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A Development and Environment Magazine geography and you Vol. 10, Issue 61, July-August2010 Issue61, 10, Vol.

www.geographyandyou.in

watermatters ■ Water Governance ■ Ecofeminism ■ Precipitation Extremes ■ Chhattisgarh & Groundwater Resources ■ Cloudbursts ■ Managing Water in Thar

contents Geography and You Vol. 10  Issue 61  July - August 2010 RASAD Despite sizeable knowledge of water conservation systems, compulsions of F e a t u r e s modern era developments have gradually turned the Thar poor so far as availability 4 Editor’s Note 16 Concept Counter and workable traditional water harvesting Cloudburst systems are concerned. Sadly, it started with Water Matters Staff Reporter t village Bhu, jaisalmer BY P groundwater irrigation that turned much of A a NK

6 Policy Interventions A the desert green. — Page 36 18 State Study T Water Governance Groundwater Resources role of Panchayats 36 Arid West 54 Sustainable Energy uttarakhand M Ishtiaq and Ashok Managing Water in Thar technology with Ecology Dr AK Bhatia and Kumar Sahay Dr Amal Kar indianOil Mahendra Singh Negi Dr B N Bankapur 10 Ecofeminism Reports & Studies 24 State Study 44 Decoding Poverty Travel thinking Water Thinking Chhattisgarh Ground Staff Reporter 60 Traveller’s Diary Women Water Resource rain Song Dr Saraswati Raju Ashis Chakraborty 46 data Users’ Seminar Dr S Srinivasan 13 News Roundup 28 Monsoon Roundup Staff Reporter 64 Photo Essay Freshwater News Precipitation Extremes the Dying Dal Staff Reporter Dr B Mukhopadhay Energy Environment Staff Reporter 48 International News renewable Updates Q & A Staff Reporter 9 Term Power on Water Matters 23 Crossword 52 National 57 Term Power Ratings renewable News 59 Crossword Answer

42 In Conversation Registrar General and Census Commissioner Dr C Chandramouli, in conversation with the editor affably offers insights on issues of data collection and outlines the mechanisms of providing the unique identification (UID) cards. Optimistic about the new RASAD additions, Dr C Chadramouli feels that Census 2011 is poised at a momentous juncture. n 2010 BY P soo n Editor Correspondence/Editorial Office whole, is prohibited. Sulagna Chattopadhyay g mo 1584, B-1, Vasant Kunj, New Printed, published and owned by n Special Editor Delhi-110070 Phone : 011-26122789 Sulagna Chattopadhyay. Dr Saraswati Raju For new subscriptions, renewals, elhi duri enquiries please contact Printed at: India Graphic Systems Legal Advisor Circulation Manager E-mail: Pvt. Ltd. F-23, Okhla Industrial Area, Krishnendu Datta [email protected] or Phase-I, New Delhi-110020. Cover Photograph [email protected] Published at: IRIS Publication Pvt. Tribal woman ferrying water upslope, Please visit our site at Ltd. Geography and You does not Achanakmar, Chhattisgarh, by Prasad www.geographyandyou.com take any responsibility for returning for further information. unsolicited publication material. IRIS Publication Pvt. Ltd. a view of lodhi road, New D Registered Office:111/9, Aruna Asaf © IRIS Publication Pvt. Ltd. All disputes are subject to the exclusive Climate change in the form of the increasing trend in the number of above-normal Ali Marg, Kishangarh, Vasant Kunj, New All rights reserved throughout the world. jurisdiction of competent courts and unstable days during the monsoon season may be the cause for the increased Delhi-110070 Reproduction in any manner, part or forums in Delhi/New Delhi only. frequency of extreme rainfall events over the Indian region. - page 28

2 . July - August 2010 . G e o g r a ph y a n d Y ou G e o g r a ph y a n d Y ou . July - August 2010 . 3 EDITOR’S NOTE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

May-June 2010 Thank you for publishing several articles on urban issues. The article by Dr R B Bhagat titled Civic Amenities in Urban India is a master piece. It brings forth the real diffi culties faced by the urban establishments even after the empowerment of urban local bodies by the 74th Constitutional Amendment. However, I disagree with his remark that small urban centers lack fi nancial and technical capabilities to design the projects which can take care of public health issues, sanitation and solid waste management. In fact, the government lacks the will or it lacks vision as far as the smaller urban centres are concerned. There is no regulation what so ever at mufassil level. People are free to construct at their own will and most of the small urban centres look like fortifi ed slums. Is it not possible to enforce that all new construction has to have some semblance of organised construction with a proper provision for public health issues? It is very much possible. But this is simply not on the government’s agenda. –Shyamal Ghosh, Kolkata. For more details log on our website www.geographyandyou.in

The Mishmis Material on NET News on environment I read the article ‘The Mishmi I look forward to G’nY for authentic I am a regular reader of G’nY since Hunter of Arunachal’ by Ambika in formation. I see there a dearth 2002. Earlier, I used to get some Aiyadurai in May-June 2010 issue of analytical and authentic material round up on environmental news of GnY. It was a mesmerising on geography for NET examination. which are handy for increasing the account of Mishmis with a Why don’t you start a series of knowledge base as well as teaching passionate description of their NET material in G’nY. It will be a my students. Off late I see many culture and traditions. The article’s great service to research oriented serious articles have been preferred conservationist approach is full of students who don’t fi nd quality over the small and light articles. balanced arguments and I hope information anywhere. The good Please include some news on the policy makers would take clues text books on the subject are out renewable energy as it has become from this article. I should expect dated–certain books carry data a very important subject. Dear readers, some more accounts of hunting which are at least 20 years old. I Sushma Tiwari, Meerut, UP It sounds very democratic to espouse that Panchayats decide amongst themselves tribes in the next issues of your hope you will consider my request magazine. and start the service soon. Urban Issues policies towards their future - not only in terms of basic amenities but also in terms R P Baishya, Ramesh Sagar, May-June 2010 issue published of all round development of village resources. One wonders what all these trained, Guwahati, Assam Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh many features on urbanisation. It highly professional bureaucrats who are supposed to be neutral agents of the state was extremely useful as I opted Articles on States Journal or Magazine for the same subject as a term in implementing schemes and changing the lives of people in a particular unit, be it GnY May-June 2010 issue I have been a subscriber of paper. I am also trying to point out Panchayat, block, village, whatever - are doing. Because, it now seems that what they has articles on Chhattisgarh, GnY from its inception and I the usefulness of GnY to serious are mandated to do are being delegated to the Panchayats. Let us not forget that we are Orissa, Arunachal Pradesh and look forward to every issue with students/researchers. Uttarakhand. Why don’t you genuine interest. But I am sorry to Monika R, Puducherry educationally challenged and plagued by low levels of awareness. Thus putting the onus publish articles on Rajasthan, state that of GnY has now become on the Panchayats, even to outsource quality services, is actually absolving the state Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, more a journal than a magazine. Library Editions in DVD machinery of its responsibility to facilitate basic services and amenities. It is an ominous Karnataka etc. It is important As a teacher I fi nd very little of its I heard from my colleagues who for the readers to know about content useful that I can share had participated in the data users’ trend that in the name of decentralization government is completely washing its hand off other states also. In fact articles with my students. May I request seminar, Dehradun that G’nY library from performing its basic duty of serving the nation. And what is more worrying is that the on tourism also has a lot of you not to dilute the character of editions are also available in DVDs. major casualty will be accountability of the government. We have recently seen lakhs of information on geographical GnY. Let it be a magazine and for Can I buy the DVD, kindly let me aspects of the state. accommodating serious articles know about the procedure. tons of grains rotting with no one held responsible with the dereliction of duties. From the Rashmi Singh, you can start a journal afresh. Shikha Saxena, country with a target of zero tolerance, we are now heading towards zero accountability. Patna, Bihar M K Bishnoi, Jaipur, Rajasthan , Uttarakhand The water matters issue, highlights policy matters, showcases state studies and brings to light the extreme event status in the country. The energy section is dedicated to sustainable practices by prominent oil companies and renewable energy news. Also Write, email, fax thrown in is a water matters crossword and term power to exercise your prowess. Enjoy. Write - Editorial Office Geography and You, 1584, B-1, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi-110070, Tele-Fax 011-26122789, Email [email protected], Website www.geographyandyou.com. Include name, address and telephone. Letters may be edited for clarity and length. To contribute an article. Kindly send the abstract of your article in not more than 200 words to [email protected]. The abstract will be reviewed by our guest panelists. Once the abstract is selected we shall respond immediately for the full article. The length of the final article may range from 1500 to 1700 Sulagna Chattopadhyay words. Please also mention if you can contribute relevant high resolution photographs. The Editorial Advisor

JULY - AUGUST 2010 5 4  JULY - AUGUST 2010  GEOGRAPHY AND YOU BHIM TAL, UTTARAKHAND: UNTREATED EFFLUENTS FREELY FLOWING INTO THE DRYING LAKE GEOGRAPHY AND YOU   WATER MATTERS

It has been suggested that since women are closest to water sources, at least a third of hand pumps water mechanics should be local women. Women can also be put in charge of taking care of hand pumps in local habitation and they can certify about completion of schemes. governancerole of panchayats

Water is life giving. Planning for it is a collective responsibility. Panchayati Raj Institutions and the decentralized planning through active participation of community members provide some clues to effective ways of water management. Government agencies have to pitch in to provide technical and logistic support in terms of encouraging local expertise and provision of informed support and cooperation. —M Ishtiaq and Ashok Kumar Sahay

ural India has a tradition of collectively management approach will have to be adopted. or individually managed water. 1950s saw For this, it is important to constitute village water Rthe government initiating water supply committees (VWC) whose members should be schemes for rural population. Accelerated Rural elected in Gram Sabha and VWC should be made Water Supply Programme (ARWSP) had been a standing committee of the Gram Panchayat. launched in 1972-73 for providing potable water VWC can outsource the task of developing to the villages as well as villagers. Now, the major water supply schemes to preferred agency after emphasis is on ensuring sustainability of water taking into consideration different aspects of availability in terms of potability, adequacy, water management including demand/supply, convenience, affordability and equity through budgeting, production cost and investment/ decentralised approach involving Panchayats returns to investment through consultative and community based organisations. New processes with community, preferably the Gram guidelines for what is called ‘Movement towards Sabha. In absence of local expertise, VWC Ensuring People’s Drinking Water Security should seek assistance from the rural water supply in Rural India’ have already been issued in department. this direction. ARWSP has been renamed as It has been acknowledged that mobilising National Rural Water Supply Programme community contribution is a major challenge. (NRWSP). The Union Government has set the The programme advocates strengthening of deadline of March 31, 2012 for full coverage of women groups, especially self help groups (SHGs) rural areas for drinking water. under community capacity building initiatives by organising exposure visits to model villages Role of Panchayat to also access information related to income It has been stipulated that in order to meet generating activities. Local bodies, water user’s the drinking water needs at the village, block associations and community based organisations

and district level, integrated water resources are other possibilities. It has been suggested that MOUSANI ISLAND, SUNDERBAN: WATER BEING HAULED BY YOUNG GIRLS FROM A TUBE WELL

6  JULY - AUGUST 2010  GEOGRAPHY AND YOU GEOGRAPHY AND YOU  JULY - AUGUST 2010  7 POLICY INTERVENTIONS

TERM One of the important points that emerged is that willingness to pay in adverse conditions cannot be power interpreted as affordability to pay. Here is an exercise that is intended to introduce you to a JÖKULHLAUP gamut of technical terms that can catch you unawares. 9 a. A reduction in both the area and thickness Pick the right option and check how you fare. of a glacier or ice-sheet. The answers are on page 57 b. A destructive flood that occurs as the result of the rapid ablation of ice sheets.

BIRD’S FOOT DELTA c. A flood caused by sudden release of an ice- since women are closest to water sources, at least It becomes evident that a comprehensive dammed or en-glacial lake. a third of hand pumps mechanics should be local reform programme in water governance is 1 a. A tooth shaped delta of with curved sides. women who can be trained under various skill being put in place; it is heartening to note that b. A curved delta with convex margin. OLIGOTROPHIC LAKE c. A delta with distributaries like toes of a bird. 10 a. A state of water body with high nutrient development programmes and other training in India, water supply sector is at last moving content and rich in diverse flora and schemes. Women can also be put in charge of away from an infrastructure creation approach HYDROLOGIC CYCLE fauna. taking care of hand pumps in local habitation to a consolidation approach. Most water 2 a. A cycle of oxygen movement within b. The state of a water body with a low atmosphere, biosphere and lithosphere. nutrient content and unable to support and they can certify about completion of related campaigns stress on bringing about b. A cycle of water movement through the earth- large aquatic flora and fauna. schemes. Thus the NRWSP has ample provisions water democracy by ensuring that every drop atmosphere system. c. The state of water body or of a hydrous for involving women in planning for drinking is conserved, harvested and shared by people. POWER TERM MATTERS THE WATER c. A cycle which describes carbon movement in solution within soil. the pedosphere, geosphere and hydrosphere. water at village level. The new guidelines to As water crises deepen, water literacy becomes LYSIMETER ensure involvement of women in various stages of the key to water security. There are several steps ARTESIAN WELL 11 a. Instrument for measuring percolation of implementations of drinking water security plan that can be taken. They include placing water 3 a. A well in the rock layer that absorbs water and water through soil. allows it to pass through. b. Instrument for measuring percolation of have been formalised. information in the public domain, revival of b. A well created by boring into an aquifer oil through rocks. traditional ways of water harvesting, incremental enclosed by impermeable strata. c. Instrument for measuring water hardness Improvement in Water Supply restoring of forest cover and so on. c. A well bored into impermeable rock layers. NIMBOSTRATUS Managing surface water resources can be RIPARIAN WATER RIGHTS 12 a. A type of cloud, dark grey in colour, integrated with National Rural Employment End Note 4 a. Rights of an owner whose land abuts water. occurring in sheets thick enough to blot Guarantee Scheme (NREGA) for construction Water scarcity can threaten equitable and b. Rights to use water from different sources. out the Sun. c. Rights of people to use rainwater. b. A type of cloud, dark grey when viewed of infrastructure. The ‘in village water supply sustainable development, ecological balance and from beneath but dazzling white when scheme’ to be planned, approved, implemented, political stability. Several significant developments THERMAL POLLUTION seen from the top. managed, operated and maintained by VWC and concerning one or many of the issues concerning 5 a. Spill or ongoing releases of chemical or c. A type of cloud which tower into castle- PRI radionuclide contaminants into water. like profiles. Pani Samiti, s, and local community is being water have also surfaced to shape public and b. Entering contaminants into a waterway suggested towards this. The Twelfth Finance popular perceptions. Civil societies as well as through discrete conveyance. ICE-SHEET Commission has recommended that separate public opinion favour water to be treated as c. Rise or fall in the temperature of a natural body 13 a. A thin crust of sea-ice formed by initial of water caused by human influence. freezing of the surface of a calm body grants to Panchayats be provided so as to partly common good rather than promoting policies HYPOLIMNION of water. meet operation and maintenance expenditure that seek to treat water as a commodity of the 6 a. Warmer, less dense topmost layer in the water b. A large, continuous layer of land ice of on ensuring potable drinking water supply. state. body of a lake or ocean. considerable thickness. b. Lowest cold-water layers at the bottom of a c. A large piece of flat, floating sea-ice, Electronic banking has been suggested to avoid Water security is the key to food security and lake or ocean. rising less than 1 m above the surface of delays and treacherous diversions. Apart from demand for basic drinking water should get the c. An intermediate layer of water in an ocean or a the sea. this, it is suggested that consumers will have to status of fundamental right. Panchayats’ role deep lake. HYETOGRAPH bear the cost of water if the supply needed is should not only be focused on involvement of the SUNDARBAN DELTA 14 a. A chart which records the changing beyond the set norms for which the government community at the individual household level in 7 a. A world heritage site awarded by UNESCO in humidity of atmosphere. would pay. There should be provision for monthly the decision making process, but communities 1997 as the world’s largest delta. b. A chart which illustrates the rate at which b. A well defined body of water suffering from rain falls. social audit. One of the important points that should also be encouraged to develop their algal bloom. c. A diagram which illustrates the mean, emerged is that willingness to pay in adverse own water security plans. While planning for c. An alluvial valley that is wide and relatively flat maximum and minimum rainfall totals per conditions cannot be interpreted as affordability drinking water security by the community is with a meandering river channel that changes month for a location. its course. to pay. Rather than overdependence on ground important, National Water Quality Monitoring RADIAL DRAINAGE water–water sources can also be diversified. and Surveillance Programme should integrate ISOHALINE 15 a. A drainage pattern of out flowing rivers Agriculture water use can be socially regulated to community efforts into its plan to ensure quality 8 a. The line on a map joining points which exhibit away from a central point. the same floral character. b. A tree-like drainage pattern composed of check over usage. Apart from this, government standards and water safety. b. The line on a map joining places of equal branching tributaries and a main stream. should make provision for the convergence of amount of rainfall. c. A drainage pattern which exhibits Rural Health Mission in terms of water quality The authors are Associate Professor, Geography c. The line on a map joining points in the ocean discordance with the underlying Department, JMI, New Delhi and Research Officer, Institute of having the same degree of salinity. rock structure. and health implications. Social Sciences, New Delhi, respectively.

