Water Resources Test - 3

If you look into the housing societies or colonies in the cities, you would find that most of these have their own groundwater pumping devices to meet their water needs.

In the first century B.C., Sringaverapura near Allahabad had sophisticated water harvesting system channelling the flood water of the river Ganga.

96.5 per cent of the total volume of world’s water is estimated to exist as oceans which are not useful for the people for the industrial and domestic use.

India’s rivers, especially the smaller ones, have all turned into toxic streams. And even the big ones like the Ganga and Yamuna are far from being pure.

While a little less than 30 percent is stored as groundwater in the world’s aquifers.

India receives nearly 4 per cent of the global precipitation and ranks 133 in the world in terms of water availability per person per annum.

Archaeological and historical records show that from ancient times we have been constructing sophisticated hydraulic structures like dams built of stone rubble, reservoirs or lakes, embankments and canals for irrigation.

96.5 per cent of the total volume of world’s water is estimated to exist as oceans and only 2.5 per cent as freshwater.

A large population means more water not only for domestic use but also to produce more food. Hence, to facilitate higher food-grain production, water resources are being over-exploited to expand irrigated areas and dry-season agriculture.

Tamil Nadu has the highest groundwater utilization (in percent) of its total groundwater potential. As per the Central Ground Water Board, India is the largest user of groundwater in the world.