Water Resources

Revision Notes
Class – 10 Social Science (Geography)

Chapter 3 - Water Resources
● Earth's surface is covered three-fourth with water, but very small percentage
of water is usable and accessible to us. This is mainly the surface run-off and
groundwater which can be renewed by the hydrological process. Still, Water
scarcity persists.
● Causes of Water Scarcity: Some of the common causes are:-
1. Uneven Precipitation - The seasonal and annual rainfall varies with respect to
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,
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. Farmer owns individual water pumps, which causes decreased
groundwater level in that region, causing scarcity and drought.
4. Industries - Industries not only harm and pollute the water resources like rivers
and lakes, 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 of garbage in water bodies pollute

them and makes them unfit for use.
● Solutions for Water Scarcity
1. Dams:
Dams are a hydraulic structures built to store water for future use. They act as
reservoir. They become barrier and restrict the flow of water which can be
later used for purposes such as irrigation, domestic use, industrial use,
aquaculture, etc.
Uses:
a. It is used in Irrigating the feilds.
b. Used in Electricity Generation: In the Sutlej-Beas River Basin, The

Bhakra- Nangal Dam is used widely for hydel power production and
irrigation.
c. Used as Water supply for domestic purposes.
d. Used to Supply water for industries and manufacturers.
e. Used in Flood control:- The Hirakud Dam in the Mahanadi basin is

used for flood control.
f. Used for Recreational purposes like water parks
g. Used in Inland Navigation.
h. Used in Fish Breeding.
Jawaharlal Nehru claimed dams to be "Temples of Modern India '' as they

would help in activites like agriculture, development of village economy,
blooming of industries, and growth of the urban economy.
❖ Disadvantages of Dams
➢ Constructions of Dam interrupted the flow of water which caused the

irregular flow of sediments, increasing the sedimentation in the
reservoir, which caused the livelihood of aquatic animals quite difficult.
The dam led to fragmented rivers which caused the migration of aquatic
organisms difficult.
➢ Local People started getting displaced from their land.
➢ Due to high water availability, all farmers preferred commercial crops,

which caused an ecological imbalance.
➢ There was an increase in the social gap as they caused disputes among
the people wanting their water needs to get prioritized. Even inter-state
disputes became common.
➢ Flood control dams triggered floods as well because of the

sedimentation in the reservoir. When excessive rainfall occured, dams
failed to control floods. The release of water from dams caused the
floods itself many times.
➢ Land degradation: Other than the loss of lives and properties, the flood
also eroded soil.
2. Rainwater Harvesting
Rainwater harvesting is done according to the region and its climatic

conditions. It is done in India since ancient times.
❖ In Western Himalayas - 'guls' or 'kuls' were formed which were the

diversion channels for water for agriculture.
❖ In Rajasthan - Rooftop Rainwater harvesting is common.
❖ In West Bengal - Inundation channels are formed for irrigation.
❖ 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.

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Revision Notes

Class – 10 Social Science (Geography)

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

2. Over Exploitation- With the increasing population and unequal access to

3. Irrigative agricultural fields- Water is needed in a large quantity for growing

5. Releasing untreated chemicals into water bodies by the industries.

6. Unplanned drainage system:- Throwing of garbage in water bodies pollute

a. It is used in Irrigating the feilds.

b. Used in Electricity Generation: In the Sutlej-Beas River Basin, The

c. Used as Water supply for domestic purposes.

d. Used to Supply water for industries and manufacturers.

e. Used in Flood control:- The Hirakud Dam in the Mahanadi basin is

f. Used for Recreational purposes like water parks

g. Used in Inland Navigation.

h. Used in Fish Breeding.

Jawaharlal Nehru claimed dams to be "Temples of Modern India '' as they

➢ Constructions of Dam interrupted the flow of water which caused the

➢ Local People started getting displaced from their land.

➢ Due to high water availability, all farmers preferred commercial crops,

➢ Flood control dams triggered floods as well because of the

Rainwater harvesting is done according to the region and its climatic

❖ In Western Himalayas - 'guls' or 'kuls' were formed which were the

❖ In Rajasthan - Rooftop Rainwater harvesting is common.

❖ In West Bengal - Inundation channels are formed for irrigation.

❖ In Arid and Semi-arid regions - Agricultural fields are used as rain-fed

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