PRESTIGE CONVENT SCHOOL
CLASS X
NOTES & QUESTION BANK
CH-3 WATER RESOURCES
Water is a renewable resource
Freshwater is mainly obtained from surface runoff and groundwater that is continually being
renewed and rechanged through the hydrological cycle. All water moves within the hydrological
cycle ensuring that water is a renewable resource.
The availability of water resources varies over space and time, mainly due to the variations in
seasonal and annual precipitation.
Water Scarcity and the Need for Water Conservation and Management:
Water Scarcity is the lack of freshwater resources to meet the demands of water usage within a
region.
Main causes of water scarcity:
Water scarcity in most cases is caused by over-exploitation, excessive use, and unequal
access to water among different social groups.
Water scarcity may be an outcome of a large and growing population and consequent
greater demands for water and unequal access to it.
To facilitate higher food-grain production, water resources are being over-exploited to
expand irrigated areas for dry-season agriculture.
Intensive industrialization and urbanization exerted pressure on existing freshwater
resources.
Even if water is sufficiently available to meet the needs of the people, much of it is
maybe polluted by domestic and industrial wastes, chemicals, pesticides, and fertilizers
used in agriculture, thus causing water scarcity.
Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM)
The Goal of JJM is to enable every rural household to get an assured supply of potable piped
water at a service level of 55 liters per capita per day regularly on a long-term basis by ensuring
the functionality of the tap water connections.
Need for Water Conservation
1. Sustainable Resource Management: Conserving water ensures its availability for future
generations and sustains ecosystems.
2. Mitigating Water Scarcity: Many regions face water scarcity, and conservation helps
balance supply and demand.
3. Preserving Aquatic Ecosystems: Conserved water supports healthy habitats for aquatic
plants and animals.
4. Reducing Energy Consumption: Water treatment and distribution consume energy, and
conserving water lowers energy demands.
5. Agricultural Efficiency: Efficient irrigation practices save water and optimize
agricultural productivity.
6. Economic Benefits: Water conservation lowers costs for individuals, businesses, and
governments.
7. Addressing Climate Change: Reduced water wastage contributes to climate change
mitigation.
, 8. Minimizing Water Pollution: Conservation reduces the need for pollutant removal from
water sources.
Multi-purpose River Projects and Integrated Water Resources Management:
A dam is a barrier across flowing water that obstructs, directs, or retards the flow, often creating
a reservoir, lake, or impoundment. “Dam” refers to the reservoir rather than the structure.
Jawaharlal Nehru proclaimed the dams as the „Temples of modern India‟ because
They integrate the development of agriculture and the village economy with rapid
industrialization and growth of the urban economy.
They provide water for irrigation.
They provide water for electricity generation
Provide water supply for domestic and industrial uses.
Helps in flood control.
Provide recreation
Helps in inland navigation.
Useful for fish breeding.
Hence, dams are now referred to as multi-purpose projects where the many uses of the
impounded water are integrated with one another.
In recent years, multi-purpose projects and large dams have come under great scrutiny
and opposition for a variety of reasons
Regulating and damming of rivers affect their natural flow causing poor sediment flow
and excessive sedimentation at the bottom of the reservoir, resulting in rockier stream
beds and poorer habitats for the rivers‟ aquatic life.
Dams also fragment rivers making it difficult for aquatic fauna to migrate, especially for
spawning.
The dams have triggered floods due to sedimentation in the reservoir and the release of
excess water during heavy rains.
Multipurpose projects induced earthquakes, caused water-borne diseases, and pests, and
lead to pollution resulting from excessive use of water.
Irrigation has changed the cropping pattern of many regions with farmers shifting to
water-intensive and commercial crops. This has great ecological consequences like
salinization of the soil.
The dams increase the social gap between the richer landowners and the landless poor.
The dams create inter-state water disputes with regard to sharing the costs and benefits of
the multi-purpose project.
Most of the objections to the projects arose due to their failure to achieve the purposes for
which they were built.
Ironically, the dams that were constructed to control floods have triggered floods due to
sedimentation in the reservoir.
Moreover, the big dams have mostly been unsuccessful in controlling floods at the time
of excessive rainfall. The floods have not only devastated life and property but also
caused extensive soil erosion.
Sedimentation also meant that the flood plains were deprived of silt, a natural fertilizer,
further adding to the problem of land degradation.
It was also observed that the multi-purpose projects induced earthquakes, causing water-
borne diseases and pests, and pollution resulting from excessive use of water.
