Water Resources PDF

own wells and tube-wells in their farms for available to meet the needs of the people, but, irrigation to increase their produce. But have the area still suffers from water scarcity. This you ever wondered what this could result in? scarcity may be due to bad qu...

own wells and tube-wells in their farms for available to meet the needs of the people, but, irrigation to increase their produce. But have the area still suffers from water scarcity. This you ever wondered what this could result in? scarcity may be due to bad quality of water. That it may lead to falling groundwater levels, Lately, there has been a growing concern that adversely affecting water availability and food even if there is ample water to meet the needs security of the people. of the people, much of it may be polluted by Post-independent India witnessed domestic and industrial wastes, chemicals, intensive industrialisation and urbanisation, pesticides and fertilisers used in agriculture, creating vast opportunities for us. Today, large thus, making it hazardous for human use. industrial houses are as commonplace as the Government of India has accorded highest industrial units of many MNCs (Multinational priority to improve the quality of life and Corporations). The ever-increasing number of enhance ease of living of people especially those industries has made matters worse by exerting living in rual areas by announcing the Jal pressure on existing freshwater resources. Jeevan Mission (JJM). The Goal of JJM is to Industries, apart from being heavy users of enable every rural household get assured water, also require power to run them. Much supply of potable piped water at a service level of this energy comes from hydroelectric power. of 55 litres per capita per day regularly on Moreover, multiplying urban centres with long-term basis by ensuring functionality of large and dense populations and urban the tap water connections. (Source: Economic lifestyles have not only added to water and Survey 2020–21, p.357) energy requirements but have further You may have already realised that the need aggravated the problem. If you look into the of the hour is to conserve and manage our housing societies or colonies in the cities, you water resources, to safeguard ourselves from would find that most of these have their own health hazards, to ensure food security, groundwater pumping devices to meet their continuation of our livelihoods and productive water needs. Not surprisingly, we find that activities and also to prevent degradation of our fragile water resources are being over- natural ecosystems. Over exploitation and exploited and have caused their depletion in mismanagement of water resources will several of these cities. impoverish this resource and cause ecological crisis that may have profound impact on our lives. Atal Bhujal Yojana (Atal Jal) is being implemented in 8220 water stressed Gram Panchayats of 229 administrative blocks/ From your everyday experiences, write a short talukas in 80 districts of seven states, viz. proposal on how you can conserve water. Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and MULTI- PURPOSE RIVER P ROJECTS AND Uttar Pradesh. The selected States account INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT for about 37 per cent of the total number of water— stressed (over-exploited, critical But, how do we conserve and manage water? and semi-critical) blocks in India. One of Archaeological and historical records show the key aspects of Atal Jal is to bring in that from ancient times we have been behavioural changes in the community, constructing sophisticated hydraulic from the prevailing attitude of structures like dams built of stone rubble, consumption to conservation and smart reservoirs or lakes, embankments and canals water management. for irrigation. Not surprisingly, we have continued this tradition in modern India by Source: Annual Report, Ministry of Jal Shakti, building dams in most of our river basins. Government of India 2022–23 So far we have focused on the quantitative Hydraulic Structures in Ancient India aspects of water scarcity. Now, let us consider In the first century B.C., Sringaverapura another situation where water is sufficiently near Allahabad had sophisticated water WATER RESOURCES 21 Reprint 2024-25