8  JULY - AUGUST 2010  GEOGRAPHY AND YOU GEOGRAPHY AND YOU  JULY - AUGUST 2010  9 WATER MATTERS

thinking water womenthinking

Several scholars have suggested that there is intrinsic affinity between women and nature and both are subordinated by patriarchal processes, women by men and nature by culture – an ideological position known as ecofeminism. Although powerfully argued, such formulation inadequately addresses division of gendered labour within households that assign tasks such as collection of water, free fodder, fuel etc. sourced essentially from natural environs by women. It is the survival dependence on nature added by persistent social conditioning that nurture and care is what they embody, make women care for nature more. Water provides a good case for suggesting an alternative way of looking at the issue in a pragmatic manner. —Dr Saraswati Raju

cholars have argued that women have affinity in the late 1970s. Although the term was coined with nature because both are subjected to in France in 1974 by Françoise d’Eaubonne, Sdomination, women by men and nature by Simone de Beauvoir, the famous feminist scholar culture. Nature in their imagination is equated had pointed it out as far back as in 1949 about with femininity and culture with masculinity. how men treat men and women similarly as the The proponents of this ideology contend that ‘other’ – a process which is called ‘othering’. In cultural artifacts have destroyed nature through the Indian context, it is Vandana Shiva who has destructive technologies of modern patriarchal drawn attention to women’s marginalisation structures and controls. Men have likewise been and ecological destruction under historical and instrumental in subordinating women. conceptual trajectory of development which is The proposed synonymy between women and largely guided by western models. nature also comes from the fact that women have Scholarly work on ecofeminism has been the power of procreation through child bearing extremely influential internationally. However Forging an organic connection between nature and so does the nature which regenerates. In framing it has its share of criticism. One of the strongest women has an inadvertent outcome – some issues become women’s issues and are either sidelined in the the argument thus, these scholars have brought arguments against ecofeminism is that it planning process or are seen as the exclusive domain of ecology and feminist ideologies together, a strand essentialises women and puts all women in women without a proper understanding of entrenched

of thinking called ecofeminism, which emerged one undifferentiated category ignoring the fact AMARKANTAK PRODUCE; FOREST CARRYING WOMEN TRIBAL power asymmetries between men and women.

10  JULY - AUGUST 2010  GEOGRAPHY AND YOU GEOGRAPHY AND YOU  JULY - AUGUST 2010  11 ECOFEMINISM WATER MATTERS

Since women and nature are seen as close in affinity, women are also portrayed as the natural custodians of nature and its protection. Freshwater An update on recent happenings in the of world News fresh water in the national perspective. that women have multiple memberships. They more concerned about the dwindling sources of are women, but they also belong to different domestic water than men. castes, class, region and ethnicity. As such Forging an organic connection between their interest in natures’ care or protection may nature and women has an inadvertent outcome – Mighty Rivers Threatened Zangmu for a 540 MW run of the river forward. But what fuels anxieties power project and feasibility studies in the region is China’s reluctance actually vary according to their position along some issues become women’s issues and are either have been completed for five more to share information, its lack of such axes. Poor African women, for instance sidelined in the planning process or are seen as such projects further upstream on the transparency on issues like its dam may use wood to brew country liquor; women the exclusive domain of women without a proper Yarlung Tsangpo. Tapping the power building. For instance, for several may prefer to leave grass cover intact rather understanding of entrenched power asymmetries of the river Tsangpo (Brahmaputra for years Beijing denied it was building than converting it into playgrounds because between men and women. A member of Indians) as it bends and plunges down a dam at Zangmu. It is only recently towards Indian and Bangladeshi that it came around to admitting to it. that would ease their burden of collecting free the Planning Commission, India has once floodplains has long been a dream Control over Tibet’s water resources fodder for animals. That is to say, women’s commented that if men were to be responsible for of Chinese politicians and hydro- in a world that is warming has so-called ‘feminine’ qualities of care and domestic water management, all villages would engineers. Metog will be the site of provided it with strategic edge over its nurturing do not automatically translate into have had water taps long ago! the mega project at the huge bend neighbours. India should recalibrate their closeness to nature, but is reflective of The years 1981-1990 were celebrated as Scientists have begun to recognise inside a giant canyon approximately its Tibet policy and start negotiating that climate change has the potential 3.1 miles deep and 198 miles long. a legally binding international treaty their practical considerations which emanate the International Drinking Water Supply and to reduce snowpack and glacier mass This will involve construction of a on the Brahmaputra and Sutlej rivers. from the gender divisions of work within the Sanitation Decade and consultations were held in the Ti betan plateau, altering one of series of tunnels, pipes, reservoirs As of now, both countries have no households. in New Delhi in 1990. Discussions on gender the world’s most crucial hydrological and turbines that will generate legal and policy architecture in place Let us take the example of water collection, issues included a clear call for an increase in systems. With control over Tibet, 40,000 MW of power and exploit the to deal with a looming water dispute. a task by and large undertaken by women. women’s participation in decision-making and China can claim sovereign right to spectacular 2,000-metre fall of the They only have a couple of MoUs in control world’s largest freshwater river as it winds down towards India. sharing flood-season hydrological In a study of 490 households in seven Indian management of water resources. Right to water resources outside the polar regions. This water diversion project an data on these rivers. This, despite villages by Dr Asthana in 1997, it was found and sanitation and ‘gender mainstreaming’, the These water resources, vulnerable essential part of China’s 10th five- the fact China has already started that proportion of women in the age above 15 process of assessing implications for women and to global and regional warming, are year plan will cost $62 billion. exploiting Tibetan rivers for their years determined the choice of safe source of men of any planned action, including legislation, critical for sustaining South Asia’s The entire staff responsible for strategic advantage. drinking water. This was because almost 79 per policies or programmes in water related issues are food and water security. Should constructing the Lhasa-Beijing Excerpts from: Hasnain. Syed Iqbal ‘River cent of this water was hauled by women. Thus, well set, at least in principle. And yet while women China be the lone arbiter of the fate railway line has been assigned to Runs Through It’; Times of India; Aug 17, of Tibet’s waters and what happens executing this mega project quickly. 2010; and Ramachandran. Sudha ‘India a household with a higher proportion of women bear the disproportionate burden of collecting to downstream nations that depend The project is ominous for millions of sweats over China’s water plans’; Asia among its members had a higher capability and preserving water, their share in planning and heavily on these rivers? Indians and Bangladeshis. Chinese Times; May 1, 2010. of hauling water from longer distance. Not decision-making continues to be minimal. The China possesses a robust conservationists have admitted surprisingly, the proportion of adult men in the non-state initiatives by actors of civil societies, glaciological programme and that the canyon is home to more Meghalaya new water schemes knows fairly well how long Tibet’s than 60 per cent of the Tibetan household had no effect. activists and NGOs are better placed in this snow and ice resources will last. plateau’s biological resources and Another study from Gujarat points out how regard, but water is an essential commodity linked It has embarked on integrated many indigenous communities. despite improved drinking water situation with livelihood issues and it has a legitimate claim water resource management of Yet China officially denies it is following state-installed scheme, water collection for societal ownership at large beyond women. all rivers emanating from Tibetan constructing any reservoirs or dams continued to remain a time consuming process in In fact the entire issue lacks a comprehensive plateau. And it has completed dam on the Brahmaputra. Surprisingly, construction and water diversion India accepts these official denials. the State. Village women spent on an average of understanding. For example, transport is an projects on the Salween and Mekong Indian officials add that unlike India, three hours per day fetching whereas the family integral part of water management and yet rivers, despite regional and global where protests, bureaucratic delays as a whole spent almost four hours for the same - as the SEWA (an NGO) experiences show, criticism that these will be socially and inadequate funds stand in the the time allocated by daughters was 83 minutes, despite overall good transport facilities in rural and economically devastating way of implementation of projects, by sons 12 minutes and by husbands 15 minutes. Gujarat, women have been transport-deprived downstream. China does not negotiate with public The Centre has approved 32 projects China plans to build 59 reservoirs opposition for projects and has the related to water conservation at a It is clear that water collection and management in carrying water. on rivers flowing out of the Tibetan will and necessary technological cost of Rs 126.94 crore in Meghalaya is clearly a responsibility of women. It is therefore The author is Professor, Centre for Study of Regional plateau to save glacier run-off. and financial resources to take in 2010. Ninety per cent of the cost not surprising that they would be relatively Development (CSRD), Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Construction is in full swing at the Brahmaputra diversion project for construction of check dams and

12  JULY - AUGUST 2010  GEOGRAPHY AND YOU GEOGRAPHY AND YOU  JULY - AUGUST 2010  13 NEWS ROUNDUP

irrigation facilities would be borne Need for User Fees for farmers which promises zero displacement by Centre and 10 per cent would be and eco-friendly construction. The would account for 55 per cent of plant was a big deterrent, but and transport capabilities critical. incurred by State with the launch of state water resources department the total water demand at that point, the increasing scarcity of water The challenges go beyond the Central Accelerated Irrigation today explored the feasibility of according to a report released slowly has changed mind sets. The drinking water and sanitation as Benefits Programme (AIBP). Eight rubber dams, especially for rivers last year by Frost & Sullivan, an production cost of a brackish water approximately 80 per cent of India’s projects are also being undertaken on hilly terrain, in a meeting with international consultant. Given the desalination plant is between Rs 10 water is still used in agriculture. US for improvement of shifting cultivation Austrian experts. Visiting experts, unbridled construction activity in the and Rs 15 per cubic metre of water. officials feel that India’s continuing covering an area of 4000 hectare representatives of Austrian firm already congested city and growing The production cost of a sea water population growth and predicted with a project cost of Rs 4 crore. Hydro-construct, had set up India’s population, the monsoons may not desalination plant varies between impacts of climate change, Excerpts from: PTI ‘Centre approves first rubber dam on Janjhavati river be enough to meet its water needs. Rs 40 and Rs 50 per cubic metre, including shifts in precipitation and Meghalaya water schemes’; The Times of in Andhra Pradesh as a temporary In anticipation of such a scenario, whereas the production cost of glacier melt, make this challenge India; May 26, 2010. Intense, prolonged heat waves measure when bordering Orissa the Mumbai Metropolitan Region desalted water from effluents is one that cannot be addressed by and growing water crisis in India had objected to a conventional dam Development Authority (MMRDA), between Rs 15 and Rs 50 per cubic governments alone and global Mineral Water with Faecal Matter are forcing politicians to consider without the latter’s clearance. At the planning body for the Mumbai metre. Also, recent developments communities need partnerships. implementing user fees and other present the feasibility of erecting metropolitan region (MMR), has in desalination technology have Excerpts from: ‘Invest in India’s water measures to conserve water. In rubber dams in Koderma and Dumka decided to set up three desalination reduced the cost by 20 per cent. and sanitation sectors: US official’; The Nagpur, an urban agglomeration are being discussed. Although the plants to retrieve fresh water from the Desalination is most cost-effective Economic Times; July 30, 2010. with 2.4 million people, the heat construction cost is higher, rubber sea. MMRDA has already initiated the in areas that are close to the sea. wave triggered a fuel crisis as rail dams were ideal for total water development of dams such as Poshi, Further, the desalination plants need Freshwater from Alaska wagons that normally transport resource management concerns Pinjal, Kalu and Shai. The project, will to pass stringent environmental and India in a recent move will get water petroleum were pressed into service such as irrigation, groundwater be a public private partnership (PPP) CRZ restrictions laid down by the shipped in tankers all the way from to carry water instead. The Indian recharging, flood control and model where MMRDA’s financial Union environment ministry. Alaska much like it gets oil from government is drafting a new water hydropower generation. The project involvement will be limited up to Excerpts from: ‘By 2025, water deficiency West Asia. S2C Global Systems, A study of bottled mineral water policy that could create user fees will not get stuck due to agitation bearing the viability gap. One such in India will touch 33%’; Deccan an American company, plans to in Delhi by Central Pollution for water-intensive sectors, such as against possible displacement project which is being constructed Chronicle; July 14, 2010. start shipping to India within six Control Board reveals that it has agriculture, to deal with the crisis. and will not need environmental in Chennai at a total cost of Rs 600 to eight months in what is said to significant levels of pollutants, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, the deputy clearance from the forest crore. However, their capacity is 100 US Urges investment in Water and be the world’s first bulk export notably coliform (faecal matter), chairman of the government panel department since it is constructed mld whereas MMRDA is looking at a Sanitation Sectors of water by tankers. Ships like a major pollutant in the , drafting the new policy, said that on the river basin itself. One such capacity of close to 1500 mld. Suezmax or food-grade tankers will despite claims to the contrary. The nearly 80 percent of the country’s dam takes between eight and 10 Excerpts from: Siddhaye. Ninad ‘MMRDA ferry fresh water across the Pacific study took samples from five major water goes to agriculture, but months to get built, with a life-span plans desalination plants to tackle crisis’ to a port south of Mumbai to feed mineral water brands. It revealed estimated that the figure could be of 28 to 40 years. The rubber dam, Daily News and Analysis; Aug 9, 2010. India’s bottling plants, industry that most of these brands had reduced to 50 percent. In Pune, which resembles a cycle tube, can and municipalities. The journey levels of boron and iron exceeding the country’s eighth largest city, be inflated for increased height 2025: Water Deficiency 33 Per Cent could take about 30 days and S2C safe limits. But what is more the Green Energy Foundation, a to store more water and deflated would protect the water using an worrying is the presence of coliform locally-based environmental non- when excess water is to be let out. ‘ozonating’ system in the ships. (bacteria) matter in the water. In profit organisation is urging the The rubber used for the purpose India Microscope, a Citigroup fact, all brands had excess levels of government to encourage greater is 10 mm thick and reinforced with Noting that 12 per cent of India’s over research report, has cited a study coliform, and in some cases there harvesting of rainwater, which the three layers of nylon mesh, making 1.2 billion people still lack access to by the Water Resources Group were traces of coliform from human foundation estimates could provide it bullet proof and indestructible by safe drinking water, the US has asked that says India will be able to meet faecal matter. The Delhi Pollution 21 percent of the city’s water needs. sharp objects. donors to make targeted investments only half of its water requirement Control Committee (DPCC) Excerpts from: ‘Drought in India Forces Excerpts from: ‘Now, Dams sans in India’s water and sanitation sector. from indigenous sources by 2030. traditionally monitors pollution in Talk of User Fees, Rainwater Harvesting’; displacement’; Telegraph India; July 7, Officials believe that targeted The report does not specify when water considered ‘public’ — like www.circleofblue.org; June 10, 2010. 2010 Water is becoming an endangered investments, even very small ones, the country, will turn deficient. the Yamuna river and groundwater. resource in many parts of the country can have indisputable economic and Based in Texas, the company owns But as of now, there are no plans Rubber Dams Mumbai Desalination plants today. Figures from the Ministry public health benefits. The World 50 per cent in Alaska Resource to monitor mineral water. Increased of Rural Water Supply show that Health Organisation estimates, that Management, which has the right to levels of faecal coliforms provide the country had enough drinking every US dollar invested in water buy water for bulk export from Blue a warning of failure in water water for its people in 1951 at 5,177 and sanitation in developing regions Lake under the administration of the treatment, a break in the integrity of cubic metres per person per year. generates an economic benefit of city and borough of Sitka in Alaska. the distribution system, or possible But by 2000 India had become a $5 to $28. The magnitude of India’s The water would cost 7 to 10 cents contamination with pathogens. water-deficient country. In 2003, the water crisis is palpable from the fact a gallon (81 paise to Rs 1.16 a litre) When levels are high there may country had a 25 per cent deficit, at a that almost half of India’s 626 districts when it lands in India, depending on be an elevated risk of water borne rate of 1,500 cubic metres per person were drought-stricken in 2009. fuel cost and government levy. gastroenteritis. per year. The deficit is projected to Yearly monsoons supply more Excerpts from: Neha Sinha. ‘Mineral water If all goes well, Jharkhand may By 2026, Mumbai will be the largest rise to 33 per cent by 2025, unless than 75 per cent of India’s annual Excerpts from: Saha, Sambit; ‘Where sold in Delhi has faecal matter, chemicals’; be the second state after Andhra consumer of water among coastal measures are taken to resolve it. precipitation over a period of less Ganga flows, water from Alaska’; The Indian Express; June 01, 2010. Pradesh to go for the rubber dam, cities in the country. The city alone The cost of setting up a desalination than three months, making storage Telegraph; August 22, 2010.

