The following Topics and Sub-Topics are covered in this chapter and are available on MSVgo:
The following Topics and Sub-Topics are covered in this chapter and are available on MSVgo:
Introduction
Water – A Precious Resource, How Much Water Is Available, Forms Of Water, Groundwater As An Important Source Of Water, Depletion Of Water Table, Distribution Of Water, Water Management, Effect Of Water Scarcity On Plants, What Role You Can Play
The most crucial substance on our planet is water. To survive, we all need water, right from the smallest of plants to gigantic animals. There would have been no life on the earth if there were no water at all. You must have seen how water is used for various purposes, right from bathing to cooking.
You might feel that water is the simplest and plentiful thing available around you. But if you get enough water for your needs, you are very fortunate. Do you know how much water is available? 71% of the earth’s surface is the distribution of water, and still, we face scarcity of this natural resource. Did you ever wonder why? Let us understand.
Water has three different forms. It occurs in solid, liquid, and gaseous forms. You might have come across all three states of water. Let us see a few examples of these forms:
The water keeps changing its form continuously in the form of a cycle. A cycle in which water is found in all of its forms is called the water cycle.
While digging a hole in the ground, the soil gets moist as you dig deeper. This is a clear indicator that water is present underground. The upper limit of this layer is called the water table. And the water found below the water table is called groundwater, an important source of water.
Wondering how water gets inside the soil? Here’s the answer — water sources, such as rainwater, ponds, rivers seep into the ground. It fills the cracks and spaces below the ground. This process of water getting seeped into the ground is called infiltration.
Below the water table, the groundwater gets stored between the layers of hard rock. This is called an aquifer. This water stored in the aquifer can be pumped out using hand pumps for tube wells.
If the water is not replenished sufficiently, it leads to depletion of the water table. There are various reasons which affect the depletion of the water table. A few of the reasons are an increase in industrial, population, agricultural activities, scanty rainfall, deforestation, etc.
Increase in Industries: For almost all the production processes, water is necessary. Also, with time, the number of industries is continuously increasing. These industries use the groundwater, and hence the water table depletes.
Increase in Population: As the population increases, the requirement for various construction processes increases, leading to the decrease in rainwater seepage, and hence water table depletes.
Agricultural Activities: Because of erratic rainfall, the farmers experience a lack of water. So, they use groundwater for agricultural activities, which again leads to depletion of the water table.
We have learned the importance of water, and we know how precious it is for us living beings. There are various reasons which lead to wastage of water or a scenario in which the water does not reach the expected destination.
Wastage or mismanagement of water may take place also at an individual level. So, you should always make sure that you use water adequately while bathing, brushing your teeth, washing, and during other activities. The other most prominent reason for the wastage of water is leaking taps. So, if you find any leaking tap in your house or surroundings, you should repair it at the earliest.
We learned in the “Importance of Groundwater” section how rain is used to recharge the groundwater. A process called water harvesting or rainwater harvesting is followed. In this process, we conserve water by storing, collecting, purifying, and conveying the rainwater.
Another way of water management is Bawris, an old and traditional way of storing water, especially in India. You might have seen that while watering plants, a lot of water gets wasted. Imagine the amount of water getting wasted in large farms due to the sheer number of plants. We use a technique used to water plants with the help of narrow tubing called drip irrigation. It helps in delivering water directly at the base of the plants.
The potted plants end up drying and wilting if they do not get enough water for a few days. The plants can lose their green character as they won’t receive the nutrients they need for growing. Having no plants indirectly means the extinction of human life.
There are many ways in which you can save water. You have to be conscious while using water for your daily chores like bathing, brushing, etc. Use only as much water as needed. A few good habits for saving water are:
Water exists in solid, liquid, and gaseous forms. Though the water cycle maintains the water, there still exists a scarcity of Water – a precious resource. We learned the activities which lead to a shortage of water. As a solution to it, we also learned different water management techniques. In a nutshell, water is a crucial resource for all living beings. If there’s no water, there’s no life.
