So the supply (Quantity of water available for use) is almost fixed. But the demand on water
goes on increasing due to increase in population and improvement in standard of living. The
worlds water demand is expected to increase by 40 to 50% from the year 2010 to 2030.
The increase in population naturally demands a proportionate increase in food production. More
and more land has to be brought under cultivation resulting in increase in demand on water for
irrigation.
There being no alternative source or substitute for water the demand and supply in respect of
water has to be very carefully planned.
However innovation of improved and Hi-tech methods in Irrigation Technology and development
of new strains of food crops consuming less water can save sizable quantity of water which can
be beneficially used to bring greater area of land under cultivation, catering to the increasing
societal demand on food.
ii) urbanization
? Urbanization
poses two major problems with regard
urbanization means too many people in too small area.
to water resources because
? Concentration of people in too small areas makes heavy demand on the available water
resources of the area. As the demand on water increases, uncontrolled extraction of water
from surface water bodies and Groundwater is resorted to which results in depletion and
damage of water resources of the area. Some times water has to be coveyed from outside at
a huge cost.
? Urbanization, if not properly planned (which is the case most of the times,) pollutes the
water resources heavily sometimes even beyond repair or remedy.
? Haphazard urban growth should be curtailed. Urbanization should be properly planned and
provided with well designed suitable water supply and sewage disposal schemes.
7. Pollution of water resources
Even as so much of alarm is being raised about the scarcity of water resources and the
increasing demand it is surprising and shocking tha t the available potential is being
subjected to continuous degradation due to casual pollution Neither the agencies causing
pollution nor those in charge of controlling pollution nor the custodians of water bodies
seem to be worried about the fast and continuous degradation of the water resources.
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†
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Very few towns and cities in India are planned ones. Most of them have grown haphazardly
ñ
over a long period of time without any planning or control
£
• A system of wastage disposal to keep the town clean is thought of only very late after ù
Š
enough damage had been caused to the environment by the Municipal waste.
i)
Pollution due to municipal waste
Green Technology for Municipal waste disposal has developed techniques whereby the waste
ªð
is used to generate energy ( heat or power) by producing methane gas and a rich fertilizer £
as the products of Biomethenation process.
P
This Technology proves to be doubly beneficial because it disposes off the municipal waster ò
usefully keeping the environment clean and at the same time produces Gas/Power. By £
÷
this the water treatment process, in addition to being self supporting also brings additional
˜
revenue. Incidentally it also becomes an alternative source of energy.
The most important feature of such Municipal waste treatment is that it prevents pollution of
water resources of the area.
fl;Lkhdg; nghwpahsh;
39
mf;Nlhgh; 2013