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cloudbursts loudbursts are primarily caused by convective, The Leh Devastation Indus that flows in a reverse arc cumulo nimbus clouds Monsoon brought with it the towards its east and south. The C disastrous cloudburst of Leh road to Manali runs right through resulting in heavy downpour. (town in Ladakh division, J&K) the middle of this patch of land, Various researches suggest that on August 6 which has killed which at many places appears cloudbursts are manifestations more than a hundred people and like a desert. of intense small scale vortices injured over 400. The slithering Contrary to popular perception, that generate strong convective mass of mud washed away the unprecedented cloudburst currents, which lift moisture people and homes. Villagers did not trigger floods. Mountains living in the upper reaches bore in the dry, cold desert of Ladakh laden air with sufficient rapidity the full impact of the sliding pile are made of rocks stuck in loose, to create cumulo nimbus clouds of mud and rocks. A patch of sandy formations. Concentrated that shed the water load with land - 500 metre long and 300 rains, thus, immediately turn great strength and ferocity. metre wide, about 15 minutes’ them into mortar which then The raindrops form a strong drive on the road to Manali was slithers down as a rumbling completely overrun by mud that mass of cold lava and obliterates downdraft in an event that appeared like mortar. This was anything that comes in its way. appears as if the cloud has burst where most of the Choglumsar Once the mass settles after open, with the larger drops village stood. The area is a exhausting its momentum, the falling with a terminal velocity plateau, with rising hills to its water locked in the mortar and of around 12 km/h to over 80 north and west. The wind-swept blocked behind the mass breaks plain gently slopes towards the free into gushing streams. km/h. The resulting rainfall is a torrent of water, falling at high speed, over a small area. When the occurrence of cloudbursts and large scale mining projects, the speed of water accumulation because of their scale. A very fine and increasing human activity on the ground exceeds the network of radars is required to along rivers and nullahs. Most surface’s ability to absorb it, be able to detect the likelihood debris that arises from human localised flooding will occur of a cloudburst and this would interventions in hilly regions in low lying terrain. In hilly or be prohibitively expensive. Only are carelessly dumped along mountainous terrain, the runoff areas likely to receive heavy slopes, which eventually finds of water congregate in stream rainfall can be identified on a its way into rivers and smaller beds or canyons and cause short range scale. Much of the streams. Once the level of the deadly and damaging flash damage can be avoided by way bed is raised, the water channel Cloudbursts or downpours have no strict meteorological floods. In India the northwest of identifying the areas and the is unable to bear the sudden definition. The term usually signifies a sudden, heavy fall of rain moving monsoonal systems meteorological situations that surge of a larger load that occurs over a short period of time. A localised weather phenomena, after recurving over Rajasthan, favour the occurrence of cloud during cloudbursts. Thus sheet pass over the hilly regions of bursts. Factors that aggravate flooding occurs along the cloudbursts leads to flash floods/ landslides, house collapse, Himachal and adjoining areas. the cloudburst devastation slopes resulting in widespread dislocation of traffic and human casualties. Thus these areas are prone to are indiscriminate and large devastation. frequent cloudbursts. scale deforestation, haphazard Inputs from: Popular Mechanics: books.google. —Staff Reporter co.in; newspapers: Times of India, Hindustan There is no satisfactory unplanned urbanisation, Times, deccanherald.com, oneindia.in, 7-10 technique for anticipating construction of roads, dams August 2010.

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groundwater resources UTTARAKHAND

It is ironical that despite having the potential to act as a water reservoir of India by virtue of its extraordinarily dense drainage network and natural sources, Uttarakhand suffers from water shortage. Apart from ecological reasons, indiscriminate human activities such as deforestation, pollution, and competitive utilisation of water and inadequate water management are some of the problems faced by the region. Revival of traditional methods towards water conservation is needed in conjecture with judicious use of modern technologies. —Dr A K Bhatia

ttarakhand is mostly hilly with the occurs as an elongated belt all along the southern remaining 15 per cent being occupied by boundary of the State starting from the base of Uplains. The state can be broadly divided the hills and continues into Uttar Pradesh. The into two hydrogeological regimes as defined below. area is very promising from a hydrogeological point of view having substantial groundwater Himalayan Mountain Belt resource and forms the major source of agriculture The Himalayan Mountain belt is a part of production and industrial development. the Alpine-Himalayan mountain chain. The The quality of groundwater is fresh in the State mountain belt trends northwest-southeast with except for some fluoride and iron contamination. roughly parallel ranges spanning the State. The However in recent years the quality has started area is not feasible for groundwater development deteriorating in and around industrial areas where due to its geological and physiographical setup. untreated effluents are injudiciously discharged, leading groundwater pollution. The physiography of Uttarakhand does not Gangetic Alluvial Plain allow large repositories of groundwater to A vast expanse of alluvium of Tertiary and Groundwater management develop in the higher reaches of the State. Quaternary age with a general elevation of about It is ironical that there should be an acute water The hilly districts face scarcity of groundwater 600 meters above mean sea level constitutes scarcity in Uttarakhand, the flanks of which despite prominent rivers like Ganga, Yamuna, Kali etc flowing through these areas. The the Plain. Alluvium is a generalised term for give birth to India’s mightiest rivers. However, population largely depends on springs and unconsolidated sediments consisting of a mixture the region characterised by distinct ecological

seepages for their domestic needs. PRESHWATER STREAM ON THE ROAD TO CHOPTA, UTTARAKHAND of sand, silt, boulder and pebble. The Plain zones, have river systems, lakes, innumerable

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streams and springs that are a result of specific water resources. Ever increasing population and water conservation, rain water harvesting and arrest surface runoff, increase soil moisture, climatic, topographical, geological and vegetative with the formation of an independent State the artificial recharge are very much relevant to the recharge shallow groundwater aquifer and also characteristic of the zone. The significant feature encouragement to industrialisation has increased State. The population largely depends on springs help in reducing soil erosion. It is also feasible to of the water resource regime in the hills is the the water requirement manifold. and seepages for their domestic needs. Hand construct small check dams, nala bunds, recharge great variation that occurs across the ranges The physiography of Uttarakhand does pumps are being installed at more and more places shafts and trenches at suitable locations. The local and valleys. Management is thus dependent on not allow large repositories of groundwater to cater to the domestic requirement. The larger populace may also be encouraged to tap rooftop specific locations, making policy interventions a to develop in the higher reaches of the State. springs are often used by the State Government rain to either facilitate groundwater recharge or very complex task. Anthropogenic changes over The hilly districts of , Chamoli, to supply irrigation water through a network of for tank storage. the last few decades exert a direct impact with a Rudraprayag, Pithoragarh, , , gravity channels called ‘guls’. The foothills and plain areas of the State has vast reduction and change in the extent and nature Champawat, Tehri Garhwal, northern parts of Almost 95 per cent of rainfall from the steep potential aquifers due to which agricultural and of forest cover which has now fallen by almost Dehradun, Pauri Garhwal and Nainital have sloped catchment area moves out of the State industrial activities have accelerated. Farmers 40 per cent. Correspondingly, the water resource scarcity of groundwater despite prominent rivers as surface runoff. It is thus important that this and industries use groundwater unscrupulously - base has been reduced to critical levels, resulting like Ganga, Yamuna, Kali etc flowing through runoff is arrested to some extent by constructing many farmers grow two paddy crops in one year in water crisis in the hills. Despite this, agriculture these areas. However due to nature’s processes suitable water conservation structures. The best with a third crop in between and run their tube is still the main occupation which in turn means even hard rocks develop secondary porosity and option for the hilly terrain is construction of wells 24 hours a day. This large scale groundwater irrigation and thus a compounding stress on can contain limited quantities of water. Hence gully plugs and contour bunds. These structures usage has resulted in drying up of dug wells,

Freshwater Resources of tributaries have an Ganga with its two headquarters the , the better known bearing the load of household of Uttarakhand aggregate discharge of Dhauli Dhama Ganga and Lissar, among which are Nainital, , chores, rapidly dwindling water —Dr Mahabir Singh Negi about 24.24 million m3/ meets Kali at Khala. Goriganga and , Sant Tal, Punatal, resources translates into an added year with the potential to generate (with its tributaries Gomati, Nal Damyanti, Khurpa, Sukha, burden. Many of the Himalayan The Uttarakhand Himalayas about 40000 MW electricity, The Yamuna-una- and Panar) meets Saria and Malwa Tal. High altitude lakes located in rapidly urbanising receives about 5.8 million hectare which can irrigate almost the total Tons Basin is dominated by river the Kali at Jauljibi and Chukka, lakes of the are areas are facing a high rate of meters of rainwater annually with culturable land of North India and Yamuna, which debouches from the respectively. The Ladhiya and the little Mansarovar, Morital, Gang sedimentation and accelerated an annual average rainfall ranging fulfill the drinking water requirements Yamunotri glacier lying on the SW Kwairala are other tributaries of Pani Tal and Syamala Tal, while chemical and biological pollution. from 973 to 2592 mm. Only 1/10th of all its people. slope of Banderpunchh peak. At river Kali. high altitude lakes of Garhwali Springs, the main source of of its total geographical area is The Bhagirathi-Alaknanda Basin Dhalipur river Giri joins the Yamuna. More than 80 per cent of river Himalayas are Diurital, , drinking water are drying and cultivated of which 80 per cent forms a major part of this region Tons the important tributary of discharge comes from the various , Hemkund, Basukital, privatisation of water sources are is dependent on the rains. Quite with the rivers originating from Yamuna, originates from the glaciers, the larger ones being Chorabari Tal, Satopanth Tal and creating further problems. often there is a complete failure of the opposite side of Chaukhamba Northern slope of the Banderpunchh Gangotri, Kedarnath, Bhagat Sahastra Tal. Thirty three thermal There are several ways to crops for want of timely pre sowing peak with a height of 7138 meters. peak, joining the River at Kalsi. Kharak, Satopanth, Pindari and springs are also found in the conserve water in these hilly irrigation, essentially because the Alaknanda, arising from Alkapuri Supin, Rupin and Pabar are the Milam. Out of 5218 glaciers State. The rapidly expanding reaches the foremost being revival water resources remain largely glacier, is the main tributary of important tributaries of the Tons. covering an areas of 38221.37 sq. population and changing lifestyles of chaal/khaal method of collecting under-utilised. Since the livelihood Bhagirathi. Saraswati, Dhauli After flowing for about 125 km from km of the Indian Himalayas, 878 have increased the need for rainwater. Catchment area and allied activities of the region Ganga, Birahi Ganga, Nandakini, the source, the river Yamuna enters glaciers are found in Uttarakhand, fresh water on one hand and bunding can reduce the fury are largely agriculture-dependent, Mandakini, Madhu Ganga, Pinder the Doon valley. The Asan, Nalota which covers about 3701.91 sq km the intense competitions among of flash floods and recharge appraisal and planning of water are the tributaries of Alaknanda. Nala is another tributary of Yamuna. area. The famous 30 km long and users in agriculture, industry and groundwater. There is also a need resources has become an important The Bhagirathi originates from the The Kali System consists of about 2 km wide domestic sector is pushing the to create awareness among village developmental issue of Uttarakhand . The Bhilangna, Balganga, Kalapani and the Kuthi Yankti, the is located on the western slopes of groundwater table deeper on the communities to abate wasteful The rivers Ganga, Yamuna, Jadganga, Kaldi and Jaipur are the eastern and the western headwaters the Chaukhamba peak. other. Also, the water sources are practices. Ramganga, Tons, Alaknanda, main tributaries of Bhagirathi. The of Kali respectively. The Kalapani There are several medium and located at lower altitudes whereas Mandakini, Pindar, Nandakini, Kosi, Bhagirathi and Alaknanda meet at is a collection of spring while Kuthi high altitude lakes in Uttarakhand the villages are in mostly in the The author is Associate Professor, HNB Bhilangana, Kali and their hundreds Devprayag to emerge as Ganga. Yankti is snow feed. The Dhauli scattered in different sections of higher reaches. With women Central University, Uttarakhand

20  JULY - AUGUST 2010  GEOGRAPHY AND YOU GEOGRAPHY AND YOU  JULY - AUGUST 2010  21 STATE STUDY

Hydrogeological map: Uttarakhand

WATER MATTERS HIMACHAL PRADESH

CHINA UTTARKASHI c Never was a crossword so Uttarkashi easy. Lift your pens, get- RUDRAPRAYAG set and go ... CHAMOLI b TEHRII GGARHWALA W 1 Tehri g DDEHRADUNHRAADUN Gopeshwar Rudraprayag Dehradunehr

a e Pauri i PPITPITHORAGARHHHORARAGARH 6 I T

Hardwar PAURI GARHWAL BAGESHWARR 2 A HARDWARR Bageshwarw Many of the Himalayan 8 A lakes located in rapidly ALMORA Pithoragarh urbanising areas are 3 facing a high rate of 9 S UTTAR PRADESH NNAINITAL sedimentation and Champawat NEPAL Nainitala accelerated chemical CHAMPAWATM and biological pollution. Springs, the main source 7 UDHAM SINGH NAGAR of drinking water are d f h j Rudrapur drying and privatisation of water sources are creating 4 further problems. LEGEND 10 I A International boundary State boundary District boundary District Headquarter Perennial river Age Group Formation Lithology Aquifer Character Reservoir/water body 5 Porous Formation Quaternary Alluvium Clay, calcareous concretions, Extensive aquifers silt, sand, gravel, boulders etc. Gravel, grit, sand and clays Localised aquifers Miocene to Sedimentaries Sandstone, claystone Local or discontinuous Pliocene conglomerate, boulder aquifers beds etc. Fissured Formation Unclassified Mesozoic, Sedimentaries and Shale, quartzite, slate, phyllite, Local or discontinuous Accross Down Paleozoic and Upper meta-sedimentaries sandstone, dolomite, limestone aquifers Proterozoic 1. The ability of porous rock to retain water through the process a. The portion of earth between the land surface and the phreatic Lower Proterozoic Crystalline and Gneissic complex and Localised aquifers of___. (10) zone or zone of saturation. (6,4) Azoic meta-sedimentaries associated intrusives 2. Coastal feature formed by sediments, till sea-surface, creating a b. The deposition of water in a solid or a liquid form on the Earth’s navigation hazard. (5) surface from atmospheric sources. (13) Hydraulic Characteristics: yield properties 3. The process of surface water nutrient enrichment causing a c. India’s largest saltwater lake in Orissa. (7) High, 10-50 lps Moderate, 5-25 lps Low, up to 5 lps Very Low water body to fill with aquatic plants and algae. (14) d. That part of streamflow derived from groundwater flowing into a 4. A crescent-shaped lake occurring on a river. (2-3,4) stream. (8) 5. An elevated bank flanking the channel of a river and standing e. The saturated underground formation that will yield usable decline of water levels and dwindling of free/ shaft, trench, pit percolation tank, check above the level of the floodplain. (5) amounts of water to a well or spring. (7) artesian flow. Certain areas of Haridwar district dam etc can be constructed at places where 6. A conduit, or channel designed to transport water from f. A water-parting from which head-streams flow to separate river remote area. (8) systems. (9) has been classified under overexploited category technically feasible. The traditional rainwater 7. The rainfall minus the loss by evaporation. (6) g. The first cyclonic storm to affect southeastern India in May since and requires special attention for sustainable harvesting structures like ponds’, lakes guls etc. 8. A mighty Indian river with the largest number of the 1990 Andhra Pradesh cyclone. (5) development of groundwater. should be rehabilitated so as to store the rainfall tributaries. (5) h. The mouth of a river where it broadens into the sea leading to an In the plain areas of the State, the most runoff for direct use and artificial recharge to 9. That part of the process of denudation which involves the intermixing of saline and freshwater. (7) beneficial method of conservation would be groundwater. wearing away of the land surface by mechanical action of i. The process by which plants lose water vapour through the transported debris. (7) stomata on their leaves. (13) large scale roof top rainfall harvesting. Apart The author is Regional Director, Central Ground Water Board, 10. The longest dam in India-located in Orissa. (7) j. Lowering of the water-table by artificial means. (8) from this, several other structure like recharge Dehradun, Uttarakhand 59 page Answer on

