MASS AWARENESS PROGRAMMES

WATER RESOURCES AVAILABILITY

• Water is the most widely distributed substance on our planet albeit in different amounts.
• It sustains the environment and human life.
• Out of the total water resources available in the world, 97.5% is saline water and only 2.5% is fresh water, which is important for the existence of human life. 
• Greater portion of this fresh water (68.7%) is in the form of ice and permanent snow cover in the Antarctica, Arctic and mountainous regions, 29.9% exists as fresh ground water and only 0.26% of the total amount of fresh water is concentrated in lakes, reservoirs and river systems.

GROUND WATER USE

• Ground water is one of the most precious natural resources. 

• It has played a significant role in upgrading and maintaining India's economy and standard of living. 

• Besides being the primary source of water supply for domestic and many industrial uses, it is the single largest sustainable source of irrigation water. 

• About 90% of water supplies for domestic use in rural areas, 50% of water for use in urban and industrial areas and 50% irrigation water requirements are being met from ground water. 

• Tamil Nadu contribution of ground water for irrigation is 45%.

GROUND WATER - THE TAMIL NADU SCENARIO

• Rainfall is the chief source for recharge of ground water. The rainwater which falls on the earth percolates downwards through weathered mantle or fissured rocks and accumulates as ground water.

• In Tamil Nadu, hard rock formations occupy 73% of the total geographical area and the remaining area is occupied by sedimentary rocks. Ground water is extracted from these rocks by means of dug/tube/bore wells.

• With rapid growth in population in the State, demand for water for various uses has increased manifold, which has increased the stress on ground water resources.

• (In a number of areas in the State) Situations of over-check of ground water exist and the extraction exceeds annual recharge.

• The over-extraction of ground water leads to declining ground water levels thereby rendering existing wells out of use and necessitating deepening of existing wells which leads to increased pumping costs and lifts.

• In parts of Coimbatore, Salem and Namakkal districts, ground water levels have gone down to 40 metres below ground level due to over-extraction. In coastal areas of Minjur, north of Chennai, over-extraction has caused landward movement of seawater -fresh water interface.

• In urban areas, due to rapid growth of urbanisation and consequent shrinkage in open land, natural recharge to ground water has reduced considerably.

• Haphazard disposal of untreated industrial wastes leads to seepage of these wastes underground resulting in ground water pollution.

• Discharge from Vaniyambadi industrial area into Palar river, which has no perennial surface flow, has caused ground water pollution over a long stretch of the river.

• Instances of ground water pollution have also been reported from Ambattur, Madhavaram and Manali in and around Chennai as well as Cuddalore and Pondicherry regions.

• In Kankeyam, Tharapuram and Vellakoil of Erode district, Tiruppur in Coimbatore district and Karur in Karur district, effluents from dyeing industries have resulted in the deterioration of ground water quality.

NEED FOR CONSERVATION AND AUGMENTATION OF GROUND WATER AND ITS PROTECTION FROM POLLUTION

• Planning of ground water development in hard rock areas, as in Tamil Nadu, has it's own multiple ramifications. Hence, judicious use of ground water is called for in the state.

• In view of the increasing demand for water and the dwindling availability of fresh ground water resources, it has become imperative to take urgent measures to conserve every drop of water that goes waste.

• To arrest or even reverse the declining trends of ground water levels, it is essential to take necessary measures to augment ground water storage by adopting suitable artificial recharge methods.

• The surplus runoff generated during monsoons, which flows into the rivers and ultimately to the sea, needs to be harvested and recharged underground to augment ground water storage.

• In coastal areas, where problem of seawater ingress has occurred, ground water recharge measures need to be implemented to push back the seawater-fresh water interface.

Consumption of Polluted water leads to the following health hazards.

• Use of polluted water for irrigation may affect the growth of crops in many cases.
• Over-application of some fertilisers and insecticides/pesticides may lead to ground water pollution.
• Process of ground water pollution is irreversible in most cases.

Therefore, it is very essential to protect ground water from pollution.

ECONOMISING WATER USE FOR IRRIGATION

In view of the reduced availability of fresh water resources it is essential that efforts are made by every individual to economise ground water use. Some of the ways for economising water use for irrigation are listed below.

• Preventing seepage losses.

• Adopting modern irrigation practices like drip and sprinkler irrigation.

• Use of proper frequency, timing and depth of irrigation. Soil moisture conservation by mulching.

• Use of water-efficient cultural practices.

• Community participation to improve efficiency in water use.

CENTRAL GROUND WATER AUTHORITY

• The Central Ground Water Authority has been constituted under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 for the purpose of development and management of ground water, to regulate indiscriminate boring and to protect and preserve it in the country. 

• The Authority was constituted on 14th January, 1997.

• The mandate of the Authority is to identify critical areas facing problem of ground water depletion, pollution, sea water ingress etc., notify them and take all necessary measures including regulation of ground water withdrawal and promoting, conservation, augmentation and protection of ground water resources to improve the ground water situation in those areas.

• The Authority conducts Mass Awareness Programmes to educate the users about the existing and anticipated development and management problems in ground water and ways and means to tackle/avoid those problems.

• With a view to regulate ground water withdrawals and evaluate the present draft in Delhi, Faridabad and Ballabhagarh in Haryana, Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh, Ludihana in Pubjab and Union Territory of Diu, the Authority has taken up registration of existing ground water abstraction structures.

1. WHAT IS ROOFTOP RAINWATER HARVESTING?

In rooftop rainwater harvesting, the rainwater is collected from the roofs of buildings and stored in ground water reservoirs for beneficial use in future.

2. WHY IT IS REQUIRED?

• To meet the ever-increasing demand for water in urban areas.

• To reduce the runoff, which is choking the storm drains.

• To avoid the flooding of roads.

• To augment the ground water storage and control the decline of water levels.

• To reduce the ground water pollution.

• To improve the quality of ground water.

• To reduce the soil erosion.

3. WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES?

• This is an ideal solution for water problems where there is inadequate ground water supply or surface resources are either lacking or insignificant.

• To utilise the rainfall runoff, which is going into sewers or storm drains.

• Rainwater is bacteriologically pure, free from organic matter and soft in nature.
• It will help reducing flood hazard.
• To improve the quality of existing ground water through dilution.
• To remove bacteriological and other impurities from sewage and waste water so that the water is suitable for re-use.
• Rainwater may be harnessed at places of need and may be utilised at times of need.
• The structures required for harvesting the rainwater are simple, economical and eco-friendly.

4. HOW TO DO IT?

	Abandoned dug well
	Abandoned/running hand pump
	Recharge pit
	Recharge trench
	Gravity head recharge well
	Recharge shaft