Sustainable Development of Vegetation and Groundwater in Didwana Block of Nagaur District, Central Part of Rajasthan
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P: ISSN NO.: 2394-0344 RNI No.UPBIL/2016/67980 VOL-2* ISSUE-8* November- 2017 E: ISSN NO.: 2455-0817 Remarking An Analisation Sustainable Development of Vegetation and Groundwater in Didwana Block of Nagaur District, Central Part of Rajasthan, India Abstract Rajasthan, the biggest state of the country has great reverence for trees and water. Due to arid climatic condition and scarcity of surface water resources, vegetation in the State is sparse and inhabitants are dependent largely on groundwater for drinking and agriculture purposes besides monsoon rain. Plants with only xerophytic adaptations are able to establish themselves. The bulk of vegetation consists of stunted, thorny or prickly shrubs and perennial herbs capable of drought resistance. Permanent vegetation of the entire area is, therefore, xerophytic in character and shows various xerophytic features like deep root, dry, hard and rod-like, thick or fleshy stems; spines and indumentums well-developed; leaves either absent or much reduced usually with a coating of wax or hair to prevent excessive evaporation. Due to unfavorable Hydrogeological and meteorological conditions groundwater resources are limited and its impacts reflected in vegetation type and pattern present in the state. Nagaur district falls in central part of Rajasthan and covers an area of 17718 sq. kms. and lies between 26 23 35 to 27 42 16 north latitude and 73 04 32 to 75 21 39 east Jehangeer Rehman longitude. Like other contiguous districts of the State, Nagaur, in terms of Quereishi climate, is conspicuous for extreme dryness, large variations of temperature Associate Professor, and highly variable rainfall. The district experiences an arid to semi arid type of climate. The rainfall is scanty (average 450 mm per annum), and surface Deptt.of Botany, run off is insignificant. Well-developed drainage is lacking and mostly the Govt.Bangur College, area is having internal drainage system. Geologically, Nagaur district has a Didwana, Nagaur, wide spectrum of rock formations i.e. the Archaean basement rocks to the Rajasthan recent alluvial and desert sands of great Thar Desert. Six major aquifers demarcated in the district. Depth to water in these aquifers varies from 3 meters to 80 meters below ground level. Groundwater movement is in southeast to northwest direction. Fluoride’s presence in groundwater has drawn attention of society, due to its impact on human physiology. High concentration of fluoride in a particular belt of this district is so remarkable that people call that area as BANKA PATTI (Banka -distorted, Patti-belt). Arid to semi-arid climate, low, and erratic rainfall, absence of surface water resources, recurrent famines and lowering of the water table aggravates the miseries of inhabitants. The study area of Didwana block of the Nagaur district lying in the northeastern part of the district covers about 1637.59 sq.kms area. Saline patches covering large tracts, occur in Didwana block. They are converted into swamps in the rainy season and into desert in the dry season. Such tracts are equally unfavorable to the native as well as introduced species, the principal exceptions to this being some members of the Chenopodiaceae. This family includes a number of lime-loving or salt- loving herbs. These plants are so characteristic of the saline lands that they Arun Vyas can well serve as soil indicators. Groundwater quality and Depth to water Associate Professor, varies considerably in the block. Overexploitation of groundwater resources in the block resulting in depletion of water table at alarming rate, desaturation Deptt.of Geology, of aquifers and deterioration in chemical quality of groundwater. Therefore Govt.Bangur College, study area is recommended for adoption of adequate measures for Didwana, Nagaur, conservation and judicious management of groundwater resources. Rajasthan Groundwater storage of depleted aquifers can be improved by adopting various suitable artificial recharge methods. Rainwater harvesting through roofs of the houses to the underground tanks for drinking purposes should be promoted in the study area. Application of remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) can be used for better management schemes to look for new promising sites for proliferation of climate friendly vegetation and for check on water level depletion for sustainable development (Quereishi, J. and Vyas, A. 2008). 