Status and Management of Water Resources (Especial Reference to India)

Abstract

Water is an invaluable natural resource and a life-giving element provide by the natutre. It is proved that the first life originated in water and from the earliest times human civilizations developed in the form of river valley civilizations on the banks of water sources. Water cycle is essential for the sustainable ecosystems of the earth, but over the decades, human greed for indiscriminate development, deforestation, rapid industrialization and urbanization, and consequent natural disasters have unbalanced the environment, leading to drastic changes in the global climate. Today climate change is not only a major global environmental problem but also a serious matter of concern for the third world countries like India. Since the last century, the Indian subcontinent has experienced trends of increasing temperature. Climate change is directly related to water and having a serious impact on Indian water resources. Changes in the water cycle due to climate change are natural, leading to heavy rainfall, flooding in some areas and droughts in other areas. It is estimated that 12 percent of the total geographical area of the country is flood prone and 16 percent geographical area is drought prone respectively. Changes in land use, inter-basin transfers, uncontrolled and unscientific irrigation and drainage have changed the water cycle in most of river basins in India. However, most of India's water problems are related to groundwater and, we are the largest user of groundwater in the world. Overpopulation has led to a huge water demand. Water quantity and quality are affected because of inefficient water resource management. Therefore, to insure the availability of water resources for next generations, there is a need for integrated and sustainable approaches of water resources management at every level, i.e., assessment of availability of water resources, managing variability for increasing demands and potential impacts of climate change. The paper is an attempt to present the availability and use of water resources in the specific context of India and recommend some measures of sustainable water management.