Water Resources In India

WATER RESOURCES IN INDIA

An Overview ByPraveen P

Resources OverviewGeneral StatsSurface waterRiversLakes and pondsGround waterAquifersWellsRainfall

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Surface WaterSurface water is available on the surface of the earth in the form of rivers, lakes, ponds, canals, etc. However, rivers comprise the most important source of surface water. India is blessed with a large number of major, medium and small size rivers.*

RiversAs many as 13 of them are classified as major rivers whose total catchment area is 252.8 million hectares (m. ha).This is about 83 per cent of the total area of all drainage basins.

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Major rivers

GangaIndusBrahmaputraNarmadaTapiGodavariKrishnaMahanadi*

GangaRiver Ganga is the longest river in India. The Ganges lies at a height of 13,800 feet in the mountain range of the Himalayas in the Tehri Garhwal near Gangotri. The river Ganges is considered as the holiest of all rivers in the Bhagawad Gita. No other river has been more mentioned in the Puranas as the Ganga. *

IndusTheIndus Riverflows fromTibet, intoJammu and Kashmirand the rest ofPakistan. The total length of the river is 3,180 km (1,980 mi). It is Pakistan's longest river.It was the birthplace of the earlyIndus Valley civilization.

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BrahmaputraTheBrahmaputra, also called Tsangpo in Tibet, is one of the mainriversinAsia. It has its origin in theHimalayasofTibet. It flows throughTibet,IndiaandBangladesh. It is 2,900km (1,800mi) long. The Brahmaputras source is theChemayungdung Glacier, which covers the slopes of the Himalayas.

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LakesLakes of India are not only significant geographically but also are major tourist attractions. As far as the lakes of India are concerned there are both natural and man made lakes to be found across the subcontinent. The location of the various lakes in India is an added attraction for the travellers. *

Lakes(cont.)It is difficult to trace the history of the natural lakes of India. But the manmade ones have a historical background since most of these were built by kings and emperors as reservoirs. The lakes of India are generally categorised as fresh water and brackish lakes. Amazingly enough these water bodies differ form one region to another. *

Ground WaterThe water that lies beneath the ground surface, filling the pore space between grains in bodies of sediment and classic sedimentary rock, and filling cracks and crevices in all types of rockSource of ground water is rain that falls to the ground a portion of which percolates down into the ground to become ground water.

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AquifersAn aquifers is a body of saturated rock or sediment through which water can move easily.Increased urbanisation across India has led to a severe depletion of aquifers near large cities.Currently groundwater supports about 60% of irrigated agriculture and more than 80% of rural and urban water supplies. *

Aquifers(cont.)Certainly the development of cities and paved areas means that there is more run off during the monsoon season and as such less water soaks into the ground to recharge aquifers.Using satellite data the National Geophysical Research Institute in Hyderabad has calculated that northern India is taking 54 trillion litres of water out of the ground every year.

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WellsAwater wellis an excavation or structure created in the ground by digging, driving, boring, or drilling to accessgroundwaterin undergroundaquifers. Wells can vary greatly in depth, water volume, and water quality. Well water typically contains more minerals in solution than surface water and may require treatment tosoften the water.

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RainfallAverage Annual Rainfall - 1170 mm

Maximum Average Annual Rainfall - 11000 mm(Cherrapunji)Minimum Average Annual Rainfall -100 mm(Western Rajasthan)

Spatial Variation of Rainfall

Temporal VariationAll India

Water Availability(In Billion cubic meter)

Total Precipitation: 4000 Total Water Availability: 1869 Total Utilizable Water : 1122Surface Water - 690 Ground Water - 432

CONSERVATION OF WATEREfficiency of utilization in all the diverse uses of water should be optimized and an awareness of water as a scarce resource should be fostered.

Conservation consciousness should be promoted through education, regulation, incentives and disincentives.

Conservation(cont.)The resources should be conserved and the availability augmented by maximizing retention, eliminating pollution and minimizing losses. For this, measures like lining in the conveyance system, modernization and rehabilitation of existing systems , recycling and re-use of treated effluents and techniques like drip and sprinkler may be promoted.

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