22  JULY - AUGUST 2010  GEOGRAPHY AND YOU GEOGRAPHY AND YOU  JULY - AUGUST 2010  23 WATER MATTERS CHITRAKOT FALLS, CHHATTISGARH, DURING MONSOONS PHOTO CHHATTISGARH TOURISM CHITRAKOT FALLS, CHHATTISGARH, DURING WINTER PHOTO CHHATTISGARH TOURISM

The strain on Chhattisgarh’s water resources can be adjudged f Chhattisgarh’s near two crore Jashpur and Raigarh Districts. The main rivers population, 80 per cent are heavily in the central region are Mahanadi and its from the fact that there is a four fold increase in ground water dependant on agriculture and allied tributaries, while River Indravati, a tributary of draft from 1990 to 2004. In fact the stage of groundwater O activities as recently documented in the State Godavari drains the southern part. Tributaries of development has galloped from 3.31 to 20.43 per cent. It Focus Paper by NABARD. The net sown area the Ganga - Son, Gopad, Rihand etc. drain the is perhaps time that we realise that water is a collective is 34 per cent of the total geographical area of northern part and river Sankh, a tributary of the responsibility and that we all need to participate in conserving the State, while the net irrigated area is just 24 river Bramhani drains a small portion along the water resources in a socially equitable and ecologically per cent of the net sown area, rainfed paddy northeastern part of the State. constituting the staple crop. sustainable manner. Although there is tremendous scope for Geohydrologic setting Geological formations judicious groundwater development in many in Chhattisgarh can be grouped into five —Ashis Chakraborty parts of the State, dwindling water levels in broad hydrostratigraphic units - Precambrian several pockets is raising a sense of alarm. The crystallines; Precambrian sedimentaries; present paper summarises various aspects of semiconsolidated sedimentaries (Gondwanas and groundwater resources of the State to enable a CHHATTISGARH Barren land better understanding of the potential available, its Fallow land 3% Culturable wasteland 4% 2% characteristics, state of development and quality. Area put to non agricultural use Groundwater Resources Physiography The State can be divided into 3 5% Pastures and distinct zones - Bastar Plateau, covering districts grassland of Kanker, Bastar and Dantewara, mostly covered 6% Forest area by forests with an average elevation between 700 46% and 800 m; Chhattisgarh Plains, spread over the central part of the State with an average elevation Net sown area of 400m, and; Northern Hill Region, covering 34% parts of Surguja, Koriya, Korba, Bilaspur, Fig. 1 : Percentage of area under different land use categories

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Water Level Fluctuations and Trends in Chhattisgarh Analysis of water levels show that in the premonsoon water stressed period 20 per cent of Chhattisgarh experiences a significant fall over the decade from 1999 to 2008. DecadalDecadal (1999-2008) Koriya Surguja trendtrend in pre Surguja monsoonmonsoon waterwater levelslevels Jashpur Lametas); Deccan Traps and; unconsolidated problems of the State. Iron ingestion in large Korba Korba Bilaspur Bilaspur sediments (alluvium and colluvium). Further, quantities results in a condition known as Kawardha Raigarh Kawardha Raigarh depending on the prevailing porosity type, the haemochromatosios wherein tissue damage Janjgir-Champa Janjgir-Champa rocks have been divided into two broad types - results from iron accumulation. Besides, such hard rocks with fractured/fissured porosity and water is usually unpalatable and stains laundry - soft rocks with primary porosity. Gondwanas, and plumbing fixtures. Durg Mahasamund Durg Mahasamund Rajnandgaon Rajnandgaon Lametas and unconsolidated sediments form soft Fluoride This naturally occurring substance Raipur Raipur DecadalDecadal (1999-(1999- rocks the rest is hard rock. in high concentration causes endemic fluorosis, a Dhamtari Dhamtari 2008)2008) trendtrend in The Precambrian crystalline province, severe bone disease. While high value of fluoride postpost monsoon Kanker Kanker waterwater levelslevels covering nearly 55 per cent of the State has the in potable water cause mottling of teeth and least potential with respect to groundwater fluorosis, low values of fluoride causes dental yield and development. The Precambrian carries and teeth decay. Distribution of fluoride Bastar Bastar sedimentaries occupy nearly 28 per cent of in groundwater in the State is sporadic in nature the State and groundwater potential zones are and the concentration of the fluoride above confined to weathered mantle, caverns, fractures permissible is associated with granites/gneisses of Dantewada Legend Dantewada and formation contacts. Karsts, though few, Archaean age. Significant fall form repository of groundwater in these terrains. Arsenic Higher concentration of arsenic Neither fall nor rise The semiconsolidated sedimentaries covering above the permissible limit (0.05 mg/l) in Significant rise nearly 16 per cent the area and form thick and drinking water causes arsenical dermatosis (black extensive unconfined to confined aquifers down spots, eruptions and even cracking of skin), to 300 mbgl. Groundwater development in this arsenicosis, hyperkeratoris and melanosis. The area is moderate and development is restricted highest concentration of 1.89 mg/l was reported Groundwater level monitoring is a scientific surveillance system to observe the periodic to upper aquifers (within 120m). The Deccan at the Koudikasa village. There are 11 villages and long-term changes. At present a network of 540 observation wells have been traps occupies a small area and the weathered in Chowki block of Rajnandgaon district where established by Centre Ground Water Board (CGWB) all over the State (May 2008) The part of the traps is converted to laterites and arsenic levels above 0.05 mg/l are found. water level reflects cumulative effect of natural recharge-discharge condition and can yield substantial water to the dug wells. draft. The water table fluctuation is dependent on rainfall infiltration, consumptive use, End note topography, soil characteristics, temperature, humidity, lithology of the formation etc. Unconsolidated formations of quaternary age Development and management of the Water Level Fluctuations: About 96 per cent of the monitored wells exhibit rise in water have thin unconfined aquifers with thickness groundwater resources of the State has to be taken level in November 2008 when compared to water levels during May 2008. About 25 upto 30m and locally forms potential aquifers. up keeping in view its varied hydrogeological per cent of the monitored wells exhibit rise in the range of 0 to 2m in parts of all the characteristics. Special thrust to groundwater districts. In 41 per cent of the monitored wells rise is in the range of 2 to 4m whereas Groundwater quality The groundwater in the development has to be given for irrigation of the the remaining 30 per cent of the observation wells show rise of more than 4 m. The maximum rise of 14.19 m was recorded in Devri observation well of Kanker district. State is both suitable for irrigation and potable. areas where stage of groundwater development Maximum fall of 1.73 m was recorded in Khati observation well of Durg district. However, there are instances of contamination, is less than 50 per cent. There is an urgent need Water Level Trends: Long-term water level trends were analysed using water level data which are mostly geogenic in nature. to educate people to utilise many developmental of individual wells for separate periods for the last 10 years (1999-2008). A rise or fall of Sulphate The high calcium sulphate caused due schemes of the government, and simultaneously more than 15 cm/year was considered significant. Analysis of trends shows that for the to dissolution of gypsum produces is responsible grow proficient in rain water harvesting and premonsoon (May) period water levels in 20 per cent of the area record falling trends while 68 per cent show no significant rise or fall was observed. In 12 per cent of the for permanent hardness in groundwater. The artificial recharge. Concurrently, serious area water levels show a rising trend. Similarly for post monsoon period (November) overall sulphate content in groundwater, spread conservation measures and legislation need to water levels in 48 per cent of the area show falling trends. In 49 per cent no significant over an area of more than 3000 sq.kms, is above be put in place in areas of intensive groundwater rise or fall was observed and in 3 per cent water levels showed a rising trend. the permissible limit recommended for drinking development such as the semi-critical blocks in water norms, causing gastro intestinal disorders. Durg, Bilaspur and Dhamtari Districts, urban Iron The presence of iron in groundwater areas, mining and industrial areas etc.

may be found in all the districts of Chhattisgarh The author is Regional Director, Central Ground Water Board, and iron contamination is one of the biggest Raipur, Chhattisgarh

26  JULY - AUGUST 2010  GEOGRAPHY AND YOU GEOGRAPHY AND YOU  JULY - AUGUST 2010  27 WATER MATTERS

PRECIPITATION

It may be inferred from our study that higher moist convective instability coupled with enough moisture availability during the southwest monsoon season can increase the occurrence of deep convection. Hence the frequency of extreme rainfall events will also increase. — Dr B Mukhopadhyay

28  JULY - AUGUST 2010  GEOGRAPHY AND YOU GEOGRAPHY AND YOU  JULY - AUGUST 2010  29 MONSOON ROUNDUP

Climate change in the form of the increasing trend in the number of above-normal unstable days during the monsoon season may be the cause for the increased frequency of extreme rainfall events over the Indian region.

ne of the most significant consequences over any grid point in 24 hours. Based on the of global warming due to increase amount of rainfall in a day IMD has classified Oin greenhouse gases would be an it into six categories. However, in our present increase in magnitude and frequency of extreme analysis the six categories identified by IMD has precipitation events. These increased extreme precipitation events can be attributed to increase Light to rather heavy rainfall in moisture levels, thunderstorm activities and (a) Category i, JJAS 250 2 large scale storm activities. Physical considerations 240 y=0.0966x + 208.79 R = 0.0114 and model studies indicate that tropospheric 230 220 warming leads to an enhancement of moisture 210 200 content of the atmosphere and are associated 190 with an increase in heavy rainfall events. Extreme frequencyAverage 180 170 rainfall results in landslides, flash floods, and 160 crop damage that have major impacts on society, 1951 1981 1957 1975 1978 1969 1993 1963 1972 1987 1954 1984 1999 1996 1960 1990 1966 2002 2005 the economy, and the environment. Although Year prediction of such extreme weather events is still Heavy rainfall fraught with uncertainties, a proper assessment (b) Category ii, JJAS 8.0 2 of likely future trends would help in setting up y=0.0033x + 5.2894 R = 0.0059 infrastructure for disaster preparedness. Recent 7.0 studies have shown that there is an increasing 6.0 trend of extreme precipitation events in India 5.0 The exceptionally heavy rainfall of 944 mm 4.0 over Mumbai (Santacruz) on 26th July, 2005 was frequencyAverage 3.0 2.0 extremely unprecedented in nature, which led to 1951 1981 1957 1975 1978 1993 1969 1963 1972 1987 1954 1984 1999 1996 1960 1990 1966 2002 many more studies on frequency and variability 2005 Year of heavy rainfall events. The development of a Extreme rainfall events o o high resolution (1 x1 lat./long.) gridded daily (c) Category iii, JJAS 2.0 2 rainfall dataset for the Indian region by National y=0.006x + 0.7892 R = 0.143 Climate Centre (NCC) at India Meteorological 1.5 Department (IMD) was very helpful in undertaking such studies. The results presented 1.0 alongside are based on the study about the trend 0.5

and the frequency of heavy rainfall events over frequencyAverage the Indian region and its contribution to total 0.0 1951 1981 1957 1975 1978 1969 1993 1963 1972 1987 1954 1984 1999 1996 1960 1990 1966 2002 rainfall during the southwest monsoon season for 2005 Year a period of 55 years from 1951 to 2005 using the daily gridded (1x1) rainfall. Fig. 1 : Average frequency (count per day) of occurrence of different rainfall (R) events during monsoon season (June to September-JJAS) from 1951 to The extreme rainfall events are classified into 2005. (a) Category i with 0 < R < 64.4 mm in a day, (b) Category ii with categories based on the amount of rainfall (R) 64.4 < R < 124.4 mm in a day & (c) Category iii with R > 124.4 mm in a day.

30  JULY - AUGUST 2010  GEOGRAPHY AND YOU GEOGRAPHY AND YOU  JULY - AUGUST 2010  31 MONSOON ROUNDUP Southwest Fig. 2 : Monthly (b) July (+2%) 2010Monsoon rainfall anomaly Fig. 1: Advance of 1 July Jammu & 15 July Kashmir Southwest Monsoon 2010 6 July Actual Normal Himachal (a) June (-16%) Pradesh Punjab Chandigarh 5 July Uttarakhand 4 July Haryana Delhi Arunachal 15 June Sikkim Pradesh 2 - 17 June Rajasthan 10 June Uttar Pradesh 5 June Assam Nagaland (c) August (+6%) 6 July 18 June - 3 July Bihar 4-5 July 15 July Meghalaya Manipur Jharkhand Tripura 1 July Gujarat Mizoram Madhya Pradesh1 July 15 June West Bengal 16 June - 3 July Chhattisgarh 1 June 21 May - 1 June Orissa ANOMALY (mm) 25 May 11 - 15 June Maharashtra -150 -100 -50 0 50 100 150 10 June 10 June 18 - 20 May Andhra Pradesh 20 May Meghalaya etc.) is the main concern for Karnataka 7 - 9 June Goa the farmers of these regions. The cumulative seasonal rainfall for the country as a whole during this 5 June Puducherry 17 May year’s monsoon from 1 June to 1 September has so far been 1 per cent below the 31 May - 6 June long period average (LPA) with normal rainfall over all the homogenous regions except Kerala Tamil Nadu east and northeast India, which is deficient by 21 per cent from the LPA. Out of 36 meteorological subdivisions, the rainfall has been excess over 13, normal over 16 and deficient in 07 sub-divisions. In area-wise distribution, 77 per cent area of the country 1 June 20 May received excess/normal rainfall. (Table 1) 25 May 21 - 29 May 17 - 20 May Map not to scale Monthly Rainfall during the season Associated with the stagnation of monsoon and lack of synoptic system the month of Onset and Progress June witnessed a departure of -16 per cent for the country. However, the month of July The onset of southwest monsoon over Kerala occurred on 31st May, just one day prior to (Fig. 2b) was good particularly over the western and northern parts of the country with an the normal onset date. Though the progress of monsoon northward was gradual till 18th all India departure of +2 per cent. The month of August has been the best month so far June after the onset over Kerala, there was stagnation in further progress of monsoon for the country as a whole. The cumulative seasonal rainfall for the country from 1- 31 northward and westward from the latitude belt of around 23oN for a period of almost 2 August (Fig. 2c) has been 106 per cent of the long period average with normal/excess weeks (Fig. 1). rainfall overall regions against the forecast of 101± 9 per cent for the month.

Table 1 Onset and progress of monsoon 2010 Rainfall during the season 2010 Daily Rainfall during the season Seasonal rainfall The daily rainfall for the country has not indicated a very long dry spell of monsoon, Regions Actual Rainfall (% of LPA*) 1 June -1 September The seasonal total rainfall till September which were seen during the monsoon of 2010 with three long dry spell of monsoon (one (1st June to 30 September) is normal, in June, one in August and one in September). It is seen that the northeast India has India 99 close to its long period average with a received less than normal rainfall for many days and the south Peninsula has received Northwest India 105 departure of -1 per cent. Though the good rainfall for many days. rainfall till now is well distributed over Central India 102 many parts of the country, less rainfall Outlook for the end of the season South Peninsula 119 particularly over met-subdivisions As the LaNina conditions have developed in the Pacific ocean and all the models have of eastern India (Bihar, Jharkhand, North East India 79 indicated a good rainfall for September, the seasonal rainfall 2010 will be normal. east Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, However pockets of some meteorological subdivisions over the eastern parts of India is *Long period average east Madhya Pradesh, Assam and likely to remain deficient.

