Topics in the Chapter WATER RESOURCES CLASS 10 NOTES

• Water
→ Some facts and Figures
• Dams
• Multi-purpose river projects
→ Objectives of multi-purpose river projects
→ Disadvantages of Multi-purpose river projects
→ Movements against Multi-purpose river projects
• Rainwater Harvesting
→ How Tankas works

Water
• Water is a renewable resource
• Three-fourth of the earth’s surface is covered with water but only a small proportion of it accounts for
freshwater fit for use.

Some facts and Figures

• 96.5 percent of the total volume of world’s water is estimated to exist as oceans and only 2.5 per cent as
freshwater.
• India receives nearly 4 percent of the global precipitation and ranks 133 in the world in terms of water
availability per person per annum.
• By 2025, it is predicted that large parts of India will join countries or regions having absolute water scarcity.

Water Scarcity and need for water conservation and management

• The lack sufficient water as compared to its demand in a region is known as Water Scarcity.

• Causes of Water Scarcity: Some of the common causes are: -

1. Uneven Precipitation - The seasonal and annual rainfall varies concerning geographical region and time.
2. Over Exploitation- With the increasing population and unequal access to water resources, the water
resources are exploited for domestic purposes and industrial needs. It is also polluted due to hazardous
practices of the industries.
3. Irrigative agricultural fields- Water is needed in a large quantity for growing crops. The farmer owns
individual water pumps, which causes decreased groundwater levels in that region, causing scarcity and
drought.
4. Industries - Industries not only harm and pollute water resources like rivers and lakes, but they also
require groundwater for working by water pumping devices. The electric power supply source is also
Hydroelectric power.
5. Releasing untreated chemicals into water bodies by the industries. 6. Unplanned drainage system:-
Throwing garbage in water bodies pollutes them and makes them unfit for use.
 Dams
Dams are hydraulic structures built to store water for future use. They act as reservoirs. They become barriers
and restrict the flow of water which can be later used for purposes such as irrigation, domestic use, industrial
use, aquaculture, etc.
Uses of Dams
Dams are built,
1. It is used in Irrigating the fields.
2. Used in Electricity Generation: In the Sutlej-Beas River Basin, The Bhakra- Nangal Dam is used widely
for hydel power production and irrigation.
3. Used as the Water supply for domestic purposes.
4. Used to Supply water for industries and manufacturers.
5. Used in Flood Control:- The Hirakud Dam in the Mahanadi basin is used for flood control.
6. Used for Recreational purposes like water parks
7. Used in Inland Navigation.
8. Used in Fish Breeding.
Jawaharlal Nehru claimed dams to be "Temples of Modern India '' as they would help in activities like
agriculture, the development of the village economy, the blooming of industries, and the growth of the
urban economy.

Side Effects of Creating Dams

• The natural flow of rivers is impacted by damming and regulation.
• The aquatic life in the rivers has worse habitats.
• It is difficult for aquatic animals to travel over fragmented rivers.
• The vegetation and soil that are already there are submerged by dams built on floodplains, which
eventually causes them to decompose.
• Many new environmental movements, such as the "Narmada Bachao Andolan" and the "Tehri Dam
Andolan," have been sparked by the construction of huge dams.
• The locals frequently had to give up their land, means of subsistence, and authority over resources in
order to build the dam.
The failure of the projects to fulfil the goals for which they were constructed was the main source of criticism.
Although the majority of the dams were built to regulate floods, some of the dams have caused floods. Soil
erosion has also been extensively caused by dams. Pollution, pests, water-borne illnesses, and earthquakes
have all been linked to excessive water use.

Multi-purpose river projects

• Multi-purpose river projects large dams that serve several purposes in addition to impounding the water of
a river and used later to irrigate agricultural fields. For example, the Sutluj-Beas river basin, the Bhakra–
Nangal project etc.
Advantages of multi-purpose river projects are:
→ Electricity generation
→ Irrigation
→ Water supply for domestic and industrial uses
→ Flood control
→ Recreation
→ Inland navigation
→ Fish breeding
Disadvantages of Multi-purpose river projects are:
→ It affects the natural flow of river causing poor sediment flow and excessive sedimentation at the bottom
of the reservoir.
→ It destroys the habitats for the rivers’ aquatic life.
→ It submerges the existing vegetation and soil if created on the floodplains.
→ It displaces the local people of the place where it is created.
→ These are unsuccessful in controlling floods at the time of excessive rainfall.
→ These projects induced earthquakes, caused water- borne diseases and pests and pollution resulting from
excessive use of water.

Movements against Mult-purpose river projects

• These projects cause of many new social movements like the ‘Narmada Bachao Andolan’ and the ‘Tehri
Dam Andolan’ etc.
→ This is due to the large-scale displacement of local communities.