Narmada Bachao Andolan or Save Narmada Movement
CLASS X
NOTES & QUESTION BANK
CH-3 WATER RESOURCES
Water is a renewable resource
Freshwater is mainly obtained from surface runoff and groundwater that is continually being
renewed and rechanged through the hydrological cycle. All water moves within the hydrological
cycle ensuring that water is a renewable resource.
The availability of water resources varies over space and time, mainly due to the variations in
seasonal and annual precipitation.
Water Scarcity and the Need for Water Conservation and Management:
Water Scarcity is the lack of freshwater resources to meet the demands of water usage within a
region.
Main causes of water scarcity:
Water scarcity in most cases is caused by over-exploitation, excessive use, and unequal
access to water among different social groups.
Water scarcity may be an outcome of a large and growing population and consequent
greater demands for water and unequal access to it.
To facilitate higher food-grain production, water resources are being over-exploited to
expand irrigated areas for dry-season agriculture.
Intensive industrialization and urbanization exerted pressure on existing freshwater
resources.
Even if water is sufficiently available to meet the needs of the people, much of it is
maybe polluted by domestic and industrial wastes, chemicals, pesticides, and fertilizers
used in agriculture, thus causing water scarcity.
Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM)
The Goal of JJM is to enable every rural household to get an assured supply of potable piped
water at a service level of 55 liters per capita per day regularly on a long-term basis by ensuring
the functionality of the tap water connections.
Need for Water Conservation
1. Sustainable Resource Management: Conserving water ensures its availability for future
generations and sustains ecosystems.
2. Mitigating Water Scarcity: Many regions face water scarcity, and conservation helps
balance supply and demand.
3. Preserving Aquatic Ecosystems: Conserved water supports healthy habitats for aquatic
plants and animals.
4. Reducing Energy Consumption: Water treatment and distribution consume energy, and
conserving water lowers energy demands.
5. Agricultural Efficiency: Efficient irrigation practices save water and optimize
agricultural productivity.
6. Economic Benefits: Water conservation lowers costs for individuals, businesses, and
governments.
7. Addressing Climate Change: Reduced water wastage contributes to climate change
mitigation.
, 8. Minimizing Water Pollution: Conservation reduces the need for pollutant removal from
water sources.
Multi-purpose River Projects and Integrated Water Resources Management:
A dam is a barrier across flowing water that obstructs, directs, or retards the flow, often creating
a reservoir, lake, or impoundment. “Dam” refers to the reservoir rather than the structure.
Jawaharlal Nehru proclaimed the dams as the „Temples of modern India‟ because
They integrate the development of agriculture and the village economy with rapid
industrialization and growth of the urban economy.
They provide water for irrigation.
They provide water for electricity generation
Provide water supply for domestic and industrial uses.
Helps in flood control.
Provide recreation
Helps in inland navigation.
Useful for fish breeding.
Hence, dams are now referred to as multi-purpose projects where the many uses of the
impounded water are integrated with one another.
In recent years, multi-purpose projects and large dams have come under great scrutiny
and opposition for a variety of reasons
Regulating and damming of rivers affect their natural flow causing poor sediment flow
and excessive sedimentation at the bottom of the reservoir, resulting in rockier stream
beds and poorer habitats for the rivers‟ aquatic life.
Dams also fragment rivers making it difficult for aquatic fauna to migrate, especially for
spawning.
The dams have triggered floods due to sedimentation in the reservoir and the release of
excess water during heavy rains.
Multipurpose projects induced earthquakes, caused water-borne diseases, and pests, and
lead to pollution resulting from excessive use of water.
Irrigation has changed the cropping pattern of many regions with farmers shifting to
water-intensive and commercial crops. This has great ecological consequences like
salinization of the soil.
The dams increase the social gap between the richer landowners and the landless poor.
The dams create inter-state water disputes with regard to sharing the costs and benefits of
the multi-purpose project.
Most of the objections to the projects arose due to their failure to achieve the purposes for
which they were built.
Ironically, the dams that were constructed to control floods have triggered floods due to
sedimentation in the reservoir.
Moreover, the big dams have mostly been unsuccessful in controlling floods at the time
of excessive rainfall. The floods have not only devastated life and property but also
caused extensive soil erosion.
Sedimentation also meant that the flood plains were deprived of silt, a natural fertilizer,
further adding to the problem of land degradation.
It was also observed that the multi-purpose projects induced earthquakes, causing water-
borne diseases and pests, and pollution resulting from excessive use of water.
Narmada Bachao Andolan or Save Narmada Movement
