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Large growing population: This causes greater demand of water and unequal access of people to water resources. Greater demand means demand for food and rise in food grain production which needs more water.

Over-exploitation of water resources: To expand irrigated areas and dry season, farmers have their own wells and tube wells which may lead to falling groundwater levels.

Intensive industrialization: In industry for various purposes, water is heavily used. To run industries, power is required and 22% of it comes from hydro-electricity.

Urbanization: Large and dense population adds to water demand and scarcity. Most pump groundwater to meet their needs and water tables are falling consistently.

Lack of rainwater harvesting: It is not mandatory except in Tamil Nadu.

There are many ecological reasons for this, some of them are:

1. The building of dams requires a large amount of forest cover to be cut down.

2. As a dam require a large base and ground for the flow of water the people living around the area needs to be displaced.

3.The wildlife and aquatic life get affected

4. As the water behind the dam is still it allows growth of microorganisms which disturbs the ph of water.

(1) Water is essential for life and is needed in every sphere of life.

(2) To raise crops and earn money, farmers depend on groundwater resources.

(3) With the increase in development activities, new industries are being set up. Industries are the biggest consumers of water resources.

(4) Due to increasing urbanization process, new colonies and buildings are developed. They consume huge amount of water.

(5) Also, farmers and people in general, use their own wells and tube wells for irrigation and domestic purposes.

(1) Dams have been proclaimed as ‘temples of modern India’ because they integrate development of agriculture and the village economy with rapid industrialization and grow of urban economy.

(2) Advantages of dam: 

(i) Irrigation, 

(ii) Electricity generation,

(iii) Water supply for domestic and industrial uses, 

(iv) Flood control,

(v) Recreation, 

(vi) Inland navigation,

(vii) Fish-breeding.

Maithon Dam on Barakar River, Tilaiya Dam on Bal Pahari, Bokaro Dam on Bokaro River, Konar Dam on Konar River, Aghar Dam’on Damodar River, Ath Dam on Bal Pahari and Durgapur Check Dam.

Generation of hydel power.

Irrigation.

The Bhakra Nangal Dam is located across the river Satluj, near the border between Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.

Hirakud dam is constructed across the Mahanadi River, which is about 15 kilometre from Sambalpur in the state of Orissa in India. It is the multipurpose project in the Mahanadi basin which integrates conservation of water with the flood.

In the year 2006, the floods that occurred in Maharashtra and Gujarat were due to the aggravation of floods by the opening of gates of dams.

The major cause of this was the sedimentation in the reservoir.

Short-term measure to avoid this could be better management of dams, issuing a warning to the people regarding heavy rains, making arrangements for them for minimising human damage, etc.

Long-term measures include - adapting the rain water harvesting systems both in urban areas and villages.

1) Using the roof top system rain water can be used in a proper way and floods can be prevented.

2) Underground water tanks if made in every house, will help in storing water in the case of heavy rainfall.

Rainwater that flows or gets collected on the land surface in the form of rivers, streams, lakes, etc. is called surface water.

A multipurpose project is a river valley project which provide many benefits simultaneously, like electricity generation, flood control, navigation, fishing, irrigation, etc.

A dam is a barrier across the flowing rivers to make a reservoir.

Sharing cost of the projects.

Sharing of benefits.

Narmada Bachao Campaign.

Tehri Dam Campaign.

Dams have the following adverse effects: 

(i) Inter-state water dispute

(ii) Excessive sedimentation of resources.

(iii) One of the causes of earthquakes.

A dam is a barrier across the flowing stream that obstructs, directs or disrupts the flow of the river, often creating a reservoir, lake or impoundment. A ‘dam’ means a reservoir rather than the structure.

Dams are classified according to :

(i) Based on the structure and the materials used, dams are classified as :

(a) Timber dams. 

(b) Embankment dams. 

(c) Masonry dams.

(ii) According to height, dams can be categorized as :

(a) Large dams. 

(b) Major dams. 

(c) Low dams. 

(d) Medium height dams. 

(e) High dams.

A technique of storing rainwater in pits or on the rooftops is called Rainwater Harvesting.

(i) Many times, big dams have been unsuccessful in controlling floods due to sedimentation and excessive rainfall.

(ii) In 2006, Maharashtra and Gujarat got hit badly by the floods due to heavy rains and also water was released from the dams. These floods resulted in extensive soil erosion as well as devastated the life and property of the people. Land got degraded further due to siltation. Thus the multipurpose project aggrevated the pollution, water-borne diseases and induced earthquakes.

Irrigation has changed the cropping pattern of many regions, with farmers shifting to water intensive and commercial crops. This has great ecological consequences such as increase in salinity. At the same time, it has transformed the social landscape, i.e. increasing the social gap between the rich landowners and the landless poor.

(i) Bhakra Nangal Dam – Water power and irrigation.