32  JULY - AUGUST 2010  GEOGRAPHY AND YOU GEOGRAPHY AND YOU  JULY - AUGUST 2010  33 MONSOON ROUNDUP

Get a copy now LIBRARY Average frequency of occurrence the southwest monsoon season from June to Instability during monsoon season September (JJAS) and is significant at 98 per cent (a)Category iii, June y=0.009x + 0.5713 R2= 0.1245 110 y=0.486x + 53.883 R2= 0.2741 EDITION 2.5 level (Fig. 1). It is also found that the increasing 100 2.0 trend of contribution from extreme rainfall events 90 1.5 2009 during JJAS is balanced by a decreasing trend 80 1.0 in category i (rainfall < 64.4 mm/day) rainfall 70 0.5 60

Average frequencyAverage events. Similarly on monthly scale the frequency of extreme rainfall events show significant (95 50 1951 1981 1957 1975 1978 1969 1993 1963 1972 1954 1987 1984 1999 1996 1960 1990 1966 2002 2005 40 Year per cent level) increasing trend during June and No. of greater unstable days 30 2 July, whereas during August and September the (b)Category iii, July y=0.009x + 0.5713 R = 0.1245 20 3.5 increasing trend is not significant statistically 1951 1981 1957 1975 1978 1969 1993 1963 1972 1987 1954 1984 1999 1996 1960 1990 3.0 1966 2002 2005 2.5 (Fig. 2). Like the frequency of extreme rainfall Year 2.0 Fig. 3 : Inter-annual variability of number of days with higher degree 1.5 event the contribution of extreme rainfall to the 1.0 total rainfall in a season is also showing highly of instability during the monsoon season as represented by higher than 0.5 mean magnitude of MSE(700 hPa)-MSE (1000 hPa). The 7 point

Average frequencyAverage 0.0 significant increasing trend during the monsoon moving average along with the linear trend is superposed in the graph. 1951 1981

1957 season from June to September and during June 1975 1978 1969 1993 1963 1972 1987 1954 1984 1999 1996 1960 1990 1966

2002 2005 Year and July on monthly scale. It is observed that energy (MSE) at 700 hPa and 100 hPa is taken 2 (c)Category iii, August y=0.0014x + 0.8803 R = 0.0025 the mean monthly contribution of heavy and as discussed in Pattanaik (2003) (Pattanaik D.R. 2.5 extreme rainfall events (rainfall > 64.4 mm in a ‘Analysis of moist convective instability over 2.0 1.5 day) during June-July is 5 to 6 per cent higher Indian monsoon region and neighbourhood’; 1.0 than that during August-September and hence Mausam; 54:659-670). Thus, the ‘MSE (700 0.5 contributes significantly to the total rainfall hPa) – MSE (1000 hPa)’ averaged over the Average frequencyAverage 0.0 during the first half of the season (June and July). central India bounded by 20-27.5oN, 70-87.5oE is 1951 1981 1957 1975 1978 1969 1993 1963 1972 1987 1954 1984 1999 1996 1960 1990 1966 2002 2005 The majority of earlier studies have attributed calculated during all the 55 years and is shown in Year 2 the increase of extreme rainfall events to the Fig. 3. As it may be seen the number of days with (d)Category iii, September y=0.0019x + 0.5941 R = 0.0058 2.5 global warming and climate change. A physical greater degree of instability during the monsoon 2.0 explanation for an increase in heavy precipitation season is showing a significant increasing trend The Library Edition 2009 has all the 6 1.5 with global warming is provided by Trenberth (significant at 99.9 per cent level). The 7 year issues of G‘n’Y published in 2009 (from 1.0 et al. 2003. (Trenberth K.E., Dai A, Rasmussen running mean as superimposed in Fig. 3 also 0.5 January to December). Please send Average frequencyAverage 0.0 R.M., Parsons D.B. 2003; ‘The changing shows a significant increase of frequency of above character of precipitation’; Bull. Amer. Meteor. normal unstable days from about 55 days during demand draft or MO of ` 360, inclusive of 1951 1981 1957 1975 1978 1993 1969 1963 1972 1987 1954 1984 1999 1996 1960 1990 1966 2002 2005 Soc; Year 84 ; 1205–1217). In order to understand the the beginning of the period to about 85 days postal charges, to purchase a copy. Copies Fig. 2: Average frequency (count per day) of occurrence of category iii physical reason behind this increase of extreme towards the end of the period. ` ` rainfall events (R > 124.4 mm in a day) on monthly scale from June to of Library Edition 2005 ( 270/-), 2006 ( September during the period from 1951 to 2005. rainfall event the degree of moist convective Hence it may be inferred that higher moist ` ` instability is calculated over the Indian monsoon convective instability coupled with enough 310/-), 2007 ( 310/-) and 2008 ( 310/-) region during June to September on each day moisture availability during the southwest are also available. been regrouped into three broad categories with for the 55 monsoon seasons from 1951 to monsoon season can increase the occurrence Library Edition DVD light to rather heavy rainfall (0 < R < 64.4 mm), 2005 and the daily mean is calculated over the of deep convection and hence the frequency of Launched. All Library heavy rainfall (64.4 < R <124.4 mm) and region by taking the average of 6710 (55 x 122) extreme rainfall events. Thus, climate change in Editions from 2001- very heavy to exceptionally heavy rainfall (R observations. The mean value is averaged over the form of the increasing trend in the number of 2009 for ` 500 > 124.4 mm). In this study the last categories area bounded by 20-27.5oN, 70-87.5oE. In order above normal unstable days during the monsoon with R > 124.4 mm will be referred hereafter to calculate the interannual variability of degree season may be the cause for the increased For Further Details please contact our Book Section: as extreme rainfall events. of instability, the number of days out of 122 days frequency of extreme rainfall events over the IRIS Publication Pvt. Ltd. It is seen that the frequency of extreme in a season with higher than normal degree of Indian region. Address of Correspondence 1584, B-1, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi -110070 rainfall (rainfall > 124.4 mm) shows increasing convective instability represented by higher than The author is Deputy Director General of Meteorology, India Tel: 011-26122789. Offer valid all over India trend over the Indian monsoon region during normal magnitude of difference moist static Meteorological Department, Govt. of India

34  JULY - AUGUST 2010  GEOGRAPHY AND YOU GEOGRAPHY AND YOU  JULY - AUGUST 2010  35 WATER MATTERS

managing ater is one of the most precious knowledge bank on water use/conservation in commodities for survival of mankind. systems, compulsions of modern era developments water WNowhere is this more true than in a have gradually turned the region poor so far as THAR desert. Survival instinct has compelled the desert water availability and workable traditional water dwellers historically to search for water, both harvesting systems are concerned. Sadly, it started surface and groundwater, to cluster near water with rural development and more specifically sources, to find ways to use water perfunctorily, with groundwater irrigation that turned much of and to develop water conservation practices. the desert green. In this paper we chalk out how Western Rajasthan, which contains the major part it happened, what are its present implications and of the sandy Thar Desert of Indian subcontinent, what could be the likely worst-case scenario if the is no exception when traditional practices for trend continues. water conservation are counted upon, whether During 1950-51 western Rajasthan had a total for drinking or for cultivation. sown area of about 7.8 million hectare (mha), of A large number of nadis (ponds) and tankas which about 363 thousand hectare was under (cisterns), dot the arid plains, as well as baoris–a irrigation, almost exclusively through canals system of bringing water from the catchment to in the northern part. Groundwater irrigation an enclosed and protected location in older urban was very little because of the non availability of centres for community use. There were other energised pumps and electricity in most of the important water conservation structures also in rural areas. The sources of drinking water were the desert, like khadins in the western districts mainly the village nadis and tankas, and also open of Jaisalmer and Barmer that were possibly wells in areas where potable water was located. developed and perfected by the Paliwal Brahmins The scenario began to change fast from the early to conserve rainwater for winter cropping. 1970s when rural electrification got a major boost, Groundwater wells were not too many in the and was followed closely by a vigorous campaign past, but wherever they were sited, they received to make drinking water available to every village utmost care for use as a source of drinking water. in the desert through pipelines. This was also the Despite the fact that fetching water was always a time when green revolution began to turn Punjab major human activity in the past that took much plains into the country’s food basket, with of human energy and time, and at places involved improved seeds of crops, fertilisers, pesticides, long distance travel (especially by women and other improved agro-technologies and irrigation children), the water sources always received facilities, all at a discounted price. Soon, the echo proper attention and care. of green revolution started sounding in the arid Also amazing is the number of trees and western districts of Rajasthan. Farmers opted Despite sizeable knowledge of water conservation shrubs that abound in the sandy plains of the for diesel pump sets for energising their wells. systems, compulsions of modern era developments have Desert despite the hostile climate. It testifies With time, as rural electrification progressed and to a long, time tested tradition of maintaining the state Ground Water Department (GWD), gradually turned the Thar poor so far as availability agro-forestry, so that plants surviving on deep one of the most knowledgeable and efficient and workable traditional water harvesting systems are groundwater can provide some food, fodder and state agencies, moved in its wake in search of concerned. Sadly, it started with groundwater irrigation fuelwood even during the frequent droughts. potential aquifers and then sinking of tube wells that turned much of the desert green. Broadly, three out of five years experience drought for drinking purpose, the farmers followed their —Dr Amal Kar of some magnitude. footsteps to sink their own for irrigation. By 1980 Western Rajasthan is, indeed, rich in traditional the net sown area increased to 10.09 mha, out water harvesting and conservation systems. Yet, of which 1.39 mha was under irrigation. Canals

TANKA AT VILLAGE BHU, JAISALMER despite this richness, and despite having a sizeable served 49 per cent area of the total irrigated,

36  JULY - AUGUST 2010  GEOGRAPHY AND YOU GEOGRAPHY AND YOU  JULY - AUGUST 2010  37 ARID WEST

As affected farmers started foraging deeper for water, not only the cost for lifting water became higher but in most cases the lifted water was found to be of poor quality, which threatened the soil and reduced yield.

Normalised Difference Vegetation Index while tube wells served another 48 per cent. By affecting the drinking water supply scheme as 2005 the sown area increased marginally to 10.94 demand for safe drinking water could not be met mha, but irrigated area increased to 2.77 mha. in full due to very high extraction for irrigation. Canal networks now served 43 per cent area, Several assessments based on actual monitoring while tube wells served 57 per cent. This was of the region’s groundwater wells by GWD have reflected in huge increases in crop production. shown how the category of different groundwater Winter crops like wheat, mustard, cumin, etc., blocks gradually shifted from ‘safe’ to ‘semi- as well as vegetables, got a huge fillip due to high critical’ to ‘critical’ and then to ‘over-exploited’*. market demands. The downside was that water The worsening situation has compelled the use efficiency of the crops was about 50 per cent State to put restriction on further digging for of the potential, as farmers continued to practice groundwater in one block of Nagaur district, over irrigation amounting to mismanagement of two blocks in Sikar district and three blocks the precious water. each in Jalor and Jhunjhunu districts. Despite At the same time, pipeline grids for drinking the negative changes groundwater irrigation is water on one hand helped people to avoid the still expanding within the desert, and aquifer drudgery of traversing long distances, but on the conditions are becoming worse. other also translated into neglect for traditional Measurement of groundwater extraction or water harvesting structures, many of which any other activity that influences the earth’s were silted–their catchments disturbed and gravity is now possible through satellite sensing. Fig 1 : Per cent change from 1982 to 2001 encroached upon. The examples of worst neglect A pair of recently launched satellites, together -300 to -200 -50 to -25 25 to 50 can be found in the Sekhawati tract, especially in called GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate -200 to -100 -25 to -0.01 50 to 75 the districts of Sikar, Churu and Jhunjhunu. Experiment), were launched in March, 2002 -100 to -75 -0.01 to -0.01 75 to 100 -75 to -50 0.01 to 25 100 to 200 Gradually the discharge from many wells began by NASA and the German Research Institute 200 to 300 to dwindle, and aquifers began to dry, as recharge for Aviation and Space Flight, which are now Fig 2 : Land use March 1975 Fig 3 : Land use February 2007 of aquifers in this arid region is exceedingly slow and episodic due to low and erratic nature of the * Safe: Stage of groundwater development is <70 per monsoon rainfall. As affected farmers started cent, and pre-monsoon and post-monsoon water table do not show a falling trend. Stage of groundwater foraging deeper for water, not only the cost for development 70 to <90 per cent, but pre and post- lifting water became higher but in most cases the monsoon groundwater levels do not show a significant lifted water was found to be of poor quality, which long-term decline. threatened the soil and reduced yield. As input Semi Critical: Stage of groundwater development 70- 90 per cent, and water table in either pre-monsoon or cost of irrigated farming became prohibitive and post-monsoon stage shows falling trend. some of the aquifers became dry, land use again Critical: (i) Stage of groundwater development >90 per started to shift back in many affected farms from cent, but pre or post-monsoon water table shows a falling trend. (ii) Stage of groundwater development An analysis of the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values over Thar Desert during irrigated winter cropping to rainfed summer <100 per cent, and water table during both pre and February, derived from NASA’s AVHRR satellite sensors for the period 1982 to 2001 revealed that cropping, with implications for farm income and post-monsoon periods show a falling trend. (iii) Stage although the area under irrigated cropping expanded during the period, there were noticeable socio-cultural consequences for affected families. of groundwater development >100 per cent, but either decline in NDVI values in some areas, which could be related to abandoning of irrigated winter crops pre or post-monsoon level does not show significant due to groundwater depletion (Fig. 1). In some areas the change in land use is so glaring that this Currently about 80 per cent of the extracted water is being utilised for irrigating crops, while long-term decline. could be seen even without any special processing (Fig. 2 & 3). Over exploited: Stage of groundwater development only 10 per cent is used for drinking water. The is >100 per cent, and water table during both pre and dwindling groundwater reserve has also started post-monsoon periods show a falling trend.

38  JULY - AUGUST 2010  GEOGRAPHY AND YOU GEOGRAPHY AND YOU  JULY - AUGUST 2010  39 ARID WEST

In a recent landmark study scientists have shown that between 2002 and 2008 groundwater exploitation along the arid fringe in Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan was so much that the average rate of decline in water level was equivalent to about 17.7 cubic kilometers of water. orbiting the earth at a height of 500 kms and tractors, and necessarily involves clearing of maintaining a satellite-to-satellite distance of perennial plant cover (trees and shrubs) for farm about 220 kms, to detect subtle changes in the operations, the collapse of irrigated farming earth’s gravitational pull due to local changes in might pose a major threat of wind erosion, Earth’s mass. In a recent landmark study based and much higher atmospheric dust load. The on analysis of GRACE data scientists have shown depletion of groundwater will also increase the (Rodell, Velicogna and Famiglietti, Nature, water quality problem, and put further stress on 2009; vol. 460, pp. 999-1002) that between 2002 drinking water availability. and 2008 groundwater exploitation along the arid The major thrust for tackling the emerging fringe in Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan was so problems should be creation of underground much that the average rate of decline in water water banks in different aquifers. This requires level was 330 mm per year, which is equivalent development of technologies for faster to about 17.7 cubic kilometers of water, and groundwater recharge and creation of large exceeded the earlier estimate by the Ministry of f a c i l it ie s to c apt u re r a i nw ater. Even i f te c h nolog ie s Water Resources, Government of India by 4.5 are perfected in time and systems are in place, cubic kilometers. The total extraction during the uncertainties might still prevail in recharging 6-year period is calculated as 109 cubic kilometer. of the aquifers because rainfall will most likely Considering that climate change is leading remain erratic. Under such circumstances we to a rise in temperature in the region, the can only hope that a few high-rainfall events like demand for water by the humans, animals and the one in Barmer district in 2006, or the one crop plants are increasing. Added to this is the in Nagaur district in 1975 would lead to natural increasing human and livestock population. All flooding of the interdune plains, followed by these are going to increase the demand for water. slow recharging of the surrounding aquifers. According to a policy paper of the government At the same time traditional water harvesting of Rajasthan in 2005 the State may require 45.1 structures need to be strengthened and improved billion cubic metre (BCM) of water by 2015 upon, while creating new facilities. Central Arid to meet demands of domestic use, livestock, Zone Research Institute (CAZRI) has developed irrigation, etc., of which 17.4 BCM is to be a number of improved designs of traditional provided by groundwater. On the other hand, water harvesting structures, which are used by the available groundwater may not exceed 7.5 the executing agencies. BCM. Recycling of irrigation water, may provide Groundwater irrigated agriculture will additional 6.5 BCM water. That leaves a shortfall continue in the desert especially because demands of 3.4 BCM under the best guess scenario! for farm outputs will remain and the need for Taking surface and groundwater together, the feeding the growing population will continue. shortfall is expected to be 9 BCM. What is needed under such scenario is to ensure The above studies tend to justify our water use efficiency of crops, and putting as argument that if groundwater irrigated area much land as feasible under drip and sprinkler proliferates without aquifers getting adequately systems. Water shortage has already compelled recharged and land conservation measures are the farmers in many areas in the desert to opt for not strengthened, there is every possibility that these devices. groundwater irrigation system will gradually The author is Principal Scientist and Head of Division of Natural collapse. Since the deep sandy areas served by Resources and Environment Central Arid Zone Research groundwater irrigation are deep-ploughed with Institute (CAZRI), Jodhpur

