Forest and Wildlife Resources (Missed paragraphs) – Need for conservation –

Our habitat – immense biodiversity; Humans + all living Need – conservation and management. For –
organisms – complex web – ecological system – dependent
1. Preventing health hazards
for existence; For eg: Plants, animals & micro-organisms –
2. Ensure food security
recreate – quality – air – breath, water – drunk, soil –
3. Continuation of livelihoods and production
produces food – without – can’t survive; Forests – key role
activities
– ecological systems – primary producers – living beings
4. Prevent degradation of natural ecosystems
dependent;
5. Prevent ecological crisis
Biodiversity/ Biological Diversity – is – immensely rich –
Hydraulic Structures in Ancient India –
wildlife & cultivated species, diverse – form & functions –
but closely integrated in – system though – multiple In old times, dams (stone rubble), lakes, reservoirs,
network – interdependencies; embankments and canals built. Examples –
Flora & Fauna in India – 1. 1st century B.C. – Sringaverapur near Allahabad
– Water harvesting system – channelling flood
India – one – richest - terms – vast array – biological
water of Ganga
diversity – possibly – 2 or 3 times – number – to be
2. Chandragupta Maurya – dams, lakes, irrigation
discovered; Diverse flora & fauna – so integrated – daily
systems built
life – taken – granted; Under great stress – insensitivity –
3. Irrigation systems – Kalinga (Odisha),
environment;
Nagarjunakonda (Andhra Pradesh), Bennur
Water Resources - (Karnataka) and Kohlapur (Maharashtra).
4. 11th Century – Bhopal Lake – Largest Artificial
Freshwater obtained –
Lake of that time
1) a) surface run-off; b) ground-water; c) precipitation; 5. 14th Century – Tank in Hauz Khas, Delhi –
hydrological cycle renews; shows water is renewable Iltutmish – Water to Siri Fort area.
resource;
Source – Dying Wisdom, CSE 1997
 By 2025, it is predicted that nearly 2 billion people
Uses of Dams –
will live in absolute water scarcity.
Traditionally – impound water for irrigation. Now –
Water Scarcity –
1. Irrigation
1) Availability of water resources varies over time and
2. Hydro-electricity
space; variations in seasonal & annual
3. Water supply to domestic and industrial areas
precipitation.
4. Inland Navigation
2) Causes – a) Over-exploitation b) excessive use c)
5. Recreation
unequal access of water among different social
6. Flood Control
groups.
7. Fish Breeding
3) Quantitative scarcity (ample water, still scarcity) –
Causes – 1. Large and growing population (more Many uses for impoundment of water – Dams called multi-
water for food as well); Purpose Projects. Examples –
4) 2. Over-irrigation for better produce; Largest
1. Sutlej – Beas River basin – Bhakra-Nangal Project
consumer of water; Drought resistant crops and
Water – Hydro-electricity and Irrigation
dry farming needed; personal wells and tube-well
2. Hirakud Project – Mahanadi basin – Conservation
for farmers – reduction in groundwater level;
of water and Flood control
5) 3. Industrialisation; 4. Urbanisation – opportunities
for us. Industrial houses common. Industries = Advantages of Multi-purpose Projects –
pressure on water resources;
6) 5. Industries need energy; Hydroelectricity. 22% of Jawaharlal Nehru – Dams -> Temples of Modern India; Will
total electricity. Dense population + Urban Lifestyle help nation grow and develop;
-> more water & energy. 1. Development of agriculture
7) 6. Private water pumping devices in colonies. 2. Development of Rural Economy with rapid industrialisation
8) Qualitative scarcity (enough water to satisfy 3. Growth of Urban Economy
needs, still scarcity) – Polluted – 1. Domestic and
industrial wastes; 2. Chemicals; 3. Pesticides; 4. Dams –
Fertilizers.
  Barrier across flowing water that obstructs, directs
or retards the flow, often creating reservoir, lake or
impoundment. Dam is the reservoir rather than
the structure.
 Spillway/ Weir – over/through which water flows
at intervals or continuously;
 Classification – Structure, purpose or height.
 Structure (& material) – timber, embankment,
masonry – many subtypes;
 Height – Large & Major/ Low, Medium height and
high.
Recently, multi-purpose projects and large dams have
come under great scrutiny and opposition –
1. Impact on flora and fauna – Regulation, damming
rivers – affect natural flow – poor sedimentation –
rockier stream beds – poorer habitats for aquatic
life; Fragment rivers – difficulty in migration (esp.
spawning) of aquatic fauna; Reservoirs when
created – submerge existing vegetation & soil –
decomposition over long time;
2. Environmental movements – ‘Narmada Bachao
Andolan’ & ‘Tehri Damn Andolan’; Cause – large-
scale displacement of local communities. Local
people – give land, livelihood, etc but don’t benefit
from the project.
3. Irrigation changes – Changed cropping pattern –
farmers – water intensive & commercial crops;
Causes salinisation of soil.
4. Increased social gap – rich and poor. Eg – conflicts
(people – same water, want different
uses/benefits); Gujrat – Sabarmati basin – farmers
agitated (nearly rioted) – higher priority – water
supply – urban areas – especially during droughts.
5. Inter-state water disputes – common – based on
sharing costs and benefits of project.
6. Control of Floods – Failure to achieve main
purposes; Trigger floods – sedimentation in
reservoir; Dams can’t control floods during heavy
rainfall; Release of dam water – worsened – floods
in Maharashtra & Gujrat – 2006.
7. Soil Erosion – Floods – soil erosion; Sedimentation
– flood plains – less silt (natural fertilizer) – land
degradation;
8. Miscellaneous – Caused earthquakes, water-borne
diseases, pests and pollution – excessive uses of
water.
 As all water moves through the hydrological
system and through this recharges various water
bodies, water is a renewable resource.
Narmada Bachao Andolan –
1. Save Narmada Movement – Non governmental
Organisation (NGO) – mobilised – tribal people,
farmers, environmentalists and human right
activists – Sardar Sarovar Dam – Narmada River –
Gujrat; Originally – focused – environmental issues
– tress submerged – damn water; Re-focused aim –
poor citizens (esp. Oustees [displaced people] – full
rehabilitation facilities – govt;
2. People accepted displacement with hopes of
irrigated fields and plentiful harvests; Survivors of
Rihand – accepted suffering – sake of nation; After
30 years – livelihood scarce & being adrift – they
are bitter; Source: S.Sharma – In The Belly of the
River – Tribal conflicts over development in
Narmada Valley – A. Baviskar 1995;
Sardar Sarovar Dam –
Built over Narmada River – Gujrat; One of largest – water
resource projects – India – four states – Maharashtra,
Gujrat, Rajasthan & MP; Meets water needs – drought-
prone & desert areas – Gujrat (9,490 villages & 173 towns)
& Rajasthan (124 villages);
Krishna-Godavari Dispute –
Reason – Objections – raised – Karnataka & Andhra
Pradesh govts. Diversion – more water – Koyna –
Maharashtra govt. – multi-purpose project; Less
downstream flow – their states – impacts agriculture &
industry;
Rainwater Harvesting –
Its socio-economically & environmentally better;
Ancient Ones -
Ancient India – tradition of water-harvesting system;
People – in-depth knowledge – rainfall regimes & soil types
– developed techniques – harvest rainwater, groundwater,
river water & floor water – in keeping – local ecological
conditions & water needs;
1. Hill & mountainous regions - built diversion channels –
guls & kuls – Western Himalayas for agriculture;
2. Rooftop rainwater harvesting – store drinking water –
Rajasthan;
3. Flood plains – Bengal – inundation channels developed
– irrigate fields;
4. Arid & Semi-arid regions – agricultural fields –
converted – rain fed storage structures – allowed –
water to stand & moisten soil – Khadins in Jaisalmer &
Johads in other parts – Rajasthan;
5. Meghalaya – 200-year-old system – tapping stream &
sprint water – bamboo pipes – prevalent; 18-20 litres –
enters – bamboo pipe system – transported –
hundreds of metres – reduces – 20-80 drops per
minute – site of plant;
(i) Bamboo pipes – divert perennial springs – hilltops
– lower reaches – gravity;
(ii) Channel sections – bamboo – divert water – plant
site – distributed into branches – bamboo pipes;
 Flow of water – pipes – controlled – manipulating villagers – installed – rooftop rainwater harvesting
pipe positions; system – house – meet water needs; 200
(iii) Pipe pass road – taken high above land; households – installed system – village – earnt rare
(iv) Reduced channel sections & diversion units – last distinction – rich in rainwater; Gendathur –
stage – water application; Channel sections – receives - annual precipitation – 1000 mm – 80%
water – dropped – near plant roots; collection efficiency – 10 fillings – each house –
50,000 litres of water annually; 200 houses – net
Modern Ones –
amount – 1 lakh litres annually;
1. Rooftop rainwater harvesting – 4. Rooftop harvesting – common – town & villages –
Thar; Rainwater – sloping roofs – through pipe –
Recharge through – a) Hand Pump b) Abandoned Dug well underground tanka (circular holes – ground) built
(i) Rainwater – collected – PVC pipes in courtyard/main house;
(ii) Filtered – sand & bricks  Kul – leads – circular village tank – like in Kaza
(iii) Underground pope – water to sump – immediate village – water released when and as required;
use
(iv) Excess water – sump – taken – well
(v) Water – well – recharges – underground water
(vi) Take water from well
2. Semi-arid & arid regions – Rajasthan – Bikaner,
Phalodi, Barmer – all houses – underground tanks/
tankas – storing drinking water; As large as big room –
one house – Phalodi – tank – 6.1 m deep, 4.27 m long
& 2.44 m wide; Tankas – part – well-developed –
rooftop rainwater harvesting system – built – main
house & courtyard; Connected – sloping roofs –
through pipe; Rainwater – falls on roof – travels down
pipe – stores – underground ‘tankas’; First spell – not
collected – used to clean roofs & pipes; Rainwater –
following showers collected; Rainwater – stored –
tankas – next rainfall – extremely reliable source –
drinking water – other sources dry up – esp. in
summers; Rainwater/ palar pani (common name –
these regions) – purest form – natural water;
Underground rooms – adjoining ‘tanka’ – beat summer
heat – tanka keeps room cool;
 Western Rajasthan – rooftop rainwater harvesting
– declining – water available – perennial Indira
Gandhi Canal – some houses – tankas – dislike tap
water taste;

Efforts to conserve water in India –

1. Rooftop rainwater harvesting – Shillong,

Meghalaya; Interesting – Cherapunjee &
Mawsynram – distance – 55 km – Shillong –
highest rainfall – world – yet Shillong – acute
shortage of water; Nearly every household –
rooftop rainwater harvesting structure & 15-25 % -
total water requirement – rooftop rainwater
harvesting;
2. TN – first state – India – rooftop rainwater
harvesting structure compulsory – all houses in
state; Legal provisions – punish – defaulters;
3. Rural & Urban areas – India – rooftop rainwater
harvesting – store and conserve water; Gendathur
– remote backward village – Mysuru, Karnataka –