ABOUT WATER RESOURCES

1. S.KIRAN
CSE IIA

2.  About 97% of earth's surface is covered by water.​
 Most animals and plants have 60-65 % water in
their bodies.​
 An average human beings contain 45 liters of water
and if he losses 2.5 to 3 liters he gets dehydration,
sunstroke etc..​

3.  Exists in liquid in between 0-100 degree Centigrade.
 It has highest specific heat.
 It has a high latent heat of vaporization.
 It is excellent solvent for several nutrients.
 It has an anomalous expansion behavior.
 The water we use keeps on cycling endlessly through
the environment, which we call as HYDROLOGICAL
CYCLE.

4.  Human beings depend on water for almost every
developmental activity. Water is used for
drinking, irrigation, transportation, washing and
waste disposal for industries and used as a
coolant for thermal power plants.

5. WATER USE
WATER WITHDRAWAL WATER CONSUMPTION

6.  WATER WITHDRAWAL: Taking water from
groundwater or surface water resource.
 WATER CONSUMPTION: The water which
is taken up but not returned for reuse.
 In 2000, about 57% of the world’s freshwater
withdrawal, and 70% of its consumption, took place in
Asia, where the world’s major irrigated lands are
located (UNESCO, 1999).
 In the coming decades, the most intensive rate of
water withdrawal is expected to occur in Africa and
South America (increasing by 1.5-1.6 times), while the
least will take place in Europe and North America (1.2
times)

8.  Groundwater is the water located beneath Earth's
surface in soil pore spaces and in
the fractures of rock formations.
 About 9.86% of total fresh water resources is in the
form of ground water.
 It is 35-50 times that of surface water.
 Till some time back ground water was considered to
be pure. But later, ground water is also found to be
contaminated by leachates from sanitary landfills etc.
 Water at very shallow depths might be just a few
hours old; at moderate depth, it may be 100 years
old; and at great depth or after having flowed long
distances from places of entry, water may be several
thousands of years old.

10.  AQUIFIER:
Ground water is stored in, and moves slowly
through, moderately to highly permeable rocks
called aquifers.
• The word aquifer comes from the two Latin words,
aqua, or water, and ferre, to bear or carry.
• Aquifers literally carry water underground.
• An aquifer may be a layer of gravel or sand, a layer of
sandstone or cavernous limestone, a rubbly top or base
of lava flows, or even a large body of massive rock, such
as fractured granite, that has sizable openings.

12.  UNCONFINED AQUIFER:
An unconfined aquifer is close to the land
surface, being under the direct influence of the
climatic factors (precipitations mainly, but
temperature also).
 CONFINED AQUIFER:
A confined aquifer is overlain by a
confining layer (Figure 9.2), which is generally semi-
pervious, allowing vertical fluxes between the
adjacent layers.

14.  Lowering of the Water Table: Excessive pumping can
lower the groundwater table, and cause wells to no longer be
able to reach groundwater.
 Increased Costs: As the water table lowers, the water must
be pumped farther to reach the surface, using more energy.
In extreme cases, using such a well can be cost prohibitive.
 Reduced Surface Water Supplies: Groundwater and surface
water are connected. When groundwater is overused, the
lakes, streams, and rivers connected to groundwater can also
have their supply diminished.
 Land Subsidence: Land subsidence occurs when there is a
loss of support below ground. This is most often caused by
human activities, mainly from the overuse of groundwater,
when the soil collapses, compacts, and drops.
 Water Quality Concerns:Excessive pumping in coastal areas
can cause saltwater to move inland and upward, resulting in
saltwater contamination of the water supply.

15.  Surface water is water on the surface of the
planet such as in a stream, river, lake, wetland,
or ocean. It can be contrasted with
groundwater and atmospheric water. Non-
saline surface water is replenished by
precipitation and by recruitment from ground-
water.

16.  A flood is an overflow of water that submerges land
which is usually dry.
 Deforestation, overgrazing, mining, rapid
industrialization, global warming etc. are
the reasons for floods.

17.  2014 Jammu & Kashmir Floods : Jammu and
Kashmir is witnessing worst flood situation in nearly
six decades due to incessant rain and flash floods.
River Jhelum and its tributaries are flowing above
danger mark. Nearly, 138 people have been killed so
far even as the Indian Army has launched a major
rescue operation and evacuated 11,000 people to
safety by deploying 100 columns of troops in flood-hit
areas of the state. The Vaishno Devi Yatra has also
been suspended.

18.  Drought is an extended period when a region receives
a deficiency in its water supply, whether
atmospheric, surface or ground water. A drought can
last for months or years, or may be declared after as
few as 15 days.[1] Generally, this occurs when a region
receives consistently below average precipitation. It
can have a substantial impact on
the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected
region.

19.  Sushri Uma Bharati
Minister for Water Resources, River
Development and Ganga Rejuvenation
 Prof. Sanwar Lal Jat
Minister of State for Water Resources,
River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation