India faces increasing water scarcity due to factors like population growth, overexploitation of resources, and pollution from industry and agriculture. While India receives 4% of the world's precipitation annually, its available fresh water resources per person are low and expected to decline further by 2025. To address scarcity, India employs strategies like building dams and canals for irrigation, as well as multipurpose river valley projects. However, these projects have also caused conflicts over displacement and environmental impacts. Rainwater harvesting is presented as a more sustainable alternative that revives traditional techniques suited to local conditions.

1. INDIA –WATER RESOURCES
 Three-fourth or 71% of the
earth is covered by water.
 The fresh water is mainly
obtained from surface runoff
and ground water that is
continuously renewed and
recharged thro hydrological
cycle.
 Water is a renewable
resource.

2. Some Facts and Figures
 96.5%of total water is estimated to exist in oceans
and 2.5% is fresh water.
 India receives nearly 4%of global precipitation and
ranks 133 in world in terms of water available per
person per annum.
 The total renewable water resourced of India are
estimated at1897 sq km pa.
 By 2025, it is predicted that large parts of India will
join countries/regions having water scarcity.

3. Water Scarcity

4. Water Scarcity- Causes
(Quantitative)
 Increase in population
 Overexploitation
 Fall in ground water levels
.
 Intensive Industrialization
and Urbanizations and
growth of Multinational
companies.

5. Qualitative Availability
Water is available but there is
scarcity due to
1.Bad quality of water.
2. Polluted water through
domestic and industrial
wastes, chemicals
fertilizers , pesticides in
agriculture.

6. Need for Water Conservation and
Management
 By constructing
hydraulic structures like
dams, reservoirs
,embankments, canals
for irrigation.
 Multipurpose River
Valley projects.Ex-
BhakraNangal Project.

7. Multipurpose RiverValley Project
 They aim at integrated water resource
management.
 In recent times MPP have come under great
scrutiny and opposition.
 They have been cause of new social
movements like Narmada Bachao Andolan,
Tehri Dam Andolan.
 Irrigation has also changed the cropping
pattern of many regions with farmers shifting
to water intensive and commercial crops.
 There are inter-state water disputes.

8. Rain Water Harvesting
 Rain water harvesting has been
considered a viable alternative
to Multipurpose projects both
socio-economically and
environmentally.
 RWH is not a new concept and
has been prevalent since
ancient times. For ex-
Kuls of wn Himalayas, Khadins in
Jaisalmer underground tankas
in Rajasthan.
In Mysore Rooftops are used for
RWH.

9. Some Old Ways of RWH
 Khadins in Jaisalmer
 Underground tankas in
Rajasthan

10. ASSIGNMENT.
 What is water scarcity and what are its main
causes?
 Compare the advantages
 and disadvantages of multi-purpose river
project.