Revision Notes

Class – 3 Environmental Studies

Chapter 20 – Drop by Drop

Summary of Drop by Drop

 Madho is from Bajju, a small Rajasthani village.

 The village was surrounded by sand and barely one can see a house.
 Madho and his family members were upset about the water scarcity in their
village.
 This was a common problem in the past, but this year there was no rain, which
exacerbated their situation.
 As a result, his mother and sister have to travel more to fetch water for the
family.
 Their feet burn and blisters are unavoidable while walking on the hot sand.
 They are overjoyed when the train carrying water arrives. Madho's father rides
his camel to get some water. But this was occasional.
 People of his village use to collect and store rainwater in underground tanks
also known as tankas.

Image: Structure of tankas

How to Build Tanks (Tanka)

 A pit is dug in the courtyard and made pucca to build a tanka.

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  A lid is used to keep the tanka covered.
 The house's roof is slanted so that rainwater collected here flows into the tanka
through a pipe.
 A sieve is attached to the pipe's mouth to ensure that no dirt enters the tanka.
 After it has been cleaned, this water is used for drinking.
 Sonal, like Madho, has a water shortage in her home.
 She is a resident of Bhavnagar. Water is only available for half an hour per
day.
 The entire population of the area is reliant on a single tap.
 Sonal is concerned about getting some water from the tap. She fills her bucket
whenever she gets the chance, even if it's just a few drops at a time.

The Theme of the Chapter

 This chapter helps us to understand the importance of water in our life.

 This chapter takes our attention toward those places where there is a serious
shortage of water.
 We can say that every drop of water counts.
 There are places where we can’t find a mug of water easily.
 People there use different ways to save and reuse water.

How to Reuse Water:

Image: Reuse water

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Let’s observe the above image
 The above image shows how can we reuse water.
 In the first image, the woman is carrying limited water to her home.
 Whereas in the second image the woman is using a charpai to take bath and
the water is again stored in a vessel under the charpai.
 Then in the third picture, the stored water is used to bathe her cattle and the
water again goes to the roots of the plant.
 This shows a small amount of water can be reused and water can be saved.

How can we save water?

 While brushing your teeth, turn off the taps.

 Take quick showers
 Use one utensil for drinking water
 Collect rainwater
 Wash fruits in a bowl of water

“Do you realize that one of the reasons for water scarcity is that people
waste it.
Consider how wonderful it would be if everyone had access to water.”

Practice Questions:

Q 1. Where do the people in Madho's village get their drinking water?

Ans: From the underground tanks.

Q 2. Is it possible to reuse water that has been used for one purpose?
Ans: Yes, we can reuse the water that has already been used. Bathing water, for
example, can be used to bathe animals.

Q 3. What was the main reason for water scarcity in Bajju Village?
Ans: No rains for a longer period of time caused the scarcity in Bajju’s Village.

Q 4. After washing hands and face used water can be reused as?
Ans: That water can be used in washing clothes, bathing animals and etc.

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Q 5. Can you think of ways of saving water? Write your suggestions below.
Ans: Here are a few water-saving suggestions:
 Never leave a water tap running.
 Do not leave the tap or shower running while brushing your teeth or taking a
bath.
 Instead of taking a shower, fill a bucket with water and take a bath.
 After you've finished washing your clothes, you can reuse the waste water to
clean your washroom.
 Any water that is left over can be used to water plants in the garden.
 If there is a water leak, get it fixed as soon as possible.
 Water should be recycled whenever possible.

Important Points to remember

 Water is one of the most essential parts of our life.

 We should save water every day.
 Reuse of water is the best way to save a good amount of water at a time.
 Rainwater harvesting: Rainwater harvesting is the process of collecting and
storing rainwater that falls on roofs, parks, roads, and other open areas. This
runoff water can be stored or recharged into the groundwater system.

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