india water case study
Post on 04-Jan-2016
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India … water issues and solutions
The holiest of rivers, Ganga
Water conservation Traditions…
Sacred groves – protected primary forest
Watersheds have flowing streams and Springs almost all through the year
Water conservation Traditions…Village ponds and tanks
Today >>>
Country background: India – rainfall and geographyIssues: Agriculture, Industrial/domesticSolutions: Watershed (water retention capacity) restoration
In India, more than 70% annual rainfall occurs within three months (July-Sep). Most of it flows out to the sea – FAO “Water at a glance”
Western Ghats hill range, India. Seasonal rainfall influences vegetation
Waterlogging in cities – high rainfall + choked drainage + low infiltration
Now, droughts in the world’s wettest place, Cherrapunjee, Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, India
J F M A M J J A S O N D0
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100
150
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Everglades
Cherrapunjee
mon
thly
rain
fall
(cm
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Causes:
Deforestation-- rainwater runs off-- soil washed off-- less soil to hold water-- soil compaction and hardening due to exposure to sun and wind
Climate change
Population increase-- cement industry using limestone
Dry season – by Jan and Feb – springs are drying up. People carry water up and down hills for long distances.
"There will be constant competition over water, between farming families and urban dwellers,
between environmental conservationists and industrialists,
between minorities living off natural resources and entrepreneurs seeking to commodify the resources base for commercial gain“
- UNICEF report on Indian water.
Water users in India
- Agriculture ( ~ 85%)- Industry - Domestic - Ecosystem (?)
Agriculture ~ 90% of water usage
Rainfed agriculture – vagaries of climate, climate change
Irrigated agriculture – groundwater depletion, salinization, soil micronutrient loss, large dams and their problems
Solutions
Water harvesting, soil regeneration, conservation, forest regeneration.Associated programs conserving crop genetic diversity
Move towards local sufficiency in all resources
60-70% of India’s agriculture is rainfed.
Western Ghats, Maharashtra, Western India
Pics from india train
Rice in Assam, northeastern India
Rainfed areas suffer from Droughts if rains are lateOr little
Manual irrigation – the age old way, bringing water from rivers via small Hand dug canals and water lifting structures
Diesel / electric pump based irrigation, huge increase from the late 1970s
Groundwater table from 1976 to 2008
Share of surface water and groundwater for agriculture
Politics and vote banks…resisting removal of free electricity, irrigation scams…
Transporting water in open canals for hundreds of kilometers – HIGH EVAPORATIVE LOSS – Salt content increases in irrigation water
Narmada Canal, bringing water from the diverted and damned Narmada river
Proposed Linkage of Rivers: contemplating a disaster for 3 decades
Purported Benefits:Irrigation in arid zonesWater supply for arid towns
CostsEcosystem disruption, flowAlterations, introductions ofExoticsSaline water, evaporative lossHuge capital costSedimentationHuman displacementSalinization of estuariesLoss of fish nurseriesSeawater intrusion
Now the good news !
Many NGOs working with village communities, with funds from the governmentPrograms, donor agencies and the communities themselves.
Approach:
1. Community organization – awareness of problems, potential solutions and pathways, Government programs for village employment and income generation,Empowerment of women, education (school as well as hygiene/sanitation)
2. Watershed restoration – ridges and valleyRidge area treatmentDrainage area treatmentEarthen/masonry damsOn-Farm interventions
3. Improved water sources for community
Watershed Restoration (contd.)Ridge Area Planting:
If slope > 25%Land use: Natural vegetation onlyAnd native species
Dig pits in dry season
Plant in wet seasonTake care for the next 2-3 dry seasons
Watershed Restoration (contd.)Ridge Area Treatment: pits, trenches, bunds
Watershed Restoration (contd.)Drainage Line Treatment
Watershed Restoration (contd.)Topographic survey of watershed for small masonry dam and reservoir siting
Watershed Restoration (contd.): Earth/Masonry Dams
Watershed Restoration (contd.): On-farm interventions
The reservoir at Gavandvadi, Maharashtra, ten years after…
Urban zones have their own challenges
Water supply – fixing leaks and pricing to inhibit pilferageSanitation and wastewater treatment – curbs pollutionKeeping drainage systems clean – reduces flooding and diseaseWater infrastructure management – prevents flash flooding
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