40  JULY - AUGUST 2010  GEOGRAPHY AND YOU IN CONVERSATION

every individual who are involved in collecting urge people to check the ID card/ appointment information. It is just not possible. Data letters which the Census officials carry. collectors report back to their respective offices about the inaccessible villages and at the end of Is UID card proof of citizenship? the exercise the officials are able to detect and No, it is only a proof of an individual’s usual document the covered and uncovered areas. place of residence, citizen or non-citizen. First Since Census is a time bound activity. Despite the population register needs to be created– notification for extension of time for these citizenship is a subset of the population register. areas, when the area is unapproachable it is left uncovered. We cannot get stuck to one Can the UID card be used for something like particular area. For example, Jammu and bank loan? Kashmir, and Assam were left out in earlier The Card simply gives the identification number. censuses. It specifies that the bearer of the card is so and so. It cannot be duplicated or cloned. But What about minorities? as of now it cannot be used for any official There are no particular interests shown by documents. That can be done only after the any particular minority group in the collection verification process is over. of information. People in general have more interest in this Census because of the issue of What is the process of verification? Unique Identifications (UID) cards and National Once the population register is in place then the Population Register etc. citizen status can be verified at a later point of time through various checks and procedures This time you are also working with UNICEF and which are in the process of being devised. For CENSUS 2011 UNDP? example, the information will be put up in the We worked with all UN organisations in the public domain through newspaper etc., for UNDERSTANDING THE PROCESSES past and they have always been supportive. scrutiny and counter checks. Currently, we This time we are working systematically in two have no idea about immigrants in the country. specific areas: publicity and training. Publicity This exercise will provide this information. Later is done through professional media agencies by on, the immigrating population will also get developing scientific plans for advertisement. identification cards with a photograph. Training is done with the help of several NGOs Registrar General and What problems do you face in rural areas due to difficult working at the grass root level. When will the Census work be completed? during the enumeration of the terrain might be a problem, but There are two phases of the Census. First Census Commissioner Census? collecting information is easier Is the training provided by Census personnel or phase is for the National Population Register Dr C Chandramouli, Collecting information is as compared to urban areas. Of is it outsourced? - extension period for this is till September more intricate in urban areas. course issues in the north-east There are 90 national level master trainers. 2010. Second phase of operation is the main in conversation with Although urban areas are home of India are quite different as it is These trainers include personnel from NGOs Census which has to be done with reference the editor affably offers to large number of educated a culturally sensitive area. Some as well as the Census. The national trainers are to the 1st of March 2011. So the Census has to insights on issues of data and elite masses yet non- groups of people practising training 375 master trainer facilitators who in be complete by February 28, 2011. There is no cooperation in collection of Christianity in these areas turn would be training 54,000 master trainers. question of any extension. collection and outlines data is much more here than have raised religious concerns These master trainers are generally picked up the mechanisms of in rural areas. Factors such as regarding Census enumeration. locally and are senior level teachers, principles, When can we access the first data set? job timings, vacations, security lecturers etc. Again, these master trainers By end of March 2011 first set of data will be providing the unique personnel outside residence What about insurgency prone train 35 lakhs enumerators. This is the regular available in the public domain. identification (UID) holding back enumerators areas? hierarchy of training. In this way the same set cards. Optimistic about from recording information, We ask the Census personnel of instructions are transmitted from Delhi to the Is it possible to create an EVM prototype for are encumbrances. Contrary to convince and encourage remotest area. Census enumeration in the future? the new additions, Dr to this, people cooperate people to participate and to First, can we give a mobile electronic voting Chadramouli feels that in providing information in let them know the benefits of Are malpractices being reported among machine (EVM) prototype gadget to 25 lakh rural areas as teachers who the Census counts. But, if the enumerators, e.g. duplication of forms etc.? people? Even if that was done and training Census 2011 is poised at are assigned the task of problems persist, the village may Whenever any malpractice comes to our notice imparted, putting together information in 18 a momentous juncture. enumeration are familiar with not be covered as there is no we take immediate action. Public has to be different languages would prove to be a huge the local area. Accessibility provision to provide escorts to vigilant and prior to sharing information we stumbling block.

42  JULY - AUGUST 2010  GEOGRAPHY AND YOU GEOGRAPHY AND YOU  JULY - AUGUST 2010  43 REPORTS & STUDIES

Half of the world’s poor live in South Asia (51 per cent or 844 million people) and one quarter in Africa (28 per cent or 458 million) according to the new MPI. Niger has the greatest intensity DECODING and incidence of poverty with 93 per cent of the population classified as poor in MPI terms. The Multidimensional MPI Poverty Index —Staff Reporter

or long, income has been the prime factor people are ‘MPI poor’ compared to the 39 per cent in any calculation on poverty. Scholars who are classified as living in ‘extreme poverty’ Fhave been arguing that although income- under income terms alone. Conversely, 89 per poverty is a crucial measure, it does not capture cent of Tanzanians are extreme income-poor, multiplicity of deprivations that each household compared to 65 per cent who are MPI poor.Using experiences. The Oxford Poverty and Human the new MPI, OPHI has evaluated poverty in 104 The North-Eastern Region is a storehouse of immense Development Initiative (OPHI) has developed developing nations across the world for the 2010 possibilities for hydropower by virtue of its majestic rivers. a new international measure of poverty called HDR. Accordingly, half of the world’s poor live in the ‘Multidimensional Poverty Index’ (MPI). South Asia (51 per cent or 844 million people) and However, a carefully drafted plan which is inclusive of This is for the 20th Anniversary edition of the one quarter in Africa (28 per cent or 458 million). concerns for all the stakeholders and cooperation from the United Nations Development Programme’s Niger has the greatest intensity and incidence of neighbouring countries such as China is essential. flagship Human Development Report. The poverty in any country with 93 per cent of the —Sharad Jain MPI supplants the Human Poverty Index, population classified as poor in MPI terms. which had been included in the annual Human For quite sometime, India has been in the news Development Reports since 1997. for being in the forefront of world economy with The critical parameters to be included in the strong economic growth. The MPI, however, not index are as follows: • Education (each indicator only reveals the persistence of acute poverty, the is weighted equally at 1/6 ) which includes a) years proportion of poor in MPI terms comes to 55 per of schooling: deprived if no household member cent compared to about 30 per cent on the basis has completed five years of schooling and b) child of the official poverty line adopted by the country enrolment: deprived if any school-aged child is and 42 per cent using the World Bank’s US $1.25 not attending school in years 1 to 8; • Health per day measure. There are more MPI poor people (each indicator is weighted equally at 1/6) which in eight Indian states alone (421 million in Bihar, includes a) child mortality: deprived if any child Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, has died in the family and b) nutrition: deprived Orissa, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and West if any adult or child for whom there is nutritional Bengal) than in the 26 poorest African countries information is malnourished; • Standard of living combined (410 million). The inter-state variation (each indicator is weighted equally at 1/18) which is abysmal; in Delhi, 15 per cent of people are includes a) electricity: deprived if the household MPI poor as compared to 81 per cent in Bihar! ha s no elect ricit y, b) d rin k ing water : deprived if t he Now the various components constituting household does not have access to clean drinking poverty can in fact be decoded. As per the MPI, water or clean water is more than 30 minutes the most widespread deprivations in India are walk from home, c) sanitation: deprived if they in cooking fuel (52 per cent), sanitation (49 do not have an improved toilet or if their toilet is per cent), nutrition (39 per cent) and quality of shared, d) flooring: deprived if the household has flooring (40 per cent). In rural India, nutrition,

BUFFER ZONE OF ACHANAKMAR FORESTS dirt, sand or dung floor, e) cooking fuel: deprived child mortality and education indicators are the if they cook with wood, charcoal or dung and greatest contributors to the overall deprivation. • Assets: deprived if the household does not own These findings can be used by the government more than one of: radio, TV, telephone, bike, or and various development agencies to target motorbike, and do not own a car or tractor. corrective measures in more pointed manner.

That MPI captures poverty more directly is Inputs from : Alkire, Sabina. and Santos, Maria Emma. evident. For example, in Ethiopia 90 per cent of ‘Multidimensional Poverty Index’; University of Oxford; July 2010

44  JULY - AUGUST 2010  GEOGRAPHY AND YOU GEOGRAPHY AND YOU  JULY - AUGUST 2010  45 REPORTS & STUDIES data users’seminar DEHRADUN

A three day National level Data Users’ Seminar for over 100 senior secondary school teachers and 50 students A SECTION OF THE TRAINING GROUP from Uttarakhand was held in Dehradun from 25 to 27th July 2010. —Staff Reporter

he Data Users’ Seminar was the first Dehradun; Dr SSrinivasan, MD, Apollo, New seminar of its kind being held in the Delhi; Dr Saibal Dasgupta, CEO and Principal Tcity with a view to enable capacity Conservator of Forests, Madhya Pradesh; Dr S building of teachers by covering subjects like K. Jain, Professor, IIT, Roorkee; Dr A K Bhatia, disaster management, earthquakes, adolescent Regional Director, CGWB, Dehradun; Shri Anil health and gender, forests, hydrology, data on Kumar Sinha, Chairman, GFDR, New Delhi and disasters, GIS training, energy conservation and VC, Bihar State Disaster Management Authority, more. Inaugurating the Seminar, Padamshri Dr Dr AKBiyani, Professor, DBS College, Dehradun; B Bhattacharjee, Member, National Disaster Dr P L N Raju, Senior Scientist, IIRS, Dehradun; Management Authority, laid stress on the Dr Sarfaraz Alam, Assistant Professor, BHU, importance of sensitisation among school Varanasi; Dr M N Joshi, Professor, DBS College, children towards precaution against disasters. Dehradun; Dr K D Gupta, Director, IASRD, DR B BHATTACHARJEE (L), DR M SUDHAKAR (C) AND MAJ. GEN. M TAYAL (R) AT THE INAUGURATION Dr M Sudhakar, Adviser, Ministry of Earth New Delhi; ShriA K Tyagi, Chief Project Officer, Sciences, called for reaching out with scientific UREDA; Shri Arvind Kumar, GM, UJVNL; Dr and accurate information to teachers and Lokesh Jain, Sr Fellow, TERI and Ms Sulagna students and also upheld the need for detailed Chattopadhyay, President, LIGHTS and Editor, and hands-on workshops. He said teachers GnY. The seminar familiarised teachers with held much importance as they can turn the data and trained them to use it effectively as a society by moulding the lives of the younger teaching tool. The seminar was organised by generation. Major General, Manoj Tayal, Learning in Geography, Humanities, Technology Additional Director General of Survey of India, and Science (LIGHTS) and supported by the and Dr Saraswati Raju, Professor, Jawaharlal NRDMS, Department of Science and Technology, Nehru University, were other speakers at the National University of Educational Planning and inaugural session of the Seminar. Among those Administration, National Disaster Management who prominently participated in the sessions Authority, Ministry of Non-Renewable Energy, included Dr AK Mahajan, scientist at Wadia Ministry of Earth Sciences and Oil and Natural Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun, Dr Gas Corporation with Geography and You

GROUP DISCUSSION DURING THE SEMINAR PARTICIPANTS MAKING NOTES AT THE SEMINAR Piyoosh Rautela, Executive Director, DMMC, (G’nY) as its knowledge partner.

46  JULY - AUGUST 2010  GEOGRAPHY AND YOU GEOGRAPHY AND YOU  JULY - AUGUST 2010  47 ENERGY ENVIRONMENT Renewable

Excerpts from: Staff Writers. ‘A Paradigm combined investment of $3.06 billion, to the growing power needs of An update on recent happenings in Shift Towards Sustainable Low Carbon China Daily reports. The proposed developing and developed countries. News the world of renewables. Transport’; Energy-Daily; Sep 09, 2010. projects follow on the heels of Researchers at Hebrew University, Waunakee Digester Project the 102-megawatt, $337 million Jerusalem (Israel) are now trying to Donghai Bridge Wind Farm, China’s create magic out of humble common first major offshore initiative, which potatoes to provide a solution for began transmitting power to the generating power to meet this need. national grid in July 2010. The project The potato powered battery is the Turbine Effect on Yukon River fish very few fish are passing through Low Carbon Transport: Financing consists of 34 turbines, each with a salt-bridge capacity that is latent in the turbine and those that do are not the Vision ASAP’ by the Transport 3-megawatt capacity. While China treated potato tubers which makes showing any signs of injury. Research Laboratory released recently overtook Germany as the them the ideal medium for generating Excerpts from: Staff Writers. ‘Study by ITDP and the Partnership for second largest wind power developer power easily and economically. An Examines Turbine Effects on Yukon River Sustainable Low Carbon Transport, after the United States, offshore easy process of electrolysis is used Fish’; Energy – Daily; Sep 10, 2010. over $1.5 trillion is spent annually Waunakee in Wisconsin, USA, broke offers a huge potential. China has in the construction of the simple yet Sustainable Low Carbon Transport on transport globally, mostly in ground on a $12 million community an estimated offshore wind power efficient battery. A slice of our ordinary ways that exacerbate rather than digester project, named ‘Cow Power’ potential of more than 750 gigawatts, potato, zinc and copper electrodes solve the problems associated with that will help clean the air as well as far greater than the country’s are all that go to make the battery. traffic growth, including congestion, lakes, and at the same time generate land based wind potential of 253 By boiling the potato, the electric A University of Alaska Fairbanks health harming air pollution, enough clean energy to power 2,500 gigawatts. Most of China’s proposed power is increased 10 times more fisheries scientist has teamed up accidents, energy insecurity, and homes. The digester project will farms would be inter tidal - in which than with the non-boiled potatoes, with Alaska Power and Telephone to climate change. The Report outlines demonstrate the future in agriculture the base of the turbine is covered at and the longevity is also greatly study how a new power generating financing changes that will enable by putting to work three local high tide and uncovered at low tide increased. The treated potato power turbine affects fish in Yukon River. developing nations to achieve more farms to power homes and clean - as is Donghai Bridge Wind Farm in batteries (with low power electricity) In the brief testing that has been sustainable, affordable, and equitable environment. The construction is the East China Sea near Shanghai. were used to power LEDs. These accomplished there is no indication At a meeting of top transportation approaches to transportation. These expected to be completed later this Proposed offshore wind farms in batteries can provide lighting, power that the turbine has killed or and environment leaders from two steps can help others avoid costly year. Once operational, the facility will Europe, by contrast, are planned telecommunication and transfer of even injured fish. Alaska Power dozen governments across Asia, mistakes made by the world’s most convert manure from the farms into mostly in deep water, about 164 feet information in the developing non- and Telephone installed the in- key experts said changes in how car-dependent cities, like Houston. nearly $2 million worth of electricity deep. While Donghai’s capacity is OECD populated areas. Where stream turbine near Eagle, Alaska transport is financed are essential Cities, such as Copenhagen, Madrid, per year. Electricity generated by the now equivalent to just 1 percent of there is insufficient access to proper this summer and are testing its if cities and nations are to deal Berlin, Singapore, Guangzhou, digester will be enough to run 2,500 Shanghai’s total power production electrical infrastructure, these eco- effectiveness as a power source for effectively with the rapid growth and Bogota are demonstrating homes annually. The community of about 18,200 megawatts, it is and environmentally friendly green the village. The turbine is 16-feet in motor vehicle traffic and related more effective paths to transport digester will create construction jobs expected to eventually generate 267 generators of power will be found wide and 8-feet tall. It’s suspended environmental and health problems, system modernisation. This Report and full-time jobs to run the digester. million kilowatt-hours of electricity useful. from an anchored pontoon barge in including climate change. “Current shows domestic public finance, The project will also help local farms annually, enough to power 200,000 Excerpts from: ‘Scientists Revisit Power the deepest and fastest part of the transport financing practices are official development assistance, expand their operations. households in the city. from Potatoes’; Alternative Energy; July River. The turbine has four blades unfit to meet 21st century needs,” and private investment flows Excerpts from: ‘Cow Power Project Excerpts from: Staff Writers. ‘China sailing 12th, 2010. that spin at about 22 revolutions Michael Replogle, Global Policy now overwhelmingly favour rapid Breaks Ground’; Renew Wisconsin; ahead in offshore wind power’; Wind New Solar Cooling Panel Daily; Sep 08, 2010. per minute. The scientists capture Director and Founder of the Institute motorisation. It thus outlines key August 5, 2010. fish at the turbine site and near for Transportation and Development steps in financing reform: to analyse Offshore Wind Power for China Potato Batteries the shore. The captured fish are Policy (ITDP) said in the recent meet. impacts, shift existing resources identified, counted, measured and “As much as $700 billion is spent towards a sustainable direction, released alive back into the River. annually subsidising motor fuels, and funding where resources are This information allows scientists to while hundreds of billions more in still lacking, and restructure pricing determine the path of downstream public and global aid funds subsidise incentives so users pay for the full migrating fish–such as juvenile the growing use of cars,” he said. costs of transport consumption, salmon. It also allows them to “This comes at the expense of identifying measures to be taken determine how many of the different investments in more pressing human by public, private, and international SolarFrameWorks’ largest BIPV fish species are in the channel and needs for modern bus rapid transit, organisations. The report authors, CoolPly system in Massachusetts when they migrate. If a fish does streets safe for walking and cycling, Ko Sakamoto, Holger Dalkman, Chinese energy companies are Scientists are busy crafting what is has been completed. The 525 pass through the turbine, it was quality public space, as well as and Derek Palmer, of the Transport expected to submit bids for four now called as ‘solid organic electric kilowatt, state-of-the-art BIPV examined and for general health and health, housing, and education,” he Research Laboratory, are noted offshore wind power projects battery based upon treated potatoes. CoolPly commercial roofing system, indication of injury. The study claims adds. As documented in a Report ‘A global experts in transport and with a total installed capacity of Absolutely eco-friendly batteries spanning seven rooftops, is providing that preliminary results show that Paradigm Shift Towards Sustainable environmental policy. 1,000 megawatts, representing a these will be an economical answer clean, renewable energy to the Kraft