• Inter-state water disputes are also becoming common with regard to sharing the costs and benefits of the
multi-purpose project.

Rainwater Harvesting
Rainwater harvesting is a straightforward technique for storing rainfall for later use. Rainwater collected can
be stored, used to multiple uses, or used straight for recharging. Various techniques have been used for
rainwater harvesting in various locations -
• For agricultural purposes, people in hilly and mountainous areas have constructed diversion channels
similar to the Western Himalayan "guls" or "kuls."
• Rainwater harvesting on rooftops is a popular method of storing drinking water, especially in
Rajasthan.
• The tanks are constructed inside the main house or the courtyard and are a part of the sophisticated
rooftop rainwater gathering system.
• This is mostly used to save rainwater in Rajasthan, especially in the regions of Bikaner, Phalodi, and
Barmer. Since the "tanka" would keep the chamber cool, several houses have built underground rooms
next to it to escape the summer heat.
• In Arid and Semi-arid regions - Agricultural fields are used as rain-fed storage structures which allowed
the rainwater to be stagnant and made the soil moist. They had large tanks which were as big as a
room and were placed in the courtyard of their house, the rainwater from their sloppy roofs would
accumulate in the tanks through a pipe.
 • In the flood plains of Bengal, people developed inundation channels to irrigate their fields.
The state of Tamil Nadu is the first in India to require rooftop rainwater collecting systems for every home in
the region.

How Tankas works:

→ Tankas were connected to the sloping roofs of the houses through a pipe.
→ Rain falling on the rooftops would travel down the pipe and was stored in these underground ‘tankas’.

1.How intensive industrialisation and urbanisation have posed a great pressure on existing fresh water
resources in India? Explain with two examples for each. (2012)
Answer:
Intensive industrialisation and urbanisation have put greater pressure on existing fresh water resources. With
the ever growing number of industries, the demand for water has grown tremendously:
1. Industries are heavy users of fresh water as water is required for cooling the machines as well as for
the processing of goods.
2. Also the machines run on the power supplied by the hydel power plants.
3. 22 percent of the total electricity is hydro-electric power.
4. Rapid urbanisation has led to expansion of industries which increased the requirement of water.
5. The untreated industrial effluents which are discharged into water bodies are polluting the water and
making it hazardous for human consumption. This is responsible for creating water scarcity.
On the other hand, multiplying urban centres with:
• Large urban populations and
• urban lifestyles have not only added to water and energy requirements but have further aggravated
the problem by over-drawing the groundwater by using their own groundwater pumping devices for
meeting their water needs for domestic purposes such as cleaning, cooking, washing, etc.
Thus, water resources are being over-exploited which has caused their depletion in several cities.

2.Write the adverse effects of over-exploitation of ground water resources.

Answer:
1. Pumping out more water from under the ground may lead to falling ground water levels.
2. It will adversely affect water availability.
3. This, in turn, will affect our agriculture and food security of the people.
4. Impoverishment of water resources may adversely affect the ecological cycle.

3.What is the need for conservation of water resources? (2015)

Answer:
1. Our water resources are limited and our requirements are increasing day by day. The water resources
are unevenly distributed.
 2. Most of our resources especially in the cities and urban areas are polluted and unsuitable for drinking
and other purposes.
3. To safeguard ourselves from health hazards.
4. We need to conserve water for the continuation of our livelihoods and to prevent degradation of our
natural ecosystem. To ensure food security and for continuation of our livelihoods.
5. For productive activities of the nation.
6. To prevent degradation of our natural ecosystem.

4.Write some measures adopted for conservation of water resources. (2015)

Answer:
Measures for water conservation:
1. Do not overdraw the ground water, recharge the ground water by techniques like rainwater
harvesting.
2. Avoid wastage of water at all levels.
3. Do not pollute the water.
4. Increasing the water resources by tapping the rainwater in reservoirs, watershed development
programmes, etc.
5. Adopting water conserving techniques of irrigation, e.g., drip irrigation and sprinklers etc., especially in
dry areas. Sufficient water percolation facilities should be increased to help in raising the level of the
water table.

5.What were the different types of hydraulic structures constructed in Ancient India? Give examples.
Answer:
The different types of hydraulic structures were:
• Dams built of stone rubble e.g., during Chandragupta Maurya’s time, dams, lakes and irrigation
systems were extensively built.
• Reservoirs or lakes like the Bhopal lake of the 11th century which was one of the largest artificial lakes
of its time.
• Embankments and canals for irrigation. Sophisticated irrigation works have been found in Kalinga
(Orissa), Kolhapur (Maharashtra), Nagarjunakonda (Andhra Pradesh) etc.
• Many tanks were built to store rainwater e.g., the tank in Huaz Khas in Delhi was built in 14th century
to supply water to Siri Fort area.

