3 Water Resources

INTRODUCTION
" While 71% of the carth's surface is water, only a small percentage is usable freshwater,
primarily obtained from surface run-off and groundwater continuously replenished through CODE-SHIY

the hydrological cycle.

" The hydrological cycle ensures that water is renewable, as all water moves within this
cycle.
" Despite the abundance of water on the planet, many regions still face water scarcity. By
2025, it is predicted that nearly two billion people willexperience albsolute water scarcity.
Given that water is a renewable resource, it is concerning that so many people suffer from
water scarcity.
" The root cause of water scarcity is not the lack of water, but rather the uneven distribution
and accessibility of freshwater resources.
" Climate change, population growth, and unsustainable water management practices are
exacerbating water scarcity, making it a significant global challenge.
Addressing water scarcity requires a multifaceted approach, including improving water
infrastructure, promoting sustainable water management practices, and addressing the root
causes of water scarcity.

WATERSCARCITY AND THE NEED FOR WATERCONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT

Despite water being abundant and renewable, water scarcity is a global issue that affects
many regions.
prone to
. Water scarcity is often associated with regions that have low rainfall or are
CODE-GGy3 drought, such as the deserts of Rajasthan.
. However, water scarcity is primarily caused by over-exploitation,
excessive use, and unequal
groups.
access to water resources among different social
groundwater,
While freshwater can be obtained directly from precipitation, surface run-off, and
space and time.
the availability of water resources varies over
resources due to a large and
Water scarcity can occur even in areas with ample water it.
and unequal access to
growing population, greater demands for water,
consumer of water, and water
Agriculture, particularly irrigated agriculture, is the largest agriculture.
resources are often over-exploited to expand irrigated areas for dry-season
water scarcity, it is necessary to develop drought-resistant crops and dry farming
. To address
techniques that revolutionise agriculture. can lead to falling
tube-wells by farmers for irrigation
. The indiscriminate use of wells and security.
groundwater levels,adversely affecting water availability and food resulting in
India's post-independence era saw rapid industrialisation and urbanisation,
" development.
numerous opportunities for growth and and urban centers have put a strain on
increasing number of industries
" However, the
heavily exploited.
existing freshwater resources, which are being power, often sourced from hydroelectricity,
of water and
" Industries require significant amounts
exacerbating the problem.
 " Urban arcas with dense populations have further increased the demand for water and
energy, leading to the depletion of fragile water resources.
" Water scarcity may not always be caused by a lack of water, but by poor water quality
due to polution fromn domestic and industrial wastes, chemicals, and fertilisers.
" The Indian government has recognised the importance of improving the quality of life
for rural communities and has launched the Jal Jeevan Mission to ensure that every rural
houschold has access to safe and reliable piped water.
" tis crucial to conserve and manage our water resources to protect ourselves from health
hazards, ensure food security, and prevent ecological degradation that could have far
reaching consequences on our lives.
India's rivers, including the smaller ones, have been transformed into polluted streams, and even the
such as the Ganga and Yamuna are far from being clean. The
increasing population, modernisation of larger one
urbanisation, and industrialisation have all taken a toll on India's rivers, causing significant damage thatagricontinye
culturg
to grow cach day. This poses a serious threat to all forms of life dependent on these water bodies.

Activity (Page No. 21)