(ii) Hirakud project – Storage of water and flood control.

Punjab and Haryana.

(i) For cooling the machines.

(ii) To generate power.

Hydraulic structures like dams, reservoirs, lakes and canals.

1. It is the method of capturing and storing rainwater, for various uses. 

2. Refilled the groundwater wells 

3. It improves water quality 

4. Reduces the waterpollution 

5. Dilution of salts takes placein the water 

6. Rainwater harvesting is practiced in different areas by different tribes 

7. Harvesting through service wells, recharge wells kund or tanka 

8. It increases ground water level

Water gets polluted when people dump industrial waste, chemical waste, pesticides and fertilizers used in agriculture into the river or oceans.

Kund or Tank.

Agriculture.

Because of variability in rainfall in the country.

Ganga and Yamuna.

Central govt of India.

Intensive industrilisation and urbanization have caused great pressure on the existing freshwater resources in the following ways :

(i) Water is used in industries in many ways. It is used as a coolant for machines.

(ii) Water is required to generate hydroelectricity, to run industries as well as homes.

(iii) As a result of the rapid increase in population and urbanization, the per capita consumption of water has also increased. Water is therefore, critically short of supply.

There is a necessity to conserve water resources on account of the following reasons :

(i) To ensure food security

(ii) For the continuation of our livelihoods and productive activities.

(iii) To safeguard ourselves from health-related hazards.

(iv) To prevent the degradation of our natural ecosystems.

(v) Over exploitation and mismanagement of water resources will impoverish this resource and cause ecological crisis that may have profound impact on our lives. Thus, we must conserve water.

There is a necessity to conserve water resources on account of the following reasons :

(i) To ensure food security

(ii) For the continuation of our livelihoods and productive activities.

(iii) To safeguard ourselves from health-related hazards.

(iv) To prevent the degradation of our natural ecosystems.

(v) Over exploitation and mismanagement of water resources will impoverish this resource and cause ecological crisis that may have profound impact on our lives. Thus, we must conserve water.

India ranks 133^rd in the world in terms of water availability per person per annum. The reason for the low availability of water per person per annum is that India receives nearly 4% of global precipitation which is very less for the dense population in India. Also, the total estimated renewable water resources in India is 1,897 square km per annum.

The fresh water obtained from the surface runoff and groundwater is continually renewed through the hydrological cycle for usage. Hydrological cycle ensures that water is a renewable source.

Use of water and power

The immense increase in industrial areas which include MNCs require more fresh water for use and consume more power. The power supplied to the industries is from hydroelectric plants. 22% of the total electricity is taken from the hydroelectric plants.

70%

96.5% of the total volume of the earth consists of water out of which 2.5% is fresh water. Out of the 2.5% of the total freshwater present on the earth, 70% of the fresh water is present in glaciers and ice sheets in Antarctica, Greenland and mountainous regions. Less than 30% is stored as groundwater.

96.5% percentage of the total volume of world's water is estimated to exist as oceans.

(D) Jharkhand & West Bengal

Jawaharlal Nehru

In India after independence, industries are increasing in a rapid Pace and have become a reason for pressure on existing fresh water resources. Fresh water is almost limited,though renewable in India, but over exploitation and mismanagement of this resource by industries are aggravating the water stress day-by-day.

Industries especially heavy industries use huge amount of freshwater for industrial purpose and pollute such water.

These industries for their energy consumption purpose depend on hydroelectric projects and this electricity is generated through damming the rivers upstream.

So the river almost dries in the lower stream areas.These Industries also contaminate the ground water through seepage of industrial wastes. Hence, the increasing number industries exert pressure on existing fresh water resources.

(i) Krishna-Godavari water dispute between Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.  

(ii) Kaveri water dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka  

(iii) Krishna water dispute between Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh  

(iv) SYL between Punjab and Haryana.  

(v) Indus water dispute between India and Pakistan

Konya Dam is constructed on river Krishna.

Uttarakhand.

Normally, water pollution is caused through the discharge of domestic and industrial wastes into water that affects water quality. The industrial wastes, chemicals, pesticides and fertilizers used in agriculture make it more hazardous for human use. These uses have affected the quality and quantity of water in the following ways :  

(i) Our villages particularly suffer on account of the quality of water available for domestic use. About half of our village are yet to be provided with safe drinking water.  

(ii) Most of India’s rivers, especially the tributaries of the main river have become sinks of domestic and industrial wastes. The Supreme Court, in a recent judgement, described river Yamuna as the ‘City’s Drain’.

(iii) Today, most rivers are health hazards, threatening the health and livelihoods of many people.  

(iv) Water contamination and deteriorating water quality have caused degradation of our natural ecosystems.  

(v) Over-exploitation and mismanagement of water have impoverished our resource base and caused ecological crises.