WATER CONSERVATION AT

DIFFERENT LEVELS
You have already learnt how important water is for
survival of all living beings. You have also learnt that
usable water is becoming scarce. In this lesson you
will learn some important methods of conserving
water and the role of individuals, community and
government in conservation of water.

OBJECTIVES-:
• discuss the various methods to overcome water
scarcity (concept of water use efficiency may be
included.
• explain water shed management;
• cite examples of individual actions towards
preventing water scarcity (case study).
• discuss community action required for protecting
fresh water resources.
• enlist and explain government action (existing and
required) for conservation of fresh water.
• describe the role of an individuals for conservation
of water.
DIFFERENT METHODS OF WATER
CONSERVATION
Conservation and management-:
India is a developing country with a vast territory, complex
topography, varied climate and
a large population. The precipitation and runoff in the
country is not only unevenly distributed,
but also uneven with regard to time of distribution of water
during the year. Frequent floods, drought and unstable
agricultural production have always been a serious
problem.
According to Indian Meteorological Department (IMD),
there are only 40 rainy days in India, and hence a long dry
period. India, being an agricultural country, its economic
development is linked with agriculture. The major limiting
factor for agriculture is water. A growing population and
consequent need for increase in food production requiring
increasingbarea of agricultural fields and irrigation are
resulting in over use of water. Due to overexploitation of
water resources, it has become scarce in many parts of
our country.Needless to say, water conservation is of great
importance to the economic,social and cultural
development in India.
Conservation techniques-:
Primary source of water in India is south-west and
north-east monsoons. Monsoon,
however, is erratic and as you have already studied the
duration and the amount of rain fall is highly variable in
different parts of our country. Hence, surface runoff needs
be conserved.
The techniques for conservation of surface water are:
(a) Conservation by surface water
storage
Storage of water by construction of various water
reservoirs have been one of the oldest measures of water
conservation. The scope of storage varies from region to
region depending on water availability and topographic
condition. The environmental impact of such storage also
needs to be examined for developing environment friendly
strategies.
(b) Conservation of rain water-:
Rain water has been conserved and used for agriculture in
several parts of our country since ancient times. The
infrequent rain if harvested over a large area can yield
considerable amount of water. Contour farming is an
example of such harvesting technique involving
water and moisture control at a very simple level. It often
consists of rows of rocks placed along the contour of
steps. Runoff captured by these barriers also allows for
retention of soil, thereby serving as erosion control
measure on gentle slopes. This technique is especially
suitable for areas having rainfall of considerable intensity,
spread over large part i.e. in Himalayan area, north east
states and Andaman and Nicobar islands.
In areas where rainfall is scanty and for a short duration, it
is worth attempting these techniques, which will induce
surface runoff, which can then be stored.
(c) Ground water conservation-:
Attributes of groundwater
• There is more groundwater than surface water.
• Groundwater is less expensive and economic resource
and available almost everywhere.
• Groundwater is sustainable and reliable source of water
supply.
• Groundwater is relatively less vulnerable to pollution.
• Groundwater is a free of pathogenic organisms.
• Groundwater needs little treatment before use.
• There is no conveyance losses in underground based
water supplies.
• Groundwater has low vulnerability to drought.
• Groundwater is the key to life in arid and semi arid
regions.
• Groundwater is source of dry weather flow in some rivers
and streams.
Conservation of water in domestic use
There is a large scope of conserving water at house hold
level. A general awareness among the people about the
importance of water and its availability, and need for
conservation can help in minimizing wastage to a large
extent. Losses during water supply also need to be
prevented by reducing the leakages.
Some of the ways for improving the efficiency of water use
at household level are:
• Reduce wastage-leaking pipes mean that lot of water
never reaches to the people. In Delhi estimated losses are
35-40 %.
• Closing of taps while not in use.
• Better irrigation techniques – irrigation systems waste up
to 70% water used. In drip irrigation water loss is
significantly less.
• Use low flush toilets-reducing the amount of water used
each time the lavatory is flushed.
• Build latrines and compact toilets which can turn human
waste into clean, useful manure-
this is much cheaper than connecting toilet to a piped
sewage line.
• Use bowls to wash vegetables, dishes instead of running
tap.
• Greater use of recycled water ‘grey water’ in the home.
Instead of using potable or
treated water use bath and shower water for watering the
plants.
• Use washing machine or dish washer when it is fully
loaded.
Reduce the loss of water-:
There are numerous methods to reduce losses due to
evaporation and to improve soil
moisture. Some of them are listed below:
• Mulching i.e. the application of organic or inorganic
materials such as plant debris,
compost, etc., slows down the surface run-off, improves
soil moisture, reduces evaporation losses and improves
soil fertility.
• Soil covered by crops, slow down run-off and minimize
evaporation losses, hence,fields should not be left bare for
long periods of time.
• Ploughing helps to move the soil around. As a
consequence it retains more water thereby reducing
evaporation.
• Shelter belt of trees and bushes along the edge of
agricultural fields slow down the wind speed and reduce
evaporation and erosion.
• Planting of trees, grass, and bushes breaks the force of
rain and helps rainwater penetrate the soil.
• Fog and dew contain substantial amounts of water that
can be used directly by adapted
plant species. Artificial surfaces such as netting-surface
traps or polythene sheets can be exposed to fog and dew;
the resulting water can be used for crops.
• Contour farming is adopted in hilly areas and in lowland
areas for paddy fields. Farmers recognize the efficiently of
contour based systems for conserving soil and water.
• Salt-resistant varieties of crops have been also
developed recently. Because these grow in saline areas,
overall agricultural productivity is increased without
makingbadditional demands on fresh water sources. Thus,
this is a good water conservation strategy.
• Desalination technologies such as distillation,
electro-dialysis and reverse osmosis are
available.