6.How was water conserved in ancient India? Give any four examples in support of your answer. (2012)
Answer:
Archaeological and historical records show that from ancient times India has been constructing sophisticated
hydraulic structures like dams, reservoirs, embankments and canals for irrigation.
1. For example, in the first century B.C., Allahabad had sophisticated water harvesting system channelling
the flood water of the river Ganga.
2. During the time of Chandragupta Maurya, dams, lakes and irrigation systems were extensively built.
 3. Sophisticated irrigation works have been found in Kalinga in Odisha, Nagarjunakonda in Andhra
Pradesh, Bennur in Karnataka and Kolhapur in Maharashtra.
4. Bhopal lake, built in the 11th century, was one of the largest artificial lakes of its time.
5. In the 14th century, Iltutmish constructed a tank in Hauz Khas, Delhi for supplying water in Siri Fort
area.

7.What is a dam? Describe the functioning of dams? On what basis are dams classified into different types?
Answer:
A dam is a barrier across flowing water that obstructs, directs or retards the flow, creating a reservoir, lake or
impoundment.
A dam is the reservoir and not the whole structure.
Functioning:
Most dams have a section called spillway or weir over which or through which, water will flow intermittently
or continuously.
Classification:
Dams are classified according to structure, intended purpose or height.
• According to structure and materials used, they are classified as timber dams, embankment dams or
masonry dams.
• According to height, they are classified as large and major dams, low dams, medium height dams and
high dams.

8.What is the main difference between traditional dams and modern dams?
Answer:
Traditionally dams were built to impound rivers and rainwater that could be used later to irrigate the
agricultural fields.
Today, dams are referred to as multipurpose projects where many uses of the impounded water are
integrated with one another. The main purposes served by these projects are irrigation, electricity generation,
flood control, water supply for domestic and industrial use, fish breeding and tourism.

9.Construction of dams on rivers has caused environmental degradation.’ Give reasons to support this
statement. (2015)
Answer:
1. Damming of rivers affects their natural flow causing poor sediment flow.
2. Excessive sedimentation at the bottom of the reservoir.
3. Lack of sediments results in
• rockier stream bed and
• poorer habitat for the river’s aquatic life.
4. Dams also fragment rivers, making it difficult for acquatic fauna to migrate, especially for spawning.
5. The reservoirs submerge the existing vegetation and soil, leading to its decomposition over time.
6. Flood plains are deprived of silt and khadar, affecting the fertility levels of the soil.
 7. Construction of dams also faces resistance because of large scale displacement of local communities.

10.Multipurpose projects and dams have been the cause of many new social movements. Name two such
social movements and write the underlying causes for these movements.
Answer:
Resistance to these projects came from social movements, e.g.,
1. ‘Narmada Bachao Andolan’ and
2. ‘Tehri Dam Andolan’.
Their major concerns were as follows:
• Initially the environmental concerns were of utmost importance.
• Dams have resulted in large-scale displacement of local communities.
3. Local people have to give up their land and livelihood.
4. Local people do not benefit from such projects as they are even deprived of the local sources on which
they have little control.
5. Many settlements and agricultural lands are submerged under water.
6. Rehabilitation of the displaced persons is now the prime concern of these movements.

11.Give an example of an inter-state water dispute.

Answer:
Krishna-Godavari dispute. The Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh Governments objected to the diversion of more
water at Koyna by the Maharashtra government for a multipurpose project as this results in reduction of
downstream flow to Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh adversely affecting agriculture and industry in these
States.

12. Give a brief description of the ‘Narmada Bachao Andolan’.

Answer:
Narmada Bachao Andolan or Save Narmada Movement is an NGO (Non-Governmental Organisation) that mobilised
tribal people, farmers, environmentalists and human rights activists against the Sardar Sarovar Dam being built across
the Narmada river in Gujarat.

• The movement originally focussed on environmental issues related to submerging of trees under the
dam water.
• Recently its aim has been to enable the displaced poor people to get full rehabilitation facilities from
the government.

13.In recent years multipurpose projects and dams have caused great scrutiny and opposition. Explain.
Answer:
In recent years, multipurpose projects and large dams have faced increasing scrutiny and opposition due to
various ecological, social, and economic concerns.
Ecological Concerns:
• Disrupted river flow
• Habitat loss and fragmentation
• Sedimentation and water quality
Social and Economic Concerns:
• Displacement of communities
• Unequal distribution of benefits
• Land degradation: Reservoirs can cause waterlogging and soil salinity in surrounding areas.
• Economic costs: The construction of large dams can be very expensive.
• Social movements: Above concerns lead to rise of social movements.