UNIT 1

INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

 Water Resources
Importance of Water

•Water is the basic component of every

living cell.
•It is the basic input required for
agriculture.
•Hydro power can be used for generating
hydroelectricity.
•It provides habitat to aquatic flora and
fauna.
•Common salt can be obtained from water.
 Sources of Water
Ground Water

Water that is hidden underground in spaces between soil and rock particles.
This ground water is the source of water for wells, springs, and even to rivers.
Rainwater seeps into the ground, some are clings to particle or to the plant root
This moisture is provided to the plants for their growth. Most water moves
deeper into ground. Most usable water is at depth of 750 m.

Surface Water

After precipitation, the amount of water that does not percolate down into
the ground or does not return to the atmosphere by evaporation or
transpiration and enters the rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, wetland, or
artificial reservoirs constitutes surface water.

Ground water is purer than surface water, the chance

of pollution is less in ground water.
 Water Cycle

Water never leaves the Earth. It is constantly being cycled through the
atmosphere, ocean, and land
 Effects of Over-utilization of Ground Water

•Reduced flow of surface water

•Lowering of water table

( in some places upto 40 m.)
•Water logging
(saturation of the soil by groundwater)

•Subsidence
(To sink to a lower or normal level)

•Degradation of water quality

•Increased salt content

•Increased power costs

5. Which one of the following is not the cause of water scarcity?
(a) Rapid growth of population
(b) Uneven distribution of water resources
(c) Construction of dams and reserves
(d) Increase in demand

6. Which state has made roof top rainwater harvesting structure compulsory to all the
houses across the state?
(a) Kerala
(b) Karnataka
(c) Tamil Nadu
(d) Andhra Pradesh
5. Which one of the following is not the cause of water scarcity?
(a) Rapid growth of population
(b) Uneven distribution of water resources
(c) Construction of dams and reserves
(d) Increase in demand

6. Which state has made roof top rainwater harvesting structure compulsory to all the
houses across the state?
(a) Kerala
(b) Karnataka
(c) Tamil Nadu
(d) Andhra Pradesh
7. Which one of the following is not the example of Hydraulic structures in Ancient India?
(a) Bhopal Lake
(b) Lake Hauz Kauz
(c) Construction of dams, Lakes
(d) Damodar Valley Project

8. Oceans contain _____________ volume of water.

(a) 90 per cent
(b) 75 per cent
(c) 96.5 per cent
(d) 98 per cent
7. Which one of the following is not the example of Hydraulic structures in Ancient India?
(a) Bhopal Lake
(b) Lake Hauz Kauz
(c) Construction of dams, Lakes
(d) Damodar Valley Project

8. Oceans contain _____________ volume of water.

(a) 90 per cent
(b) 75 per cent
(c) 96.5 per cent
(d) 98 per cent
1: The disease due to water-related disease is broken out by

a. bacteria
b. viruses
c. snails
d. Worms

2: The remaining sewage after it has passed through the sludge

tank is known as

a. treated sewage
b. effluent
c. clinker
d. distillate
1: The disease due to water-related disease is broken out by

a. bacteria
b. viruses
c. snails
d. Worms

2: The remaining sewage after it has passed through the sludge

tank is known as

a. treated sewage
b. effluent
c. clinker
d. distillate
3: In water cycle, sun helps water to

a. get clean
b. dry
c. evaporate
d. move in the direction of light

4: Ice flows down the mountainside like a slow moving rive is

called
a. ice cap
b. snow river
c. glacier
d. snow peak
3: In water cycle, sun helps water to

a. get clean
b. dry
c. evaporate
d. move in the direction of light

4: Ice flows down the mountainside like a slow moving rive is

called
a. ice cap
b. snow river
c. glacier
d. snow peak
Aquifer
An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock, rock
fractures or unconsolidated materials (gravel, sand, or silt) from which
groundwater can be extracted using a water well. Aquifers may occur at
various depths.

Water Calamities: Floods and Droughts

Floods

Floods refers to the presence of unusually large amount of water at

any place or more water that can be handled by the drainage of the
area. The types of floods
➢ Flash Floods (Due to sudden heavy rain fall, dam failure)
➢ River floods (when rain over large the catchment area slowly,
melting of snow)
➢ Coastal Floods (Due to cyclonic activity like hurricanes, tropical
cyclones)
Drought
➢ A drought is a condition in which a region suffers from a severe
scarcity in its water availability.
➢ The various kinds of drought
➢ Meteorological Drought ( Actual rainfall is less than
climatological mean of that area)
➢ Hydrological Drought (Running down of surface water leading
to a very low stream flow and drying of lakes, rivers.
➢ Agricultural Drought (Inadequate soil moisture result in fall in
agricultural productivity)
 Water Woes: Junagarh
❑ Junagarh in Gujrat, indiscriminate consumption of ground water has
caused an alarming decrease in the water table.
❑ Person that can afford to dig a bore well, did so without adhering to
any limit regarding its depth .
❑ Motors are used to withdrawn large amount of water.
❑ Reduction of water tables by 20% in every summer.
❑ Women have to move up to 4 km in search of water.
❑ Ingress of sea water is another problems, faced by villagers, increases
the salinity in ground water and soil,
❑ Health issues are increased.
❑ Hardness is increased in water.
 Renewable Sources of Energy