From your everyday experiences, write ashort prop0sal on how you can
conserve water.
Sample answer: Water is a precious resource that we must conserve to ensure its availability for future
generations. To help conserve water in our everyday lives, Ipropose implementing the following measures: CODE
" Fix leaks: Check and repair any leaking taps, pipes, or toilets to
prevent water wastage.
" Use water-efficient appliances: Use water-efficient appliances like low-flow showerheads, faucets, and toile
" Turn off taps: Turn off the tap while brushing teeth, shaving, or washing dishes to avoid unnecessary wat
wastage.
. Harvest rainwater: Install a rainwater harvesting system to collect and store rainwater for future use.
. Reuse water: Reuse greywater from washing machines or showers for watering plants or cleaning purposes.
By adopting these mcasures, we can conserve water and contribute to asustainable future.
MULTH-PURPOSE RIVER PROJECTS AND INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
Conserving and managing water has been a
CODE-3UDS
tradition in India since ancient times.
. Hydraulic structures such as dams, reservoirs,
embankments, and canals have been built for
irrigation and water storage.
. Modern India continues this tradition by building
dams in river basins.
. Dams are multi-purpose projects used for
irigation, electricity generation, flood control,
water supply, recreation, navigation, and fish
Hirakud Dam
breeding.
The Bhakra-Nangal project in the Sutluj-Beas river basin is an example of a project that
integrates hydel power production and irrigation.
. The Hirakud project in the Mahanadi basin integrates water conservation with flood control.
. Multi-purpose projects were launched after Independence with an integrated water
resources
management approach to lead the nation to development and progress.
. Jawaharlal Nehru called dams the "temples of modern India" as they would integrate
agriculture, village economy, industrialisation, and urban growth.
Geography Class
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 . Environmental novements like the 'Narmada Bachao Andolan' and Tehri Dam
have emerged due to large-scale displacement of local communities. Andolan'
"Local people are often forced to give up their land, livelihoods, and control over
for the benefit of the nation, with only landowners, large farmers, industrialists, resources
and feu
urban centres benefitting.
. Such projects may not benefit the landless in a village.
" Imigation practices have led to changesin cropping patterns with
farmers switching to
water-intensive and commercial crops.
.Such practices have ecological consequences, such as soil salinisation.
Additionally, they have transformed the social landscape by widening the gap between rich
landowners and landless poor.
" Dams have also created conflicts among people with
same water resources.
different uses and benefits from the
" In Gujarat, for instance. Sabarmati-basin farmers almost caused a riot over
priority given to water supply in urban areas, particularly during the higher
" Inter-state water disputes have droughts.
also become common in sharing the costs and
multi-pupose projects. benefits of

Narmada Bachao Andolan

The Narmada Bachao Andolan, also
Save Narmada Movement, is a known as the
organisation that mobilised tribalnon-governmental
people, farmers,
environmentalists, and human rights activists to protest CODE

against the construction of the Sardar Sarovar Dam on

the Narmada river in Gujarat.
Initially, the focus was
on the environmental issues related to the
trees that
would be submerged under the dam water. However, the
organisation has recently shifted its focus to enabling
poor citizens, particularly the displaced people, to
receive fullrehabilitation facilities from the government.
Those affected by the dam project had believed that
their sacrifices would lead to irrigated fields and
ED
plentiful harvests, accepting the trauma of displacement for the
nation. Survivors of Rihand, for example, saw their greater good of their
behalf of their country. However, after thirty years of sufferings as sacrifices made on
their livelihoods becoming more precarious, they now struggling to make a living,
question why they are the only
ones chosen to make sacrifices for the nation.
Do You Know
The Sardar Sarovar Dam, located in Gujaral, a4A0 The dispute over the Krishna-Godavari river is
caused by
is one of the largest water resource projects objections from the governments of Karnataka and Andhra
in India, covering four states: Maharashtra, Pradesh.
o? The controversy arises from the Maharashtra
Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Rajasthan. CODE-pRDX
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The project is intended to met the waler requrements ofgovernment's plans to divert more water at Koyna for a mulipurnoses
drought-prone and desert arcas of Gujarat,encompassing project. This diversion would lead to a reduction in downstream flow in
9,490villages and 173 towns, as well as 124 villages their respective stales, resulting in negative impacts on agriculnure and
in Rajasthan. industry.
Activity (Page No. 23)
Make a list of inter-state water disputes.
Sample answer: CODE-PmQ1
. Indira Gandhi Nahar Project (1GNP) Dispute - This dispute is between Rajasthan and Punjab, over
the sharing of water from the Sutlej River. The dispute arose due to the construction of the Indira
Gandhi Nahar Project by Rajasthan, which diverts water from the Sutlej Rive.
. Ravi-Beas Water Dispute -This dispute is between Rajasthan, Punjab, and Haryana, over the sharing of water from the
Ravi and Beas Rivers. The dispute arose due to the construction of the Bhakra-Nangal Dam by Punjab, which diverts
water from the Ravi and Beas Rivers.
.Mahi River Water Dispute - This dispute is between Rajasthan and Gujarat, over the sharing of water from the Mahi
River. The dispute arose due to the construction of the Mahi Bajaj Sagar Dam by Rajasthan, which diverts water from
the Mahi River.
.Yamuna River Water Dispute - This dispute is between Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh, over the sharing
which
of water from the Yamuna River. The dispute arose due to the construction of the Tajewala Barrage by Haryana,
diverts water from the Yamuna River.