17 P: ISSN NO.: 2394-0344 RNI No.UPBIL/2016/67980 VOL-2* ISSUE-8* November- 2017 E: ISSN NO.: 2455-0817 Remarking An Analisation Keywords : Nagaur District, Banka Patti, Didwana, districts and on the west by Jodhpur district. The Sparse Vegetation, Groundwater. district is irregular in shape and resembles a Introduction deformed parallelogram. Two strangulated triangles Like other contiguous districts of the State, with their vertices protruding in the neighboring Nagaur, in terms of climate, is conspicuous for districts are on its eastern and western sides. The extreme dryness, large variations of temperature and topography generally is fairly even. A part of the highly variable rainfall. While the period from April to district falls in the category of “Desert” as the north- June is the summer month, November to March western region is covered with large sand dunes, constitutes the winter season. The period from July to extending sometimes in a continuous series. The September comprises the rainy season. The relative district has its general slopes towards the west. Its humidity is generally low. Barring moderate to strong elevation is about 300 meters; ranging between 250 winds during May- August, winds are generally light to meters in south and 640 meters in the north. moderate. From November to February, the winds The district is conspicuous in the absence of blow is mainly from directions between north-west and high hills. Dots of hillocks, particularly in the south- north. Westerly to south- westerly winds begins in eastern sector, are sporadically scattered. At Jayal March and these become more common with the and Khatu, the hillocks are utilized for stone advance of directions between west and south. During extraction. There is no vegetation anywhere on these October, winds are light and variable in direction. hillocks. Tikli hills are situated near Raisinghpura The normal annual rainfall in the district is village in Didwana block (Tehsil). Koliya and Patan 38.86 cm. Temperature keep on rising intensely from hills coming within the jurisdiction of Didwana block March till May and June which are known as the are not very high. In Merta, Nawa and Parbatsar mean hottest month. The maximum temperature in blocks (Tehsils), off- shoots of Aravalli range are Nagaur district goes up to 470 C and the minimum 00 projected specially along the common border with C. The mean temperature remained at 23.50 C. With Ajmer district. Hills near Kuchaman and Nawa attain the onset of south-west monsoon by July, there is a some height. Masonary stones especially “Pattis” significant fall in the day temperature. However, after used as beams in the building are extracted from the monsoon is over by the first week of September, these hills. the day temperature shows a steady rise while the A segment of the Great Indian Desert covers night temperature continues to fall, till January which the north, north-west and north-east parts of the is considered as the coldest month. district. No river has its source in the district. Seasonal Didwana is situated at a distance of 92 streams and nallahs do not have a sizeable number kilometers east of district head quarter, Nagaur and and their flow depends on the frequency of rainfall. 165 kilometers to the north-west to the Jaipur. Harsor stream which has its source from the Aravalli Didwana is famous for salt lake which is locally known off-shoots flows north-west for a run of about 48 as “KHARDA”. The study area lying in the kilometers. Subsequently, it meets other streamlets northeastern part of the district covers about 1637.59 past Harsor village where after both the streams sq.kms area (Figure-1). combined together lose their identity by discharging Aim of the Study into the Pundlotasar. Some river lets and nallahs rise Arid to Semi Arid climatic conditions during monsoons and disappear after a short run into prevailing in the study area of Didwana block. The sandy plains near Khatu, Barnal, Jayal and Jani rainfall is scanty and erratic. Scarcity of water villages. A big salt lake exist about 4 kms to the south- resources in the study area compels the inhabitants to west of Didwana (Figures-2&3). Tanks are uncommon use water resources without considering the quality of in the district but some of them are maintained by the water (Table-1) (B.I.S.,1992). Fluoride problem in State Irrigation Department. groundwater has drawn attention of the society in Review of Literature recent years. On the other hand the general Geology, Hydrogeology and Hydrochemistry vegetation in this part of semi-arid region is sparse. Geologically, Nagaur district comprises wide Plants with only xerophytic adaptations are able to spectrum of rock formations ranging in age from the establish themselves. The bulk of vegetation consists Archaean basement rocks to the recent alluvium and of stunted, thorny or prickly shrubs and perennial desert sands of the great Thar Desert (Paliwal, herbs capable of drought resistance. Therefore aim of 1999a). Groundwater, the important resource for the study is to aware inhabitants about sustainable mankind, depends on physiography, climate and development of groundwater resources and geology (Paliwal and Shakuntala, 1993). Six major vegetation in the study area and to develop suitable aquifers demarcated in the Nagaur district include management schemes by using Remote Sensing and Older alluvium, Tertiary sandstone, Nagaur GIS technologies. sandstone, Bilara limestone, Jodhpur sandstone and Regional Physiography Precambrian metamorphics (Granite/Gneisses, Nagaur district is located between latitude Schists and Phyllites). Depth to water generally 26023’35’’ and 27042’16’’ N and longitude 73004’32’’ increases towards western part of the district.