WATER: KEY TO OUR EXISTENCE
If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water.
Loran eisley.
Water is an indispensable natural resource bestowed upon by nature on mankind.Out of the total water reserves of the world, around 97% of the water is salty and only 3% is fresh water.So, indirectly though water is extremely abundant, yet it is limited..This is so, because the salty water is of no use to human beings. The small fraction of 3% is also not freely available to us.This is in the form of polar icecaps and just 0.003% is readily available to us in the form of ground water and surface water.
The global distribution of water resources is also extremely uneven, this is because of varying geographical factors. Tropical rainforest areas receive maximum rainfall whereas the world’s major deserts occur in zones of dry, descending air and receive very less rainfall.
Water is a natural resource and has extremely unique properties which are as follows:
1) It exists in the form of liquid over a wide range of temperature i.e. from 0 degrees to 100 degrees Celsius.
2) It has high specific heat, due to which it warms up and cools down very slowly without causing shocks of temperature jerks to the aquatic life.
3) It is a good solvent for many nutrients. One of the most important nutrient it carries is oxygen essential for survival of human beings.
4) It has high surface tension and cohesion .It can easily rise through even the tallest trees.
Therefore, water is an extremely important resource. As evident from the above stated properties. It is used by human beings in numerous activities. Right from morning to night teeth in the morning water is required in almost every activity.
.Human body has nearly 60-65% content of water .The life processes with in the body like uptake of nutrients, their distribution in the body, regulation of temperature and removal of wastes are all carried with the help of water. Human beings depend upon water for carrying out every developmental activity. Water is used for drinking , cooking, bathing and washing. It is used by farmers for irrigating the fields. As India’s maximum population is involved in agriculture. Therefore, water is of utmost importance for better yield and prosperity of people of the country. India exports and imports a large no.of goods .India has ten major ports and 116 minor ports from where the trade is carried out .Therefore water is used as means for the transportation of goods to various parts of the world. Before air travel became popular and economical , water was and still is being used as a means of transportation by human beings. In past few decades India has undergone rapid industrialisation and urbanization. Industries like textile , chemical, beverage, leather etc use water for carrying out various processes. The increase in industries has led to increase in the coming up of new cities, townships with a no.of people moving closer to their job locations .Construction requires water in its every step or process of development. With the ever increasing demand of electricity. A no.of thermal power plants are being set up in various parts of the country.In thermal power plants water is used as a coolant.
As already discussed the major sources of water are ground water and surface water. But excessive dependence on these resources has caused a lot of degradation of these rsources.When the ground water is used more than it being replenished back. It causes sinking of overlying buildings and structures, lowering of water table and water logging are some of the harmful effects of excessive and unplanned usage of ground water. The surface water resources are mainly lakes , ponds, wetlands or artifical reservoirs. The washing of clothes and other activities like bathing of cattle in the pond causes the contamination of water. The disposal of industrial waste into the water bodies. Nowadays , a large no. of insecticides and pesticides are used by the farmers to improve the crop yield. These insecticides and pesticides get washed away due to heavy rains or overflow and enter the river bodies.This causes damage to aquatic life. One of the examples is the kali bein river in Punjab. This river has been badly affected by the various forms of wastes. The river ganga has also been the victim of the waste being disposed by human beings. Moreover , the lakes which are open to tourist are also contaminated by people.
As the water is the key to our existence therefore, every possible effort should be carried out to conserve water and its resources. At an individual’s level the conservation of water can be done in various ways . Reuse of water should be done . The grey water from bath tubs and washing can be used for the washing of cars, paths helps in saving water. This water can also be used for watering the gardens. The leakages from the pipes and taps should be checked and repaired at the earliest. Using small capacity flushes in toilets is another alternative to save water.
Farmers can paly very important role in water conservation . decreasing runoffs from the field. This can be done by contour cultivation , water spreading using chemical wetting agents, development of water storage structures like farm ponds, dugouts etc. Water from these resources can then be used later for irrigation purposes. Rain water harvesting is one of the most efficient and durable method for the conservation of water. This can be done by building storage tanks above or below the ground. This not only helps in meeting the ever increasing household demands for water and increasing the water table. Mr.Rajendra singh of rajasthan has been instrumental in building checkdams in rajasthan for rainwater harvesting. He was honoured with the prestigious magasaysay award. He is popularly also known as “Water man”.
The government can also play a vital role in water conservation .As a India is a developing country. It is undergoing urbanization and industrialization , due to which cultivable land and area under forest cover is being used for construction purposes . Therefore, afforestation is must, various projects are being carried out and some more should be initiated to maintain the balance. Documentaries and advertisements should be aired on the radio and television , thereby making people aware of the importance of water and its conservation. Proper maintenance and cleansing of various water bodies should be carried out. Here , it is worth mentioning about Sant Balbir singh seechwal. The kali bein river in Punjab had been adversely affected by the toxic and other kinds of wastes. He took an initiation at his own level to clean up the river. At start he was a one man army. Later on slowly a no. of people joined him. Today the river is free from any kind of waste and proper embankment has been done along the river which makes it a beautiful sight. So, the government should do every effort to support environmentally aware people like sant balbir singh seechwal and promote their efforts. As the water is the key to our existence. Therefore , its conservation becomes very important. Individuals alone or government alone cannot achieve the goal of conservation of water. It has to be a cumulative effort only then conservation of water can be carried out efficiently. As water is the key to out existence.
If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water.
Loran eisley.
Water is an indispensable natural resource bestowed upon by nature on mankind.Out of the total water reserves of the world, around 97% of the water is salty and only 3% is fresh water.So, indirectly though water is extremely abundant, yet it is limited..This is so, because the salty water is of no use to human beings. The small fraction of 3% is also not freely available to us.This is in the form of polar icecaps and just 0.003% is readily available to us in the form of ground water and surface water.
The global distribution of water resources is also extremely uneven, this is because of varying geographical factors. Tropical rainforest areas receive maximum rainfall whereas the world’s major deserts occur in zones of dry, descending air and receive very less rainfall.
Water is a natural resource and has extremely unique properties which are as follows:
1) It exists in the form of liquid over a wide range of temperature i.e. from 0 degrees to 100 degrees Celsius.
2) It has high specific heat, due to which it warms up and cools down very slowly without causing shocks of temperature jerks to the aquatic life.
3) It is a good solvent for many nutrients. One of the most important nutrient it carries is oxygen essential for survival of human beings.
4) It has high surface tension and cohesion .It can easily rise through even the tallest trees.
Therefore, water is an extremely important resource. As evident from the above stated properties. It is used by human beings in numerous activities. Right from morning to night teeth in the morning water is required in almost every activity.
.Human body has nearly 60-65% content of water .The life processes with in the body like uptake of nutrients, their distribution in the body, regulation of temperature and removal of wastes are all carried with the help of water. Human beings depend upon water for carrying out every developmental activity. Water is used for drinking , cooking, bathing and washing. It is used by farmers for irrigating the fields. As India’s maximum population is involved in agriculture. Therefore, water is of utmost importance for better yield and prosperity of people of the country. India exports and imports a large no.of goods .India has ten major ports and 116 minor ports from where the trade is carried out .Therefore water is used as means for the transportation of goods to various parts of the world. Before air travel became popular and economical , water was and still is being used as a means of transportation by human beings. In past few decades India has undergone rapid industrialisation and urbanization. Industries like textile , chemical, beverage, leather etc use water for carrying out various processes. The increase in industries has led to increase in the coming up of new cities, townships with a no.of people moving closer to their job locations .Construction requires water in its every step or process of development. With the ever increasing demand of electricity. A no.of thermal power plants are being set up in various parts of the country.In thermal power plants water is used as a coolant.
As already discussed the major sources of water are ground water and surface water. But excessive dependence on these resources has caused a lot of degradation of these rsources.When the ground water is used more than it being replenished back. It causes sinking of overlying buildings and structures, lowering of water table and water logging are some of the harmful effects of excessive and unplanned usage of ground water. The surface water resources are mainly lakes , ponds, wetlands or artifical reservoirs. The washing of clothes and other activities like bathing of cattle in the pond causes the contamination of water. The disposal of industrial waste into the water bodies. Nowadays , a large no. of insecticides and pesticides are used by the farmers to improve the crop yield. These insecticides and pesticides get washed away due to heavy rains or overflow and enter the river bodies.This causes damage to aquatic life. One of the examples is the kali bein river in Punjab. This river has been badly affected by the various forms of wastes. The river ganga has also been the victim of the waste being disposed by human beings. Moreover , the lakes which are open to tourist are also contaminated by people.
As the water is the key to our existence therefore, every possible effort should be carried out to conserve water and its resources. At an individual’s level the conservation of water can be done in various ways . Reuse of water should be done . The grey water from bath tubs and washing can be used for the washing of cars, paths helps in saving water. This water can also be used for watering the gardens. The leakages from the pipes and taps should be checked and repaired at the earliest. Using small capacity flushes in toilets is another alternative to save water.
Farmers can paly very important role in water conservation . decreasing runoffs from the field. This can be done by contour cultivation , water spreading using chemical wetting agents, development of water storage structures like farm ponds, dugouts etc. Water from these resources can then be used later for irrigation purposes. Rain water harvesting is one of the most efficient and durable method for the conservation of water. This can be done by building storage tanks above or below the ground. This not only helps in meeting the ever increasing household demands for water and increasing the water table. Mr.Rajendra singh of rajasthan has been instrumental in building checkdams in rajasthan for rainwater harvesting. He was honoured with the prestigious magasaysay award. He is popularly also known as “Water man”.
The government can also play a vital role in water conservation .As a India is a developing country. It is undergoing urbanization and industrialization , due to which cultivable land and area under forest cover is being used for construction purposes . Therefore, afforestation is must, various projects are being carried out and some more should be initiated to maintain the balance. Documentaries and advertisements should be aired on the radio and television , thereby making people aware of the importance of water and its conservation. Proper maintenance and cleansing of various water bodies should be carried out. Here , it is worth mentioning about Sant Balbir singh seechwal. The kali bein river in Punjab had been adversely affected by the toxic and other kinds of wastes. He took an initiation at his own level to clean up the river. At start he was a one man army. Later on slowly a no. of people joined him. Today the river is free from any kind of waste and proper embankment has been done along the river which makes it a beautiful sight. So, the government should do every effort to support environmentally aware people like sant balbir singh seechwal and promote their efforts. As the water is the key to our existence. Therefore , its conservation becomes very important. Individuals alone or government alone cannot achieve the goal of conservation of water. It has to be a cumulative effort only then conservation of water can be carried out efficiently. As water is the key to out existence.
By: Er. Gagandeep Singh
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