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 RAINWATER HARVESTING
" Water harvesting system is seen as a
viable alternative to multipurpose projects, both socix
economically and
such projects. environmentally, despite the disadvantages and rising
. In ancient
India, people had
resistance against
developed techniques to harvestadvanced knowledge of rainfall regimes and soil
rainwater, typesbasedand
on local ecological
conditions groundwater, river water, and flood water
and their water needs.
" Different
techniques were developed in different regions, such as
guls' or 'kuls' in the Western diversion channels like
Himalayas for agriculture, rooftop rainwater
Rajasthan for storing drinking water,
IITigate fields, and rain fed storage inundation channels in the flood plains harvesting
of
in
other parts of structures like khadins' in Jaisalmer and Bengal into
" In Rajasthan, Rajasthan. Johads'
particularly
had underground tanks or
in Bikaner, Phalodi, and
Barmer, almost all the
developed rooftop rainwater'tankas' for storing drinking
water, which werehouses
part
traditionally
courtyard. harvesting system of the well
and were built inside the
" Rain falling on the main house or
rooftops
'tankas'. The rainwater couldwould travel down a pipe and was
reliable source of drinking water, stored until the next rainfall,stored in these
be
underground
Rainwater, or particularly the summers.
in making it an extremely
in tankas that 'palar pani, is considered the
could be as large as a big purest form of natural water and
Today, in western room. was stored
wåter is available due Rajasthan, rooftop
the Indira rainwater harvesting is on the decline as
tankas since they preferto the Gandhi Canal, although some plenty of
taste of rainwater houses still
Rooftop rainwater harvesting is to tap water. maintain the
urban India, such as being successfully adapted in many parts of rural
nearly 200 householdsin Gendathur,
have
a remote
backward village in and
. With 80%
of installed this system to meet their Mysur., [Link], where
about 50,000 collection efficiency and about 1G fillings, every water needs.
litres of water
harvested annually from 200 houses annually in Gendathur, where the house can collect and use
amounts to 100,000 litres. net amount of rainwater

Recharge through Abandoned Dugwell

Fig. 3.1: Rooftop Recharge through Hand pump
Rainwater
Rainwater is collected from rooftops using a Harvesting
. The
collected water is filtered using sand and PVC pipe.
" An underground pipe bricks.
" Any excess water from
carries the filtered water to a
the sump is taken to a well. sump for
" The water from the
well is used to recharge the immediate use.
-38
. Water is then taken from
the well later. underground water source.
 The practice of rooftop rainwater harvesting was prevalent
in the towns and villages of the Thar region. It involves
the collection of rainwater from the sloping roofs of houses
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using a pipe that leads to an underground tanka, a circular
hole built either in the main house or the courtyard. The
image above depicts the process of water being collected
from a neighbour's roof using a long pipe. In the image, a
hole can be seen through which the rainwater flows down
into the underground tanka.
Fig. 3.1

Despite being locatcd

Shillong, 55 km away from Almost all Rooftop rainwater
Meghalaya Cherapunjee and households in harvesting
practices rooftop Shillong have contributes to 15
Mawsynram, which 25% of the total
rainwater harvesting receive the highest implemented
as a common
rainfall in the world, rooftop rainwater water requirement
method to combat harvesting of households in
Shillong still suffers
water scarcity. from acute water structures. Shillong.
shortage.
(Page No. 27)
Activity
around your locality.
Find out other rainwater harvesting systems existing in and
Rainwater harvesting systems in Uttar
Sample Answer (Taking Uttar Pradesh as an cxample):
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community. However, here are some examples:

Pradesh can vary depending on the specific region and Kanpur
rainwater harvesting - Many households in urban areas of Utar Pradesh, such as Lucknovw,
. Rooftop from the
Varanasi, have rooftop rainwater harvesting systems installed. This involves collecting rainwater
and
underground pits.
roofs of houses and storing it in tanks or
- In rural areas of Uttar Pradesh, farm ponds are commonly used for rainwater harvesting. These
. Farm pond for irigation
are constructed in low-lying areas of farmland and are used to collect and store rainwater
ponds
during dry periods. streams and rivers to collect
dams - In hilly areas of Uttar Pradesh, check dams are built across small
Check
and drinking purposes.
rainwater. The water is then used for irrigation table.
In areas with shallow groundwater, recharge wells are used to replenish the groundwater
. Recharge wells - ground, such as open
are typically constructed in areas where rainwater can easily percolate into the
These wells
fields and parks. system.
urban areas with limited space, percolation pits are a popular rainwater harvesting
Percolation pits - In and sand.
open spaces, such as parks and playgrounds, and are filled with layers of gravel
These pits are dug in
allowed to percolate into the ground.
Rainwater is collected in the pit and
the first state in India which has made rooftop rainwater harvesting structure
Interesting fact: Tamil Nadu is legal provisions to punish the defaulters.
houses across the state. There are
compulsory to all the
SYSTEM
BAMBO0 DRIP IRRIGATION
using bamboo
Meghalaya has a 200-year-old system of tapping stream and spring water
.
CoDE-xR5e
pipes. hundreds of metres.
bamboo pipe system transports about 18-20 litres of water over
The G-39

Geography Class X
 " At the site of the plant, the water reduces to 20-80 drops per minute.
" This system is still prevalent in
Meghalaya and is an effective way
to access water in the hilly terrain of
the state.
" For the past twocenturies, people in
Meghalaya have relied on bamboo
pipes to tap into stream and spring
water.
" The water is first carried in bamboo channels, which can stretch for
The channels are designed to move water hundreds of meter
them. efficiently, with up to 18-20 liters flowing through
" When the water reaches the plant site, it is
smaller channels. further distributed through bamboo pipes into
" The water flow can
be adjusted by moving the
position of the bamboo pipes.

In the
alongside image,
pipes are used to divert bamboo Reduced channel sections and ßi
springs on the hilltopsperennial
to the units are used at the last stage of
lower reaches by gravity. application. The last channel s
If the enables water to be dropped ne
pipes pass a road, roots
they are taken high of the plant.
the land. above
Activity
Collectinformation on how
Sample Answer: industries are polluting our water resources. (Page No. 28)
.
Chemicals and hazardous waste: Industries release a
bodies. This includes heavy large
aquatic life and human health. metals, acids, solvents, and otheramount of
chemicals and hazardous waste into
toxic chemicals
" Oil spills:
Industries that deal with oil and that can have effet
effect on aquatic life and the petroleum products can cause oil spils, long-term
. Thermal environment.
pollution: Industries that use water for which can have a devast
can cause arise in cooling
temperature and lead to the death purposeslifedischarge hot water into
of aquatic
.
Agricultural runoff: Industries that use large amounts of nearby water bodies, W
which can contaminate nearby water bodies. fertilisers and pesticides can cause agricultural ut
TEXTBOOK EXERCISES
Multiple Choice Questions
1, Based on the
information given below classify each of the
scarcity' or 'not suffering from water scarcity
(a) Region with high annual rainfal. situations as 'suffering from water
(b) Region having high annual rainfall and large
(c) Region having high annual rainfall but water population.
is
(d) Region having low rainfall and low population. highly polluted
Ans. (a) Not suffering from water scarcity CODE
G-40