Dangerous
drought
Sir,
As the
monsoon is playing truant for the last
decade major part of India is currently
reeling under unprecedented drought. The
ground water level is falling rapidly
compounding the crisis of drinking water
and irrigation. At present 12 states in
general and Govt. of India in particular
are preparing draft plans to face this
natural clamity on war footing. There is
lull in market and Sensex is loosing
points.
As 80
percent of India lives in villages and
agriculture is back bone of Indian
economy, the planners sitting on the helm
of affairs need to prepare an effective
strategy to fight recurrent drought in
near future. The failure of monsoon every
year is attributed to global warning and
future projections of monsoons are very
bleak. The drinking water and irrigation
problems can be tackled if our Government
lays stress on core areas of water
management and conservation as follows:-
Afforestation:-
Every year forests and denude beyond our
imagination due to huge fires,
exploitation of natural resources such as
illegal mining feeling of trees, etc. The
World Bank aided social forestry and
water shed projects have not given the
desired results. The fragile ecosystem of
Himalays and Shivaliks is the worst
sufferer of this environmental tragedy.
It is reported that Shivaliks have lost
90 percent of floura and fauna in last
decade. Whatever rain this area receives
is washed away quickly due to steep
gradient-taking away valuable top soil,
vegetation causing flash floods and land
slides. There should be a massive drive
for afforestation through NGOs. The
original forest wealth must be protected
against fires and land mafias on priority
basis.
Whatever
water received through rains can be
harvested by constructing check dams and
ponds which can be utilised for drinking
and irrigation purposes in lean periods.
Roof top rain water harvesting should be
made mandatory in future constructions in
cities. This water can be collected in
underground tanks, can be effectively
used for household purposes, removing
some pressures on public health
engineering deptt. and Jal Boards.
More and
more tube wells and deep ground bore
wells are commissioned every year to meet
out ever increasing demand of drinking
water and irrigation of cities and
farmers. The ground water resource is
exploited in a big way as compared to
amount recharged, through modern
technology. A day will come when this
resource shall be depleted beyond repair.
The water level is falling sharply in our
cities and country side. The rain water
harvested can be directed to a deep pit
or well which percolates to ground thus
increasing level of water, and it is not
too late to undertake the effective water
management and rain water harvesting
policy to its logical end. This needs a
firm and sincere Government initiative
and peoples movement for welfare on
society to save environment from further
deterioration.
Your
etc...
Dr. Ram Chander Sharma
Sunderbani
Distt. Rajouri.
|