Reuse of wastewater-:
Wastewater contains lots of nutrients. Its use for irrigation
saves these nutrients. It improves the productivity of crops
and soil fertility. General utilization of wastewater through
reuse and recycling improves water use efficiency. In fact,
wastewater is a resource rather than a waste since it
contains appreciable amount of nitrogen, phosphorus and
potash.Stabilization ponds can be used for fish
aquaculture. The effluent can also be used for cultivation
of short-term and long term, ornamental, commercial and
fodder crops.
Benefits of reuse
Practical experience has shown that wastewater reuse not
only reduces the demand for
fresh water but also can improve environmental quality;
reuse of treated wastewater has
the following benefits:
• Make up for the shortage of water supply (reduces
demand on good quality water)
• Reduces the wastewater discharge thus reducing water
pollution.
• Results in cost reduction.
The potential applications of reusing of treated wastewater
are in the following fields or areas.
• Agricultural use through irrigation of crops as well as for
improving river amenity;
• Industrial cooling especially in large industrial
enterprises;
• Reuse in municipal public areas such as watering lawns,
parks, play grounds and
trees;
• Flushing toilets in hotels and residential districts;
• Reuse of the treated wastewater for urban landscape
purposes.
• Treated waste water can also be used for groundwater
recharging.
Untreated water: Water or grey water can also be reused
for various purposes.
Grey water is defined as untreated household wastewater,
which has not come
into contact with toilet waste. It can originate from the
shower, bath, bathroom, washing basin, clothes washing
machine and laundry trough.In our country nearly half of
the wastewater is used for irrigation. Many municipalities
sell their wastewater to the farmers. Many industries are
buying the wastewater and using it.

WATERSHED MANAGEMENT
Watershed is an area that contribute water to a stream or
a water body through run-off or underground path. That is
the region from which surface water draws into a river, a
lake,wet land or other body of water is called its watershed
or drainage basin. Watershed management is a technique
for conservation of water and soil in a watershed. The
presence of water in soil is essential for the growth of
plants and vegetation. Forests and their associated soils
and litter layers are excellent filters as well as sponges,
and water that passes through this system is relatively
pure. Various kinds of forest disturbances can speed up
the movement of water from the system and in effect,
reduce the filtering action.In mountainous terrain the
forests play a prominent role in prevention of soil erosion.
Erosion threat can be tackled by the maintenance of
continual cover. Ideally, this is achieved
by single stem harvesting; only one tree is felled at any
one point, and the small gap so created is soon sealed by
the outward growth of its neighbours.Despite the uncertain
balance of water gain and loss, forests offer the most
desirable cover for water management strategies. In
constrast to the rapid flows of short duration
characteristics of sparsely vegetated land water yields are
gradual, reliable and uniform in forests. Deforested land
sheds water swiftly, causing sudden rises in the rivers
below.Over a large river system, such as that of the
Ganga and the Yamuna, forests are a definite advantage
since they lesson the risk of floods. They also provide
conditions more favourable to fishing and navigation than
does un-forested land. All natural streams contain varying
amounts of dissolved and suspended matter, although
streams contain varying amounts of dissolved and
suspended matter, although streams issuing from
undisturbed watershed are ordinarily of high quality.
Waters from forested areas are not only low in foreign
substances,but they also are relatively high in oxygen and
low in unwanted chemicals.The belief that forests increase
rainfall has not been substantiated by scientific inquiry.
Local effects can, however, prove substantial, particularly
in semiarid regions where every millimeter of rain counts.
The air above a forest, as contrasted with grassland,
remains
relatively cool and humid on hot days, so that showers are
more frequent. Many areas in India used to get significant
rainfall when they were forested are now facing severe
draught due to denudation (example Rajasthan desert).

