Group Members: Priyam Mrig, Purbanshu Mohanty, Siddharth Durvasula, Subham Lal

Roll Number: UR21036, UR21037, UR21054, UR21058

The need for traditional water resources and how they can be replenished.

1. Abstract

India is fortunate with a diverse ecosystem, stunning scenery, and good climatic and
environmental conditions. The nation boasts an odd diversity of climatic areas, from frigid
temperate and alpine in the Himalayan north to hot and humid tropical in the south. The country
also values its extensive water heritage. India has a centuries-old practice of water harvesting,
demonstrating the regard that people have always had for water. Water has historically been
treasured, conserved, and stored. Although there were many different types of water harvesting
systems, on a broad scale, reservoirs were built in a coordinated manner with the primary
purpose of constructing a storage system. Despite all these benefits, it is sad that India now hosts
a significant share of the world's "water poor" population. Only 4% of the world's freshwater
resources are found here, but it is home to 18% of the population. There is at the moment a lot of
pressure on underground reservoirs due to the country's agitating climate variability, rapid
urbanization, and competitive demand for water for agriculture, industry, energy production, and
municipal supply, making it increasingly difficult to meet the water challenges of the near future.

Keywords: Water resources, climate change, population, drinking water, urbanization

2. Introduction

The essay identifies flaws in the current water distribution and consumption systems, which are
designed to provide results quickly at the expense of ecological boundaries. Additionally, it
makes the case that India's traditional water resources, like ponds, reservoirs, etc., must be
urgently revived to better deal with the deteriorating water conditions throughout the nation. The
essay also suggests that by regaining traditional water culture's knowledge and wisdom and
fusing it with contemporary scientific techniques and technologies, the flaws of the current water
system can be effectively solved. A more relevant water infrastructure incorporating
development within the sustainable water cycle can be created by combining traditional water
culture and sustainable techniques. Like the rest of the world, India now shares a common
concern about water scarcity. Every state is impacted by declining groundwater levels and
inadequate water resources to fulfill demand. There is little doubt that if nothing is done, the
problem will only get worse due to the growing population and the effects of global warming.

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The primary cause of individuals being forced to move to cities that are already struggling with
population pressure is a water shortage in rural areas. In addition, many human pressures are
already on metropolitan areas, such as industrial growth, desertification, pollution, and
biodiversity loss. This fact alone calls for immediate action to conserve the already limited
resources in rural areas, without which the situation will only worsen over time and spiral out of
control. It is crucial first to identify the underlying causes of the challenging water crisis in order
to address them. Most people, including the media and policymakers, have asserted that it is
neither the delayed monsoon nor the lack of rain. It is more likely the government's long-
standing ignorance. The leading causes of the current water problem include ignoring an unwise
distribution system, encouraging bad habits, and abusing the nation's water resources. In addition
to inevitable reasons like growing urbanization, population expansion, and industrialization that
can be held equally accountable for the impending disaster, these are the more significant ones.
Although issues like climate change have gotten out of control, its roots may also be traced back
to various human actions. In addition to this, and perhaps most importantly, India's traditional
water resources have been severely neglected, worsening the current water problem.

3. Why have traditional water resources depleted?

India's villages suffer from a severe lack of water for domestic and agricultural purposes, with
farmers bearing the brunt of the problem during the growing season. The agriculture industry
uses water inefficiently, accounting for 90% of groundwater withdrawals and 80% of India's
total water resources. The majority of India's crops require a lot of water. This country also has
low water use efficiency and uncontrolled groundwater, which are significant factors in the
country's high agricultural water demand. Because of its widespread reliance on flood irrigation
techniques and poor crop choices, the nation has low surface and groundwater irrigation
efficiency. The increase in pollution in water bodies brought on by the discharge of untreated
sewage and effluents is another factor contributing to the unsustainable demand for water. These
difficulties have significant water-related ramifications and may exacerbate problems with
climate change, population growth, and industrialisation.

Climate change significantly impacts rural India, especially in the agriculture industry, leading to
deforestation, moisture stress, and soil erosion due to extended dry spells. Water shortages
brought on by climate change will challenge the Indian economy, as agriculture makes up around
15% of the GDP. There is a considerable spurt in the intensity and frequency of heavy to
burdensome rainfall events and a decrease in the number of rainfall days, posing disaster risks to
rainfed agriculture. The amount of water temporarily available for agriculture increases with the
expansion of irrigation using water pumped from non-renewing or partially renewing
underground stores. Still, eventually, the subsurface reservoirs will be exhausted; reducing the
amount of water available and raising it to the surface will require more energy. Although
population growth is a crucial driver of development, it becomes a significant contributor to
environmental deterioration when it reaches the threshold levels the support systems allow.
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Regardless of the development initiatives inventiveness, they are unlikely to provide the intended
outcomes unless the link between the expanding population and the life support system can be
sustained. Population pressure on the environment is linked to environmental stresses such as
water pollution and increased demand for arable land. Population affects the environment mainly
via the consumption of natural resources and the creation of waste. Concerns about the human
population significantly impact the way of life and the future of humanity on the planet. Through
the development and intensification of agriculture, the unchecked spread of urbanization and
industrialization, and the loss of natural habitats, the fast population increase in a growing nation
like India is threatening the traditional water resources in the villages. As the population
increases, environmental pressures increase daily. Population spike and the resulting need for
food, energy, and housing have significantly changed water use patterns and seriously harmed
the ecosystem. Because the population could not grow as quickly as the need for food, the
expanding population put tremendous pressure on the expansion of the land at the expense of
forests and grazing grounds. All these ongoing issues are still hampering the traditional water
resources at an alarming rate.

