water routes.
VI. Fish Breeding: The water bodies formed by dams promote fish breeding, benefiting the fishing
industry.
MuST Know Question Geography|Water Resources
In recent years, multipurpose projects and large dams have come under great scrutiny and
opposition. Explain why?
In recent years, multipurpose projects and large dams have come under great scrutiny and opposition for a
variety of reasons.
(i) Regulating and damming of rivers affect their natural flow.
(ii) River's diversion and barricading due to building of dams impact migration and spawning of aquatic life.
(iii) The dams have triggered floods due to sedimentation in the reservoir and release of excess water during
heavy rains.
(iv) Large scale displacement of local communities, local people who give up their land for the projects
hardly receive any benefit.
(v) Sometime multipurpose projects induced earthquakes, caused water borne-diseases and pests, and led
to pollution resulting from excessive use of water.