ROLE OF INDIVIDUAL AND COMMUNITY

IN OVERCOMING WATER SCARCITY

There are many examples of individual and community

efforts on water conservation in our country. Some
important examples are given below: Year after year,
every summer, both the rural and urban areas of
Saurastra and Kutch reel under water shortages. In the
coastal areas the problem is further compounded by
salinity ingress into ground water aquifers. The
government machinery responds to the situation by
providing water trucks and trains. While a large number of
people continue to depend on the rain Gods or the
government water tankers, in some areas people have
begun to take the matter in their own hands.

Case Studies
(i) In Gandhigram, a coastal village in Kutch distrirct, the
villagers had been facing a drinking water crisis for the
past 10 to 12 years. The groundwater table had
fallen below the sea level due to over extraction and the
seawater had seeped into the ground water aquifers. The
villagers formed a village development group,Gram Vikas
Mandal. The Mandal took a loan from the bank and the
villagers contributed voluntary labor (Shramdan). A check
dam was built on a nearby seasonal river, which flowed
past the village. Apart from the dam, the villagers also
undertook a micro-watershed project, due to these water
retention structures,the villagers now have sufficient
drinking water, and 400 ha of land, which earlier lay
barren, has come under irrigation.Similar examples of
people’s initiative in organizing rainwater harvesting can
also be seen in the two villages of Khopala and Jhunka in
Bhavnagar district of Saurastra.

(ii) A noteworthy example of students’s participation in

such an endeavor took place in 1955-98 at Bhavnagar
University under the guidance of the, then Vice Chancellor
of the university Prof. Vidyut Joshi. The coastal city of
Bhavnagar was facing a severe drinking water shortage.
Prof. Joshi initiated the digging of a percolation tank in the
university premises. About 650 students, 245 teachers
and other employees of the university worked as voluntary
labour. During the following monsoon, all the bore wells in
university as well as those in the adjoining areas were
recharged.
The success stories have proved that management of
water resources by the end users themselves can lead to
sustainable benefits. Such community based systems
of resource management are not new to society. They
have been practiced by many traditional communities all
over the world, but are gradually being replaced by
‘modern’ centralized systems of resource management.

Artificial recharge to groundwater

Artificial recharge to ground water is a process by which
the ground water reservoir is augmented at a rate
exceeding normal rate of seepage and replenishment. Any
man-made scheme or facility that enhances seepage
water to an aquifer may be called to be an
artificial recharge system.Ground water exploitation is
inevitable is urban areas. But the groundwater potential is
getting reduced due to certain adverse effects of
urbanization. These are:
• increase in water demand.
• more dependence on ground water use.
• over exploitation of groundwater.
• increase in run-off, decline in well yields and fall in water
levels.
• reduction in open soil surface area.
• reduction in infiltration and deterioration in water quality.
Hence, a strategy to implement the ground water
recharge, in a major way needs to be launched with
concerted efforts by various governmental and
non-governmental agencies and public at large to build up
the water table and make the ground water resource, a
reliable and sustainable source for supplementing water
supply needs of the urban dwellers. Recharge of
groundwater through storm run off and rooftop water
collection, diversion and collection of runoff into dry tanks,
play grounds, parks and other vacant places are to
be implemented by town panchayats/municipaliites/
municipal corporations and other government
establishments.
The town panchayats/ municipalities/ municipal
corporations offer help to the citizens and builders for
adopting suitable recharge method in one’s own house or
building through demonstration and offering subsidies for
materials and incentives.
Methods of artificial recharge in urban areas:
• Water spreading.
• Recharge through pits, trenches, wells, shafts.
• Rooftop collection of rainwater.
• Roadtop collection of rainwater.
• Induced recharge from surface water bodies.
Benefits of artificial recharge in urban
areas-:
• Improvement in filtration and reduction in run-off.
• Improvement in groundwater levels and yields.
• Reduces strain on town panchayats/municipal/ municipal
corporation water supply.
• Improvement in groundwater quality.
• Estimated quantity of additional recharge from 100 sq. m.
roof top area is 55.000 litres.