48  JULY - AUGUST 2010  GEOGRAPHY AND YOU GEOGRAPHY AND YOU  JULY - AUGUST 2010  49 INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Group’s Patriot Place Complex in with harvesting sunlight is that the close to 100 percent - but in the initial the US and bring wind energy to the developing not only the process The technology, referred to as Foxborough, Massachusetts. The sun’s rays can be highly destructive work, the concentration of structures nearly windless Gulf Coast. American technology but also the agricultural Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion system supplies one-third of the to many materials. Sunlight leads to a in the solution was low, so overall Superconductor (AMSC) which practices and systems that supply (OTEC), is described in the Journal electrical needs of Patriot Place gradual degradation of many systems efficiency of the device - the amount provides proven, megawatt-scale feedstock to these processing of Renewable and Sustainable and will generate 12 million plus developed to harness it. But plants of electricity produced for a given wind turbine designs and electrical facilities. When built in conjunction Energy, which is published by the kilowatts hours of energy over the have adopted an interesting strategy surface area - was very low. The control systems, has a 25-percent, $8 with the sugar milling operation, American Institute of Physics (AIP). next 20 years. The state-of-the- to address this issue: they constantly team is are working now to find ways million stake in the Blade Dynamics plants employing AdvanceBio’s It involves placing a heat engine art BIPV CoolPly system is elegant break down their light-capturing to greatly increase the concentration. venture. AMSC, through its Windtec sugar-based ethanol process will between warm water collected at in appearance and innovative molecules and reassemble them, so Excerpts from: ‘MIT Researchers Create business unit, has an eye on those have very low-greenhouse gas the ocean’s surface and cold water in function. The patent pending the basic structures that capture the New Self-Assembling PV Technology lightweight Blade Dynamics’ blades footprint. AdvanceBio envisions pumped from the deep ocean. Like That Repairs Itself’; Biofuel Daily; Sep system simultaneously cools the sun’s energy are, in effect, always 06, 2010. for its upcoming 10 MW SeaTitan™ that producing fuel ethanol by a ball rolling downhill, heat flows roof and cools the solar modules brand new. That process has now superconductor wind turbines. Dow processing cane and sweet from the warm reservoir to the cool in the summer. In the winter, the been imitated by Michael Strano, the Ultra Light Blades for Wind Power Chemical, through its Venture Capital sorghum feedstocks will serve to one. The greater the temperature system provides additional insulation Charles and Hilda Roddey Associate group, also made a minority equity supplement corn as the country difference, the stronger the flow of preventing heat loss while optimising Professor of Chemical Engineering, investment in Blade Dynamics. transitions to cellulosic ethanol and heat that can be used to do useful power production to promote and his team of graduate students Dow could feasibly be supplying beyond. Currently, U.S. legislation work such as spinning a turbine optimal power production and and researchers. They have created composite materials to build those establishes a Renewable Fuel and generating electricity. The energy conservation in commercial a novel set of self-assembling blades. Standard (RFS) requiring the history of OTEC dates back more buildings. The Association of Energy molecules that can turn sunlight Excerpts from: Mulliken, Bruce. ‘Wind production of 36 billion gpy of than a half century. However, the Engineers, New England chapter into electricity; the molecules can energy for the nearly windless gulf coast’; renewable fuels by 2022. Of this technology has never taken off -- named the Patriot Place BIPV be repeatedly broken down and Green Energy News; August 22, 2010. total, 15 billion gpy is designated largely because of the relatively low CoolPly Solar Project as the: ‘Best then reassembled quickly, just by Zero Discharge Ethanol Process as a cellulosic ethanol requirement. cost of oil and other fossil fuels. Energy Project in New England,’ adding or removing an additional The northern Gulf, such as along the The improving global economy is But if there are any places on Earth awarding it the 2009 Energy Project solution. One of Strano’s long-term coast of Louisiana, is not too windy expected to increase the demand where large OTEC facilities would Award. research goals has been to find and probably not windy enough to and price of crude oil and spur be most cost competitive, it is where Excerpts from: ‘Award-Winning ways to imitate principles found in power an offshore wind farm. Still the next wave of renewable fuel the ocean temperature differentials SolarFrameWorks BIPV CoolPly System nature using nanocomponents. To having poor wind resources doesn’t investment. are the greatest. Analyzing data Completed At New England Patriot imitate the plant process, Strano mean the region can’t get involved Excerpts from: ‘Zero Discharge Sweet from the National Oceanic and Place’; Biofuel Daily; Aug 31, 2010 and his team, supported by grants in wind energy. With an incentive Sorghum Ethanol Process Development’; Atmospheric Administration’s Self Assembling PV Technology from the MIT Energy Initiative and package from Louisiana Economic Biofuel Daily; Sep 07, 2010. National Oceanographic Data the US Department of Energy, Development (LED) worth $30 Hawaii Ocean Energy Center, the University of Hawaii’s produced synthetic molecules called million, Blade Dynamics of the UK AdvanceBio, fuel and chemical Gérard Nihous says that the warm- phospholipids that form discs; these will be setting up shop in the State technology consultants based in cold temperature differential is discs provide structural support to manufacture high performance Ohio, USA, has announced the about one degree Celsius greater for other molecules that actually ultra light multi-megawatt wind development of its next generation, on the leeward (western) side of the respond to light, in structures called turbine blades. Blade Dynamics sugar-based fuel ethanol process. Hawaiian Islands than that on the reaction centers, which release blades are up to 50 percent lighter The process is capable of utilising windward (eastern) side. This small electrons when struck by particles of than competing blades, thus can sugars derived from sugar cane, difference translates to 15 percent light. The system the team produced increase the efficiency of existing sweet sorghum, sugar beet and more power for an OTEC plant, Plants are good at doing what is made up of seven different turbines or allow the construction of other similar crops as feedstock for says Nihous, whose theoretical scientists and engineers have compounds, including the carbon ever more powerful machines. Blade production of fuel ethanol and green Researchers at the University work focuses on driving down been struggling to do for decades: nanotubes, the phospholipids, Dynamics facilities will be located at power while generating zero liquid of Hawaii at Manoa say that the cost and increasing efficiency of converting sunlight into stored and the proteins that make up the the National Aeronautics and Space waste. The fermentation system is Leeward side of Hawaiian Islands future facilities, the biggest hurdles energy, and doing so reliably day reaction centers, which under the Administration’s (NASA) Michoud more than twice as productive as may be ideal for future ocean to bringing the technology to the after day, year after year. Now right conditions spontaneously Assembly Facility. The Michoud today’s starch based processes based renewable energy plants mainstream. some MIT (Massachusetts Institute assemble themselves into a light- Facility is an 832-acre site owned by and doesn’t require enzymes that would use seawater from the of Technology) scientists have harvesting structure that produces NASA and located in eastern New or major nutrient additions. oceans’ depths to drive massive Excerpts from: ‘Generating Energy from succeeded in mimicking a key aspect an electric current. Theoretically, the Orleans. Private investment is also Considerable time and financial heat engines and produce steady Ocean Waters Off Hawaii’; ScienceDaily; of that process. One of the problems efficiency of the structures could be helping to bring Blade Dynamics to resources have been invested in amounts of renewable energy. Aug. 4, 2010.

50  JULY - AUGUST 2010  GEOGRAPHY AND YOU GEOGRAPHY AND YOU  JULY - AUGUST 2010  51 ENERGY ENVIRONMENT Renewable NewsINDIA

absorbers, used to heat swimming field of renewable energy. “Not only expenses. It will install 10,000 solar of the State. Experts also feel that pools, air collectors used for drying do we wish to export renewable water pumps in the first phase to save Bihar needs an energy revolution now agricultural produce and evacuated energy technology to the developing nine crore units per annum. The State and decentralised renewable energy tube collectors used to transfer countries but in the years to come, has sent a proposal to the centre can fuel that change. Greenpeace thermal energy to solar circuits are also to markets in the developed for its approval under the National believes that a resurgent Bihar can some of the other products on offer. world,” Minister of New and Agriculture Development Scheme. chart an alternative development For India, a key German technology Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah The State has already invited pathway by developing a state based for making photovoltaic cells, would said in an informal interaction with expressions of interest from solar regulatory framework to encourage be extremely beneficial. This system media in the World Future Energy pump set manufacturers. Around 10 utilisation of renewable energy RE from Germany enables sunlight to be converted Summit. Apart from wind, solar and manufacturers have shown interest through a renewable energy law. The storage system. The students’ team India, one of the biggest markets directly into electrical energy - a biomass, geothermal energy will in supplying solar pump sets in the new law should be drafted with proper will develop a mechanical system for for alternative energy technologies, blessing for rural electrification get a boost through foreign tie ups rural areas. The solar pump sets are and wide consultations to ensure harnessing and storing solar energy is looking towards Germany for projects, if it is cost-effective. Small, as Iceland has promised support attached to the water source. Solar robustness of the policy. Political so that this energy can be preserved technological assistance and decentralised power grids or mini- in developing geothermal energy panel of the pump converts the solar parties should promote Decentralised for long and used when required. The knowledge transfer in the field grids set up by using photovoltaic in India, which will be especially energy into electrical power, which Renewable Energy (DRE) to deliver project is being undertaken under the of renewable energy, especially cells can supply electricity to applicable in remote mountainous runs the motor to pump water. A 5 quick, quality and breadth of access Global Clinic Programme of Harvey for rural electrification and grid everything from individual buildings areas including Ladakh. Wind energy HP solar water pump set will save of energy to communities which Mudd College, which facilitates such integration. German companies, to several small towns. German alone contributed to 11000 MW 25 units of power every day. Under will help inclusive growth and research works for undergraduate which have the largest solar market companies are offering battery- to the national energy pool, and this project, farmers in water-scarce development of the people of Bihar. students, thus providing them worldwide, are keen to enter India supported photovoltaic island as India looks for sources beyond areas will be asked to install solar The state is looking to expand its with an opportunity to work on with their solar thermal, photovoltaic systems to provide uninterruptible oil and gas, a potential of around water pump for irrigation. There are power production via investment in real life engineering issues that is cell and concentrated solar power power supply for countries with 1,00,000 MW has been identified two types of pumps. The cost of 2 large thermal power plants and hydro both relevant and important for the products as well as facilitate transfer unstable, overloaded power from wind, biomass and small HP solar water pump is Rs. 4 lakh projects. However, these projects society. The clinic programme is so of technology through workshops grids like India. A long term hydro sources. Also, the recently while a 5 HP pump costs Rs. 10 lakh. will take time to be implemented named because it provides real life and training under India’s National cost-effective version of an off launched Jawaharlal Nehru National Farmers will get 80 percent subsidy and till then Bihar’s growth would experiences to engineering students, Solar Mission. With the Government grid electricity supply via island Solar Mission has set an electricity on the cost of the pump while the continue to be effected by crippling in a manner similar to the clinical of India announcing a goal to cover system would be a combination production target of 20,000 MW by state government will provide them power shortages. There is a huge experience provided to medical 10 per cent of its energy demand of photovoltaic systems with wind 2022. Biomass, which is a carbon loan on remaining amount at the energy deficit - an average per capita students. This apart, it is also aimed with renewable energy by 2012, farms and hydropower plants, and neutral fuel source, has potential to interest rate of 5 per cent. consumption of 75 units compared to at developing in the students the solar power has become the future if necessary, generators powered yield 16,000 MW of power. Small Excerpts from: PTI. ‘Rajasthan Govt. the national average of 613 units - with perspective and skills required in the country which houses over 15 by diesel or bio-fuels. hydro projects of less than 25 MW to roll out Rs. 515 cr solar water pump little prospect of plugging it through to function effectively in a global per cent of the world’s population. Excerpts from: ‘India looking to Germany capacity can generate 15,000 MW. project’; The Hindu; May 14, 2010 traditional methods. Bihar is left with context. The conventional energy is The carefully calculated feed-in- for assistance in renewable energy Excerpts from: Aneja, Atul. ‘India to emerge almost no energy after bifurcation aiding pollution and adding to global tariffs fixed by the Central Electricity technologies’; One India; May 7, 2010 as global renewable energy powerhouse’; Ecobody for RE Boost of Jharkhand. In West Champaran warming. Also it is non-renewable Regulation Commission (CERC) has The Hindu; January 20, 2010 district, Husk Power Systems energy, which is pushing the scientist for the first time made application India – Global RE Powerhouse are using biomass gasification to fraternity to look for sustainable of solar technologies economically Rajasthan Solar Pump Project generate electricity from rice husk, methods of harnessing renewable viable in India. Germany, which has has over 30 power plants already, and energy. The project of the BIT, Mesra, an installed capacity of over 6000 30 more in production. and Harvey Mudd College is thus mw of solar power, can further help in Excerpts from: Chaudhary, Pranava K. being looked upon as an effort in bringing down costs of installing solar ‘Eco body for renewable energy boost in this direction. “After the completion power and other renewable energy state’; Times of India; Aug 24, 2010 of the project, the students’ team will projects in India. The Germans are present their work before the experts offering products and technological Greenpeace India has made an Solar Energy Project in BIT, Mesra, sometime in May next support in industries like solar appeal to all political parties of In order to systematically harness year,” said K G Pande, co-ordinator thermal energy systems generally India is tying up with leading foreign Bihar to include campaign for solar energy, students of BIT, Mesra, of the project at BIT, Mesra. used to heat domestic water supplies players for absorbing cutting edge Rajasthan government is coming up ‘development of renewable energy’ along with students of Harvey Mudd Excerpts from: Kiro, Santosh K ‘Solar as well as heat detached and semi- technology and skills to emerge with a Rs. 515 crore solar water pump in its poll manifesto for providing College, California have undertaken a energy project’; The Telegraph; May 16, detached homes. Unglazed plastic as an export powerhouse in the project to cut down on its power energy needs of the rural population joint project to develop a solar energy 2010

52  JULY - AUGUST 2010  GEOGRAPHY AND YOU GEOGRAPHY AND YOU  JULY - AUGUST 2010  53 ENERGY ENVIRONMENT technologyecology with

ECO-PARK AT 100 YEAR OLD DIGBOI REFINERY INDIANOIL

One of India’s contemporary concerns is to harness resources which are in sync with environmental sustainability. IndianOil operations provide a good case in point whereby judiciously thought and executed plans in terms of making business greener GREEN BELT AND POND AT GUJARAT REFINERY have led to noticeable difference to not only local environment, but have also contributed to ecological well being at large. —B N Bankapur

etroleum refining and environmental The environment management systems of all management - nothing could be more IndianOil refineries, pipeline installations and Pparadoxical, but recent trends defy this major marketing installations/terminals are outlook whereby environmental protection has certified with ISO-14001 standards. All IndianOil become one of the significant concerns of the refineries are accredited for Occupational Health

WINGED VISITORS AT BONGAIGAON REFINERY AT VISITORS WINGED petroleum industry in India. IndianOil, as part & Safety Assessment Series (OHSAS-18001). of its commitment of being an active partner of They are also rated under International Safety the Global Compact Programme of the United Rating System (ISRS). While Panipat and Nations, have a comprehensive safety, health Gujarat Refineries are rated at level 9 in the scale and environment management programme in of 1 to 10, the Mathura Refinery is the first oil place in all its operating units and installations. refinery in Asia and 3rd in the world to receive Apart from periodically reviewed and upgraded the ISO-14001 certification. Salaya-Mathura and facilities for better performance, IndianOil Koyali-Ahmedabad Pipelines have become the preserves and promotes implementation of 1st ‘green pipelines’ in the world with ISO-14001 advanced technology and collaborative R&D certification. to produce green fuel with minimal emissions Apart from constantly reviewed and updated and wastes. Scientifically designed green belts technologies, IndianOil refineries have eco- have been developed at the refineries to serve as parks which sustain themselves on treated water POLISHING PONDS AT MATHURA REFINERY PHOTO COURTESY; INDIANOIL CORPORATION LTD. pollution sink. and recycling of waste material. The following

