Geography Class 12: Water Conservation Efforts

Water Conservation Efforts

The need has arisen to conserve and effectively manage this precious life-giving resource for sustainable development due to the declining availability of freshwater and increasing demand. India has to take quick steps and make effective policies and laws and adopt effective measures for its conservation as water availability from sea/ocean is considered negligible due to the high cost of desalination.

• Attempts are to prevent pollution besides developing water-saving technologies and methods
• Watershed development, rainwater harvesting, water recycling, and reuse, and conjunctive water use are all necessary for sustainable water supply in the long run.

Recycle of Water

Freshwater availability can be improved by recycling and reusing.

• The use of lower-quality water, such as reclaimed wastewater, for cooling and firefighting, would be an attractive idea for industries looking to save money on water
• For example – In urban areas, water after bathing and washing utensils can be used for gardening in urban areas. This would reduce the water consumption of higher quality for drinking
• Recycling has a lot of potential for replenishing water.

Watershed Management

• The term “watershed management” refers to the effective management and conservation of surface and groundwater resources
• It includes preventing run-off and storing and recharging groundwater using various techniques such as percolation tanks and recharge wells

• Watershed management involves reasonable use of all-natural resources (land, water, plants, and animals) and the conservation, regeneration, and human resources present within a watershed

• Aims: Looking to achieve a balance between natural resources and society simultaneously
• Programmes for Watershed Development:
  • Haryali: It’s a Central Government-sponsored watershed development initiative that aims to help the rural population save water for drinking, irrigation, fisheries, and afforestation
  • Gram Panchayats are executing the initiative with people’s participation
• Neeru-Meeru (Water and You) programme (in Andhra Pradesh) and Arvary Pani Sansad (in Alwar, Rajasthan):
  • They have hired a team to build various water-harvesting structures such as percolation tanks, dug-out ponds (Johad), check dams, and so on.

The Salient Features of National Water Policy (2012)

• The importance of a national water framework law and comprehensive legislation for the optimal development of interstate rivers and river valleys is emphasized
• After meeting the immediate needs for safe drinking water and sanitation, achieving food security, assisting poor people who rely on agriculture for a living, and assigning a high priority allocation for minimum ecosystem needs, water should be treated as an economic good to encourage conservation and efficient use
• The river’s ecological requirements should be evaluated, looking at the fact that river flows are related to low or no flows, small floods (freshets), big floods, and flow variability, and should promote development needs
• To ensure effective water use, a mechanism to set standards for water uses for various purposes, such as water footprints and water auditing, should be developed to ensure effective water use. Project finance has been proposed as a means of incentivizing efficient and cost-effective water use
• It has been suggested that the Water Regulatory Authority be established. Recycling and reusing have been recommended as incentive schemes
• Water Users Associations should have the legal right to collect and keep a share of water charges, control the volumetric quantity of water allotted to them, and maintain the distribution system in their area.

Rainwater Harvesting

• Rainwater harvesting is a technique of collection and storing rainwater for a variety of purposes
• It is also helpful in recharging groundwater aquifers
• It is a low cost and eco-friendly technique of collecting every drop of water by guiding the rainwater to bore wells, pits, and wells through a series of pipelines
• In rural areas, rainwater collection is traditionally done by using surface storage bodies such as lakes, ponds, and irrigation tanks
• To store harvested rainwater, rainwater harvesting facilities called Kund or Tanka (a covered subterranean tank) are built near or in houses or villages in Rajasthan.

Significance of Rainwater Harvesting

• Rainwater collection enhances water availability, stabilizes the groundwater table, improves groundwater quality by dilution of impurities such as fluoride and nitrates, reduces soil erosion and flooding, and stops saltwater intrusion in coastal areas when used to recharge aquifers
• It also decreases the community dependence on groundwater for domestic use
• It can also save energy to pump out the groundwater, as  groundwater recharge leads to a rise in the groundwater table
• Rainwater collection can be especially beneficial in urban settings, where demand for water has already outstripped availability in most cities and towns.

Conclusion 

Water conservation has become an important aspect in today’s life. India has to take quick steps and make effective policies and laws and adopt effective measures for its conservation as water availability from sea/ocean is considered negligible due to the high cost of desalination. To ensure regular supply of water we must develop watersheds, and we have to practice rainwater harvesting, water recycling and reuse. Recycling is the best way to ensure the supply of fresh water. Recycling has a lot of potential for replenishing water. Watershed management involves the effective management and conservation of surface and groundwater resources. It involves reasonable use of all-natural resources (land, water, plants, and animals) and the conservation, regeneration, and human resources present within a watershed. It aims to achieve a balance between natural resources and society simultaneously. To ensure effective water use, a mechanism to set standards for water uses for various purposes under the National Water Policy, such as water footprints and water auditing, should be developed to ensure effective water use. Project finance has been proposed as a means of incentivizing efficient and cost-effective water use. Rainwater harvesting is a low cost and eco-friendly technique of collecting every drop of water by guiding the rainwater to bore wells, pits, and wells through a series of pipelines.