Government’s efforts on water

conservation
On water conservation following main efforts can be noted.
• National Water Policy 2002 strongly emphasize
conservation of water.
• Efforts to retain rain water on land through various
schemes.
• Construction of large number of dams on various river
systems.
• Interlinking of rivers (proposed).
• Promotion of bunds at village level.
• Promotion of rain water harvesting.
• Promotion of reuse and recycling of wastewater.
• Steps to protect water quality.
• Drought-proofing the future.
Temporary cutbacks or permanent operating adjustments
can help conserve water.
Permanent conservation measures may include:
• Subsidizing use of water-efficient faucets, toilets and
showerheads
• Public education and voluntary use reduction.
• Billing practices that impose higher rates for higher
amounts of water use
• Building codes that require water-efficient fixtures or
appliances
• Leak detection surveys and meter testing, repair and
replacement
• Reduction in use and increase in recycling of industrial
water
Temporary cutbacks may include:
• Reduction of system-wide operating pressure
• Water use bans, restrictions, and rationing

Traditional solutions revisited

Indian communities have long been aware of the
dependence of their lives on the natural resources around
them, when unscrupulous traders were felling trees, local
people, under the leadership of environmentalist Sunderlal
Bahuguna, spearheaded the Chipko movement which
involved local people physically embracing trees to
prevent loggers from cutting them.
India has a rich legacy of water harvesting technologies
and these methods, combined with modern science, could
lead to permanent solution to this problem. Rainwater
harvesting,simply put, is putting water back into soil where
it is stored in underground rivers and reservoirs so that it
can be drawn when needed. In cities, rain water
harvesting is merely collecting rainwater in large tanks
constructed on roof tops to be used when required.
Revival of traditional rain harvesting systems, have
transformed some of the areas from places of economic
backwardness to areas of abundance. They are also
highly sustainable.
Economic growth and urbanization will go hand-in-hand
with environmental crises. We must rejuvenate our
traditional knowledge and tap the traditional systems of
resource management to suit our present day needs. The
basic simple wisdom is underlined by the continued
success of traditional methods of managing earth’s
resources in India as well as in other parts of the world.
Modern communities the world over should, therefore, be
encouraged to look at time tested traditional methods of
resource management.
There are many ways to conserve water that result in
significant reduction wastage of water. For example,
residential water consumption can be reduced by using
water efficient fixtures (faucets, toilets and showerheads)
and appliances and through better managed lawn
watering.

Some simple water saving methods are

as follows:
The most important step in the direction of finding
solutions to issues of water and environmental
conservation is to change people’s attitudes and habits
this includes each one of us. Conserve water because it is
right thing to do. we can follow some of the simple things
listed below for water conservation:
• Use only the amount you actually need.
• See that there are no leaks in the toilet tank. You can
check this by adding colour to the tank. If there is a leak,
colour will appear in the toilet bowl within 30 minutes.
(Flush as soon as the test is done, since food colouring
may stain the tank).
• Do not leave the tap running while you are brushing your
teeth or soaping you is your face.
• Avoid flushing the toilet unnecessarily.
• Put a brick or any other device that occupies space to cut
down on the amount of water needed for each flush.
• When washing the car, use water from a bucket and not
a hosepipe.
• Do not throw away water that has been used for washing
vegetables, rice or dals use
it to water plants or to clean the floors, etc.
• Make sure that your home is leak –free. Many homes
have leaking pipes that go unnoticed.
• Encourage your family to keep looking for new ways to
conserve water in and around your home.
• Try to do one thing each day that will result in saving
water. Don’t worry if the savings are minimal every drop
counts’! You can make a difference.
• Form a group of water conscious people and encourage
your friends and neighbours to be part of this group.
Promote water conservation in community newsletters and
on bulletin boards. Encourage yours friends, neighbours
and co-workers to also contribute.
• You can store water in a variety of ways. a simple
method is to place a drum on a raised platform directly
under the rainwater collection source.
Keep a water bottle filled with water in a cistern tank for
reducing the amount of flushing water by one litre. Only
1.5 litres of water 7 litres flushing required for water is
solid waste,however, the existing cistern tank size is 12
litres. Simple strainer in the wash basin tap will
reduce the outflow of water by 50% just as practiced by air
crafts. Using a mug instead of running water for shaving
saves 17.5 litres per shave.