54  JULY - AUGUST 2010  GEOGRAPHY AND YOU GEOGRAPHY AND YOU  JULY - AUGUST 2010  55 SUSTAINABLE ENERGY

POPULATION STUDIES IndianOil refineries are in the forefront in terms of TERMPOWER adopting latest environment-friendly technologies, SUNDARBAN DELTA 7 Ans: A. Spread over an area of 9630 sq.km, production of green fuels and minimisation of pollution. Sunderban is the largest delta in India and has ratings been declared as the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. The delta primarily consists of mangrove 1 to 6 Correct - Informed forests covering its 54 tiny islands, most of discussion refers to some such efforts aimed at of waste steel transports visitors to an island in 7 to 11 Correct - Knowledge bank which are crisscrossed by innumerable brackish eco-enhancement in the refineries with select the middle of the pond where an open log hut 12 to 15 Correct - Encyclopedia distributaries of the river Ganga. cases of Mathura and Gujarat refineries. provides the visitors an expansive view of the Refinery. There is a nursery with rose saplings 1BIRD’S FOOT DELTA 8 ISOHALINE Eco-enhancement: Mathura and Gujarat and several species of birds reside in the eco park. Ans: C. A type of delta formed by the outgrowth Ans: C. The line on a map joining points in of natural river into a body of water to form a the ocean having the same degree of salinity. The efforts to control emissions at Mathura Another log hut built in the ethnic style offers a finger-like pattern, reflecting the number of Refinery are particularly important because of its different ambience for official meetings. Treated distributary streams. JÖKULHLAUP proximity to the famed Taj Mahal. The Refinery effluent is being used for filling up the pond as 9 Ans: C. A flood caused by the sudden release has set up three ambient air quality-monitoring well as for watering the trees of the eco park. A HYDROLOGIC CYCLE of an ice-dammed or englacial lake, often with stations between the refinery and the city of rain water harvesting-cum-production well is 2 Ans: B. The cycle of water movement through disastrous consequences is known as a Jökulhlaup - an icelandic term, where these outbursts are Agra and a fourth one at Bharatpur in order to also used to top up the eco pond. The Refinery POWER TERM MATTERS THE WATER the earth-atmosphere system, initiated through the acquisition of water vapour by evaporation and not uncommon. minimise the impact of refinery operations on has given topmost priority to plantation of trees as transpiration from water and land surfaces released the air quality of surrounding areas. The greatest a part of air pollution control measures. Already into the atmosphere by condensation and deposited OLIGOTROPHIC LAKE testimony to the green movement of Mathura two green belts have been fully developed in the on land and water surfaces by precipitation. 10 Ans: B. The deep clear water body which Refinery lies in the sprawling ecological park downwind of the refinery and third one is in has a low nutrient content and is therefore unable located in the heart of the main plant. Spread nurturing stage. 3 ARTESIAN WELL to support large aquatic flora and fauna. in an area of 4.45 acres, this park thrives on the Ecological parks have also been developed Ans: B. A well achieved by boring down into an aquifer enclosed by an impermeable strata within an LYSIMETER treated effluent and houses over 45 species of in seven other refineries. Besides the eco park artesian basin. 11 Ans: A. An instrument for measuring trees and shrubs. The treated effluent is received various other environmental measures such as percolation of water through soil. in five polishing ponds; the water channels tree plantation and green belt development also RIPARIAN WATER RIGHTS serve as the habitat for nurturing rich aquatic ensure IndianOil’s successful blend of technology 4 Ans: A. The rights of an owner whose land NIMBOSTRATUS 12 and avian life and have become a sanctuary for with ecology. abuts water. They differ from state to state and often Ans: A. A type of cloud, dark grey in local and migratory birds with over 96 varieties depend on whether the water is a river, lake, or ocean. colour, occurring in sheets thick enough to blot Corporate Social Responsibility The doctrine of riparian rights is an old one, having out the Sun. Low tagged fractus clouds frequently of birds including 30 migratory species. The its origins in English common law. Specifically, persons occur beneath its base, which occurs between 900 Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) has Refining nature’s wealth to get the best in the who own land adjacent to a stream have the right to and 3,000 m i.e. at low altitudes. identified several permanent and migratory avian most eco-friendly manner continues to be make reasonable use of the stream. Riparian users of varieties including lapwings, egrets, kingfishers, accorded a prime place in IndianOil’s endeavours. a stream share the streamflow among themselves, ICE-SHEET 13 herons, coots, spot bills, pintails from Russia and IndianOil has successfully combined its corporate and the concept of priority of use (Prior Appropriation Ans: B. The term denotes a large, continues China in the eco park. The mini bird sanctuary social responsibility agenda with its business Doctrine) is not applicable. Riparian rights cannot be layer of land ice of considerable thickness. The sold or transferred for use on non-riparian land. term is generally confined to descriptions of ice serves as a bio-indicator and stands testimony offerings, meeting the energy needs of millions masses covering regions on a continental scale to the fact that industry and ecology can coexist of people everyday across the length and breadth THERMAL POLLUTION which covered much of the hemisphere during the in harmony. of the country, traversing a diversity of cultures, 5 Ans: C. A reduction in water quality caused by Quaternary Ice Age. Gujarat Refinery at Vadodara is IndianOil’s difficult terrains and harsh climatic conditions. increasing its temperature, often due to disposal largest refinery. Its success is built upon business The Corporation takes pride in its continuous of waste heat from industrial or power generation 14 HYETOGRAPH and community partnerships with local people. investments in innovative technologies and processes. Thermally polluted water can harm the Ans: C. A diagram which illustrates the environment because plants and animals can have a mean, maximum and minimum rainfall totals The Refinery’s environment management solutions for sustainable energy flow and hard time adapting to it. per month for any climatic station, by means of strategies involve prevention and control of air economic growth. Water conservation is being columnar graphics. pollution, solid waste management, recycling of vigorously taken up through its quality control, HYPOLIMNION treated effluent and occupational health facilities. reuse of treated water and maximum use of air in 6 Ans: B. A lowest cold-water layers at the RADIAL DRAINAGE 15 The presence of variety of flora and fauna in its cooling systems instead of water. The persistent bottom of a thermally stratified-lake or ocean. Lake Ans: B. A pattern of out-flowing rivers three green belts showcase the success of refinery’s efforts reaffirm the corporate commitment stratification is the separation of lakes into Epilimnion away from a central point, analogous with the (top layer), Thermocline (middle layer) & Hypolimnion spokes of a wheel. It tends to develop on the environment management efforts. The Refinery towards maintaining the ecosystem in sync with (bottom layer). flanks of a dome or a volcanic cone. has an eco park located inside the green belt harnessing socio-economic development of our area surrounded by a pond of about 13,000 m2 country. with an average depth of 8 ft. A bridge built out The author is a Director (Refineries), IndianOil Corporation.

56  JULY - AUGUST 2010  GEOGRAPHY AND YOU GEOGRAPHY AND YOU  JULY - AUGUST 2010  57

TRAVELLER’S DIARY

nvitation to speak at the seminar over the and buildings with foreboding impression of a last weekend of July provided the fillip for a war torn city, ISBT looked smelt like a dingy, Isojourn to hills of Dehra. The family joined dilapidated public toilet! Rain had created in. Train reservations were unavailable and as we puddles on the bays and the stench emanating were not comfortable taking to the wheel during from the overflowing toilets added to the misery the rain (compounded by the yearly ‘Kavariya’ of passengers waiting to board. The tired staff at procession), we made reservations for the night the counters were hounded by a multitude for bus. For our stay in Dehradun cousin Asha the remaining few tickets to be sold. Amidst this managed to garner two rooms at the guest house melee we spotted our unkempt ‘A/C Deluxe’ bus. of the Wildlife Institute of India (WII). The The A/C vents were not amenable to control, third room, a suite was allotted to us, courtesy reclining seats refused to get upright and vice the Director’s office. For our return we booked versa! The casual attitude of the pan chewing the last seven seats on Sunday’s Shatabdi Express. conductor certainly did not help assuage the On Friday night, at the ISBT, Kashmiri gate frayed tempers of passengers. The bus took three bus stand we were joined by five members of hours to plough through the traffic and reach the NGO organising the seminar. If New Delhi Meerut by 1 am. By 5 am the bus was negotiating RainSong is full of trenches, bridges under construction the Rajaji National Park and by day break we The idyllicA rhododendron weekend town fare borrows in its name from a 350 year old temple ofDehradun Shiva, Mukteshwar and Dham, Mussoorie situated atop the highest point in the town, within the Indian Veterinary Research Institute campus. Close to the temple precincts lie the overhanging cliffs, Chauli-ki-Jali, which are used for rock climbing and rappelling and provide an excellent view of the valleys below. —Dr S Srinivasan

An idyllic sojourn is the natural settings of the Wildlife Institute of India campus in Dehradun coupled with a short visit to the cloudy realms of Mussoorie were prefect ingredients for a memorable weekend. —Dr S Srinivasan ROAD TO MUSSOORIE PHOTOGRAPHS BY DR S SRINIVASAN

60  JULY - AUGUST 2010  GEOGRAPHY AND YOU GEOGRAPHY AND YOU  JULY - AUGUST 2010  61 In Mussoorie, the Mall stretches from Picture Palace at its eastern end to the Public Library at its western end. During the British Raj there were prominent signs announcing ‘Dogs and Indians Not Allowed’ !

been sighted occasionally in addition to sporadic The driver took us through the less crowded visits by wild elephants from adjoining forests. cantonment area and up the winding ascent past We quickly got ready and following yummy the helipad for about an hour and dropped us at the ‘alu paranthas’ for breakfast we followed the Mall. The sky was overcast, the hill side green and ‘Nature Trail’ towards the lake that connects the steady cool breeze kept us in good humour. The to the Asan river. The Grey Hornbill flew Mall was crowded with tourists who were striking across the path and innumerable butterflies in bargains with vendors selling, fruits, corn cobs, multicolors flitted around the bushes. The trees hand crafted wooden items, picture postcards, A VIEW OF THE MALL AT MUSSOORIE were resplendent with birds. Spotted and collared etc. Cycle rickshaws were offering to take us to the doves, Himalayan and red rumped bulbuls were Company Garden, while pony rides promised a easily seen. We could hear the calls of the Barbet. grand view of the Mall. There were benches to sit As the sun broke through the clouds it became and enjoy the resplendent view of the Valley below uncomfortably hot and humid, especially for that was by now unfortunately shrouded in thick Ammaji and we retired to the cool confines of cloud. Wisps of white cloud would float upwards our suite. The cook volunteered that his brother and pass through us drenching our clothes. It was could take us for the afternoon to Mussoorie in a memorable experience. his ‘Bolero’. In a jiffy the vehicle arrived and we Light drizzle accompanied our return journey.

SHOPPING AT THE MALL MUSHROOM ALONG THE NATURE TRAIL NATURE THE ALONG MUSHROOM were off to Ruskin Bond’s home town in the hills. On the way down we stopped for a while to see Situated at an average height of 2000mtrs the Mussoorie Lake, at the wayside vendor to pick above sea level, the name Mussoorie is often up roasted corn cobs and reached Dehradun well thought to be derived from ‘mansoor’, a shrub before the rain started. The driver took us past which is indigenous to the area. Commanding the gates of the Governor’s residence, the Doon snow ranges to the north-east and glittering views School, the clock tower and we were able to pick of the Dehradun Valley and Shiwalik ranges in up fresh pears, peaches, plums and apples. Teatime the south, the town was once said to present a at the guest house was a rich array with fresh fruits ‘fairyland’ atmosphere to tourists, hence termed (including the red pear), tea and hot ‘pakoris’. the Queen of Hill Stations. Originally colonised Sunday morning I was taken by the NGO could see the skyline of Dehradun. The main small in area, it has an impressive diversity of flora in early 19th Century, the town played host to to the historic Survey of India Campus at bus stand is a obscure unmarked round-about and fauna. Nestled at the base of the Himalayan Dalai Lama, before he shifted to Dharamshala. the Hathibarkala Estate, the oldest scientific and without realising, we continued past the foothills, the campus and the surrounding From the days of the colonial empire, Mussoorie department of the Government of India, set Transport Nagar and Clement Town Bus stands landscape are characterised by a mix of habitat has housed various schools, instituted for the up way back in 1767. Over a hundred teachers before alighting at the Old Bus Stand where the types which gives rise to the unique biodiversity. children of British government officers and from several districts of Uttarakhand deliberated service terminated. Autorickshaws ferried us to The vegetation is natural represented by a mosaic army personnel. Many of these institutes now with members from the scientific community the WII guest house, driving past the deserted of scrub, woodland, various successional stages house Indian students and retain the values as in order to render scientific data more relevant. markets of Clement Town, the railway station of Shorea robusta forest including stream bank ascribed years before. These include St. George’s Transactions continued till after lunch, when and the main bus stand. vegetation and grassy banks. The website adds College,1853; Woodstock School,1850’s; Oak it was time for me to wrench myself from the Settling down in the suite at the guest house there are a total of 556 plant species comprised Grove School,1888; Wynberg-Allen,1888; invigorating participants and leave for the station. and two rounds of tea drowned our fatigue and of 438 species of herbs and climbers including 12 and more. Mussoorie also has the Lal Bahadur In the meantime, the family had been to the clock the lovely wooded environs made us forget the species of pteridophytes, 54 species of trees, 64 Shastri National Academy of Administration, tower, done some shopping at the Paltan Bazar harrowing experience of the journey. Established species of shrubs and lianas. The fauna includes 11 the premier training institute for officers of the and arrived at the station. A pleasant ride on the in 1982, the Institute’s idyllic campus that has amphibian species, 309 bird species, 73 butterfly Indian Administrative Service and other civil Shatabdi Express past sacred town of Haridwar been carefully developed to create state of the art species, 16 species of moth and 21 reptilian services. The main promenade in Mussoorie is reached us to New Delhi before midnight. infrastructure encourages scholarly work. Though species. Porcupines and Indian Pangolin have called, as in other hill stations, the Mall. The author is a practicing paediatrician in New Delhi.

62  JULY - AUGUST 2010  GEOGRAPHY AND YOU GEOGRAPHY AND YOU  JULY - AUGUST 2010  63 CLOUDBURSTChhattisgarh PHOTO ESSAY IN A HOUSE BOAT ON THE DAL, 2010 BY VANISHRI MURTI the dying dal In 1200 AD, the Dal’s spread covered an area of 75 sq km. By the 1980s, only 25 sq km survived, and about a decade ago the Dal stretched over barely 12 sq km. —Staff Reporter

he mesmerising Dal, one of the periphery of the lake, and continued In Kashmir, people have proprietary Tworld’s largest natural lakes, is agricultural activity (like the floating rights over water bodies granted to dying. The lake today carries the gardens), would lead to steady them by the rulers of the area almost sewage burden of 100 hamlets, degradation of the lake. But the 100 years ago. Taking advantage, floating gardens and several hotels report was not taken seriously. Today some residents have filled in large and lodges. As a result, the quality of 300,000 people live in the catchment parts of the lake and constructed the lake’s water has deteriorated and area and over 30,000 live on the hotels. Insurgency for years have its vast reserves of aquatic life are lake itself, tending to their floating taken a toll as neither studies can be rapidly shrinking. Locals, who have gardens. The floating gardens, which conducted, nor policies can be put in observed the ecological damage provide almost 50 per cent of the place. Although the Central Pollution over the years, warn that in another vegetables to the entire Kashmir Control Board, New Delhi, claims 50 years the Dal will be reduced to Valley, are now threatening the very that recently a sewage treatment a dirty pond. A State Government existence of the lake. Plant debris plant has been commissioned in the report of 1970 warned that human from the floating fields has made the Lake’s vicinity, it draws a blank on settlements, water pollution, lake shallow (from 17 feet a decade all other questions on the health of construction within and on the ago, it is now only 9 feet deep). the Lake.

6 4 JULY - AUGUST 2010 GEOGRAPHY AND YOU G e o g r aphy and Y ou . J u ly - Au g u s t 2 010 . 65 50 `

A Development and Environment Magazine geography and you Vol. 10, Issue 61, July-August2010 Issue61, 10, Vol.

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watermatters ■ Water Governance ■ Ecofeminism ■ Precipitation Extremes ■ Chhattisgarh & Uttarakhand Groundwater Resources ■ Cloudbursts ■ Managing Water in Thar