•Solar Energy

•Wind Energy
(India’s potential approx
20,000 MW)

•Tidal Energy

•Geothermal Energy

•Biomass Based Energy (Natural vegetation,

animal waste)
Non-Renewable Sources of Energy

•Coal
•Natural gas and oil
•Nuclear energy (Controversial Because
they use radioactive Substance but it does
not emit any Green house gas or toxic
gases.
 ❖Use of alternative source of energy

❖ 15 European union nations including Spain and Germany have

committed that by 2020, they will generate 20% of the energy using
alterative energy resources.
❖ Alternative energy resources not only save the non renewable energy
resources from being used up but also it’s a green and clean
technology.
❖ India has also taken several initiatives to promote the non renewable
energy resources. Currently India is in 4th position in the world in
generating wind energy.
❖ With the increasing price of petroleum, alternative energy resources
are not optional but mandatory.
❖ India plans to manufacture biodiesel from vegetable oil.
❖ The cost of setting up a biomass plant is same as that of coal based
power plant.
 Limitation of alternative energy sources

✓ Alternative sources provide a ray of hope.

✓ High installation costs and require maintenance.
✓ Short in availability of material which may be used in designing
and manufacturing, like as supply of silicon is short which is
essential for photovoltaic cell.
✓ Lack of human capital , affect the whole energy industry
worldwide.
✓ Still, the benefits are driving governments, businesses and
individuals allover the world to adopt this technology.
 Energy Recovery

➢ The concept is to get energy by burning the waste

➢ By this principle the main benefits what we can get –
1. Longer availability of crude oil.
2. Reduction of waste volume by upto 90%.
3. Reduced number of coal fired power plants.
4. Slow climate change.
➢ Waste to energy plants (which is much advanced today) extract
energy from trash
➢ This plant reduces the emission of green house gases
➢ Disadvantages-
1. Proper care must be taken on choosing the trash which is to be burn.
2. Indiscriminate burning may promote air pollution and may release
toxic gases.
3. Combustion of heavy metals are very harmful.
 Urban Problems Related to Energy
The energy requirement in urban areas is many times greater than that in
rural areas because of the following reasons:

i) Activities that require large amounts of energy (industries,

institutions, transportation, etc.) are concentrated in urban areas.

ii) Urban people have a higher standard of living compared to rural

people and hence demand more energy for comfortable living.
7. In semi-arid regions of Rajasthan the traditional system of storing drinking water in
underground tanks are called
(a) Dugwells
(b) Johads
(c) Tankas
(d) None of the above

8. Nagaijuna Sagar Dam is located in the state of

(a) Orissa
(b) Karnataka
(c) Kerala
(d) Andhra Pradesh

9. On which river is the Bhakra Nangal Dam located?

(a) Jhelum
(b) Chambal
(c) Satluj
(d) Chenab
7. In semi-arid regions of Rajasthan the traditional system of storing drinking water in
underground tanks are called
(a) Dugwells
(b) Johads
(c) Tankas
(d) None of the above

8. Nagaijuna Sagar Dam is located in the state of

(a) Orissa
(b) Karnataka
(c) Kerala
(d) Andhra Pradesh

9. On which river is the Bhakra Nangal Dam located?

(a) Jhelum
(b) Chambal
(c) Satluj
(d) Chenab
10. The diversion channels of the Western Himalayas are called
(a) Canals
(b) Inundation channels
(c) Kuls
(d) Khadins

11. Which is not a source of fresh water?

(a) Glaciers and ice sheets
(b) Groundwater
(c) Surface run off
(d) Oceans

12. Bhakra Nangal River Valley Project is made on the river:

(a) Sutlej-Beas
(b) Ravi-Chenab
(c) Ganga
(d) Son
10. The diversion channels of the Western Himalayas are called
(a) Canals
(b) Inundation channels
(c) Kuls
(d) Khadins

11. Which is not a source of fresh water?

(a) Glaciers and ice sheets
(b) Groundwater
(c) Surface run off
(d) Oceans

12. Bhakra Nangal River Valley Project is made on the river:

(a) Sutlej-Beas
(b) Ravi-Chenab
(c) Ganga
(d) Son