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World Bank Vice-President (1995), Ismail Serageldin said, "If the wars of this century were fought over oil, the wars of the next century will be fought over water". The demand for water, in India, is ever-increasing. An increasing population is the primary reason. A higher population will, in effect, need more food. That will entail a greater dependence on the agricultural Sector, which will require more water for irrigation. In India, the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea contribute evaporated precipitated moisture through the hydrological cycle. In the North the aloof, serene and almost inscrutable Himalayas supply water to the Tsangpo-Brahmaputra, the Indus and the Ganges. The Ganges originates from the Gangotri glacier. Utilisation of water Farmers lift water from submersible pumps. If utility of water exceeds rainfall, a declining water table results. Groundwater is generally cleaner by virtue of filtration through strata of rock. But hard rock strata in the ground affects regions of Peninsular India. Granite and gneiss have less cracks and less joints. This hinders percolation of water. Groundwater is thus limited and isolated. Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu are confronted with such a situation. These regions therefore depend on rivers like the Godavari and Kaveri or Narmada and Tapti which contribute a major role; they are rivers that depend on rain. Conservation efforts The word conservation is
derived from Latin. Con, which means together, and servare which means
to possess. Therefore, "to keep together". During a bygone
era in Tamil Nadu, percolation tanks were made to recharge groundwater
for irrigation. In Rajasthan, rain water was stored in kundis
(underground water tanks). The same concept was adhered during the
Harappan Period (5000 -3000 B.C).
It is interesting to read that rain-water harvesting had to be resorted to in Cherrapunjee; an area that receives the highest rainfall in the country. RK Ghosh, with his decades of experience in water management, explained that the Ramakrishna Mission School in Cherrapunjee was closed from November-March every year due to an acute scarcity of water. What was the cause of this water crisis? Deforestation became a crucible for an environmental imbalance in the region. The heavy rainfall this area is so famous for, now flows willy–nilly to the valleys of Bangladesh, away from Cherrapunjee. RK Ghosh designed a plan where rain collected on the roof of the school and subsequently was directed to a ground reservoir, as depicted in the sketch. The school is now open throughout the year. In yet another bizarre example RK Ghosh was called by a tea estate manager in Assam. Their groundwater (100 ft. deep) was mixed with iron, thereby damaging the submersible pumps. A water body was created at a depth of 20 ft. The shallow depth produced water without iron. A problem arose. The new water body was on an elephant path. RK Ghosh advised the excavation of another water body. The picture depicts one water source solely for irrigating tea. The other source is for elephants. The elephants do not use the second water body at all. A harmonious balance was achieved between Man and Nature. Watershed and river-basin management A watershed marks the divide between two drainage systems. Watershed management protects both arable and non arable land. Trees are planted to prevent soil erosion. This will prevent flooding. We are therefore enhancing productivity by improving soil and water resources. Watershed management programmes are limited to a maximum of 2,000 sq.km (Prof. Murthy 1998). These projects are under the Ministry of Agriculture. River-basin projects are not governed by an area. A river basin is a natural unit. Projects encompass power generation, afforestation and construction of dams. Two significant examples are the Bhakra and Damodar projects. The Ganga River Basin Project, is another example. Soil erosion and siltation of the river is causing floods. The Ganga Action Plan (GAP) is making efforts to overcome problems which include Pollutants, resulting in impure water. A fountainhead exists in three areas for our major rivers. They are the Himalayan ranges, the Vindhyan ranges and the Western Ghats. In India, 90 per cent of the surface water flow of rivers is lost as run off, either into the Bay of Bengal or into the Arabian Sea. This singularly accentuates the potential for further storage of water, both for irrigation and power generation. The Vedas have
extolled the splendour that is intrinsic to India. "A land by the
sea and fertilised by rivers that pour down their bounty in streams of
plenty. The land of hills and snowy mountains and forests…"
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