GREEN TECHNOLOGY IN WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
- AN OVERVIEW
Dr.R.Paranthaman
Professor of Civil Engineering, Periyar Maniammai University &
Former Chief Engineer,TNPWD
1 Preamble
? TECHNOLOGY is application of knowledge for practical purposes.
? and GREEN TECHNOLOGY is that which aims at preserving natural resources for the
posterity even while using them for development of the present.
? SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, in other words, is the keyword of Green Technology.
So, while evolving new materials, methods and techniques for societal development a
Green Technologist takes utmost care on using the natural resources without
damaging or depleting them. And for this reason Green Technology is also called as
Environmental Technology or Clean Technology.
Water is the most important natural resource, of course, next only to air because
there can be no life on earth without water. That is why Thiruvalluvar declares that
‘world cannot survive without water’ (Neerinri Amaiyadhu Ulagu)
2. Water as a Natural Resource
Saline water in the form of seas and oceans occupy over 70% of the global area amounting to
97.50% of global water. This water, of course, is not fit for human consumption because of it’s
acute salinity. Only the remaining 2.5% of water is fit for human consumption. Even in that,
deducting that quantity of water available in polar and cold regions in the form of ice and
glaciers, only 1% of the total global water is actually available for human consumption.
There are certain strange features and characteristics applicable only to water compared to
other natural resources as listed below.
? There is no substitute for water unlike other natural resources.
? Water is renewable in the sense that every year certain quantity of water is brought to
the land from the seas and oceans by Hydrologic cycle . So it fixes its own quantum,
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annually.
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? Precipitation (ie Rainfall and snowfall) is the only sou rce of water. There is no ´
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alternative source for water.
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? Water is indispensable for life unlike other natural resources.
3. Technology used in Water Resources development
? There are two major areas in water resources development
i)
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Infrastructure like Dams and Reservoirs to impound water to be used at times of £
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need.
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ii)
Conveyance and distribution network to take water from the place of storage to
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the place of consumption and put it to proper use.
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The Technology adopted in construction of Dams and Reservoirs and distribution network has ˜
undergone enormous improvement and refinement over the years and preserve the
environment effectively except for the area brought under submersion in the Reservoir. The
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