Fast Depletion Of Potable Water

World has rightly expressed the concern over global warming resulting due to temp rise as after effect of GHG emissions. However, no general consensus could reach at Copenhagen, but US and Basic nations (India, China, Brazil & South Africa) have agreed to yet another kind of arrangement which could provide a new direction and these nations could emerge as aspiring future leader to protect environment along with US. Controlling GHG emissions, if implemented seriously, would definitely bear some fruits with consistent efforts in the proper direction and dimension.

While it seems we are progressing in desired direction to contain the devil of Global Warming, we have not done enough or realised the need of another basic and very important requirement of our life i.e. Potable Water.

It is an obvious fact that water availability is on decline. As per available reports, water quantity in most rivers demonstrates a declining trend for quite some time. We have already lost the River Saraswati, River Yamuna is at verge of extinction as per gradually reducing water level. River Ganga seems to be very enthusiastic to follow the suit. Gau-Mukh glacier has shrunk more than twenty five kilometers and is under threat of diminishing shortly within two to three decades unless any recovery takes place. Other Rivers are also joining hands in negative water resources.

Rivers are not alone in losing water, we have also registered loses to lakes and ponds. So many water ponds have disappeared for construction or agricultural activities. Disappearance of surface water accumulation at most places all over and exploitation of ground water resources for agricultural and anthropogenic reasons, subsurface water level has been dipping continuously pushing water level deeper and deeper.

Decline in level of surface & subsurface water has been contributing to reduction of water in flowing rivers and failure of hand pumps / tube wells. Subsurface water shall dip down so much so to make all the normal tube wells difficult to function. This situation needs to be tackled effectively and timely.

Recharging of water can be seen as the only way to replenishment of the sub surface water. Initial recharge would be consumed in arresting the fall of water level in underneath earth. Water harvesting at large scale is the only answer/alternate available to cater for the potable water.

Importance of surface water in form of lakes and ponds cannot be undermined as this would help to strengthen the recharging of subsurface water as well. Reviving of surface water bodies got lot of scope in rural areas in addition to cities. We need to encourage the peasants and other residents of villages to adopt such methods which help in preserving the ponds and lakes. Revival of surface water and recharge of subsurface water would bring the real revolution and we may reach to a stage where good quality water shall be available for everyone for long time to come.