4. Need to replenish traditional water resources

Ponds, tanks, lakes, talabs, and other types of traditional waterbodies may be found in many
areas of India. India is fortunate with an extraordinary variety of traditional waterbodies with
unique characteristics. They have a major impact on preserving and re-establishing the natural
order of things in their environments. They serve as sources of drinking water, replenish
groundwater, manage floods, sustain biodiversity, and give opportunities for individuals from a
huge array of backgrounds to earn a living. India is now dealing with a massive water crisis, with
many major cities experiencing acute water scarcity and 100 million people on the frontlines of a
state wide water disaster. This has caused India to be at the forefront of a worldwide water
catastrophe. According to studies from both the United Nations and Niti Ayog, the demand for
water will exceed double the existing supply by the year 2030, and forty percent of India's
population will not have access to drinking water that is safe at that time. This situation will get
worse. One of the causes is the growing irresponsibility and lack of conservation efforts on our
part with regard to waterbodies. Since the country's independence, the government has exercised
control over the water supply as well as the bodies of water. This has led to the neglect of
waterbodies as well as places that constitute catchments. Due to this, we now place a higher
value on land than we do on water.

In the most recent few decades, waterbodies have been subjected to persistent and unremitting
stress, the primary cause of which is the quick urbanization and uncontrolled expansion that has
taken place. It has been determined that one of the primary factors contributing to flash floods in
Mumbai (2005), Uttarakhand (2013), Jammu & Kashmir (2014), and Chennai (2014) is
encroachment of waterbodies (2015). In, addition, untreated effluents and sewage are continually
being discharged into water bodies, which contributes to the pollution of these bodies of water.
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86 of the nation's water bodies have a chemical oxygen demand or COD concentration that is
considered to be at or over the hazardous threshold. The number of waterbodies that might be
found in metropolitan India is quickly decreasing. For instance, in the 1960s the city of
Bangalore had a total of 262 lakes. Now, just 10 may be considered valid. In a similar vein, 137
lakes were catalogued in Ahmedabad in the year 2001. But by the year 2012, 65 of them had
already been demolished and built upon. Another example is seen in Hyderabad. It has suffered
the loss of 3,245 hectares of wetland over the course of the last 12 years. Because of the decline
in both the quality and quantity of these waterbodies, their capacity to deliver a variety of
economic and environmental services has significantly decreased. This is a problem for both the
economy and the environment. Even though there are several laws and policies on the books to
preserve and restore waterbodies, such laws and policies continue to fall short of their goals and
are ineffective.

A wide variety of traditional water features may be found throughout India's many regions, such
as ponds (called locally as taanka), lakes, vayalgam, ahars, talabs, and others.
Their vital significance in maintaining and restoring the ecological balance is undeniable. They
serve as drinking water supplies, replenish groundwater, manage flooding, protect biodiversity,
and provide livelihood possibilities for many people. One hundred million Indians have been
affected by an urgent and widespread water crisis, which has left several major cities in the
country in dire need of water. When it comes to replenishing water bodies, we need to accept
that a single solution may or may not work for all of the structures. The approach adopted to
address a problem will differ depending on the goals, ecological services, livelihoods, and
cultural practices associated with a given body of water.

Certain measures can be taken to replenish traditional water resources

 Tank desilting in order to remove fine sand and dirt particles that are carried by running
water and that eventually form sediments.
 Tests on traditional water structures should be conducted on economic, environmental
and social factors.
 Participation from the neighbourhood and community members in the process of
replenishing the water structures.
 Enhancement of the structural support provided by the walls that surround the water body
with the application of additional reinforcements.
The replenishment of the traditional water has resulted in the following outcomes:
 Recharging groundwater
 Increased agricultural output
 Increment in employment levels

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4.1 Traditional water structures and their replenishment systems

 Talab /Bandhi

Talab and Bandhi can be replenished through Rainwater harvesting, which is an attempt to
provide populations in drought-affected regions with a supply of fresh water source that is
available throughout the year. It would take between one and two percent of annual rainfall to
satisfy the drinking requirements of a billion people, which are set at 15 litres per person per day.

 Khadin

o Replenishment of Khadin is possible through the conservation of surface runoffs,

 Jal Kund

Rainwater harvesting is a procedure that may be used to replenish the water in Jalkund. This
approach entails storing the water that is gathered during the dry season so that it can be used
during the monsoon season. Construction of borewells in the area around the Jalkund is done to
ensure that the structure was adequately supplied with water.

6. References

1. Tomar, B. (2020, August 28). Water-stressed Indian Villages Need To Revive Traditional

Water Management System. Https://Www.Outlookindia.Com/.

https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/opinion-water-stressed-indian-villages-need-to-

revive-traditional-water-management-system/359476

2. Sarbapriya, Ray & Corresponding, & Aditya, Ishita. (2011). Impact of Population Growth

on Environmental Degradation: Case of India. Journal of Economics. 2.

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3. Water Harvesting Systems : Traditional Systems. (n.d.). Traditional Systems.

http://www.rainwaterharvesting.org/Rural/Traditional1.htm

4. Pal, S. (2016, July 15). Modern India Can Learn a Lot from These 20 Traditional Water

Conservation Systems. The Better India. https://www.thebetterindia.com/61757/traditional-

water-conservation-systems-india/

5. India needs to conserve waterbodies and value them. (n.d.). Down to Earth.

https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/water/india-needs-to-conserve-waterbodies-and-value-

them-65998

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