Water Conservation
Conserve water, conserve life
What is water conservation?
Simply put, water conservation is the technique of efficiently utilising water and cutting down its wastage or unnecessary usage. Since fresh, clean water is now considered a limited resource, water conservation has become important and imperative.
Water conservation projects and initiatives in India
The Ministry of Jal Shakti under the Indian government launched the Jal Shakti Abhiyan in 2019. It is a nation-wide water conservation campaign that aims at encouraging citizen participation to promote water conservation at the grassroot level. The project on water conservation was launched in two phases from July 1st 2019 to September 30th 2019 and from October 1st 2019 to November 30th 2019.
On the World Water Day, March 22nd 2021, the government launched the ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain’ (JSA:CTR) with the theme ‘Catch the rain, Where it Falls When it Falls’. It covers rural and urban areas of all districts in India, during the pre-monsoon and monsoon period, up to 30th November 2021.
Under the campaign, the government focuses on creation/ maintenance of water conservation and rainwater harvesting structures, renovation of various traditional water bodies tanks, reuse and recharge of bore wells, watershed development and intensive afforestation.
Water conservation: Why is it important?
Water conservation is important for several reasons:
- Water distribution is uneven and therefore, large parts of India remain deficient in rain, as well as groundwater.
- This unequal distribution across the country, makes most of the population face water scarcity.
- The requirement of water in urban areas is higher than the availability.
- Since rainfall in India is highly seasonal, water is required to irrigate crops.
Methods of water conservation?
Water conservation projects can be done anywhere and in any kind of structure. Here are different water conservation methods where major savings can be done, without much hassles:
Rainwater harvesting is a very effective method of conserving natural water and replenishing the groundwater level. In this method of conservation of water, the rain water is collected and allowed to percolate into a deep pit or a reservoir, so that it seeps down and improves the ground water table.
Another efficient way of cutting down water wastage is to install water meters and measure the amount of water that is being used in residential and commercial buildings. The volume of water that is used, is calculated and charged according to the price of water. Always monitor the water bills for unusually high usage. It can help detect any leakage.
Greywater recycling is a method of saving used and waste water from kitchen sinks, washing machines and showers, which is then recycled for usage in toilets, for watering plants, etc. Unlike rainwater harvesting which relies on rainwater, greywater is surplus in volume. Environmentalists have demonstrated that the usage of this recycling system has reduced almost 70% of domestic water usage.
A pressure reducing valve basically controls the amount of pressure in a hydraulic system. These valves ensure a pre-set level of water that is to be used. In this way, downstream components used in the water system last longer and water consumption is also reduced. This is a very efficient solution for water conservation in industrial, residential, commercial and institutional buildings.
Currently, the market is flooded with water-efficient toilet tanks, taps and shower heads that can cut water consumption by up to 60%. Innovations, such as change in spray patterns in taps and showers and increased pressure for flushing in toilets, are pushing the boundaries of water conservation, without compromising on usage habits.
Simple tips for water conservation in kitchen
- Avoid using running water for cleaning vegetables. Instead, soak the vegetables in a bowl of water for some time and wash it later.
- When buying a dishwasher, select one with a ‘light-wash’ option.
- If you have to wash a few vessels by hand, turn off the water while you are not rinsing.
- Reuse the wastewater from RO water purifiers for washing cars or watering your plants. You can also use this water for mopping or pre-rinse laundry.
- Do not drain the leftover water in water bottles. It can be used for watering plants or filling up water bowls for birds.
- Do not defrost frozen foods with running water. You can keep frozen things outside overnight, for defrosting them.
- Switch to water-efficient appliances at home.
Simple tips for water conservation in bathroom
- Install water-efficient showers and taps, to reduce water usage.
- Turn off the water when you brush your teeth or shave.
- About 20 to 40 gallons of water is spent during a four-minute shower. Take shorter showers. You can also install water-saving showerheads and shower timers.
- Frequently check for leakages in the toilet flushing systems. This could be simply done by placing dye tablets or adding drops of food colouring into the tank and if colour appears in the bowl one hour later, your toilet is leaking.
- Install dual flush toilet systems in the house, which have two mechanisms to flush different amounts of water.
Conservation of water by the community the community
- Canals, tanks, etc. must be de-silted regularly during the summer months.
- People should be encouraged to revive the ancient practice of protecting trees around tanks. Major rivers should be sanctified and groves established around villages and on the river banks.
- Afforestation of barren, hilly slopes on a warfooting should be carried out. Trees withstand drought better than crops. They trap dust, replenish streams, provide shade to cattle and man and give fodder for cattle. Their uses to man are innumerable. Denuding the land of trees without compensatory afforestation is a suicidal and short sighted approach to solving immediate needs.
- Creation of small reservoirs and percolation tanks to hold run-off water must be implemented and maintained well.
Conservation of water by farmers by farmers
- Agronomic practices like off-season tillage (prior to pre-monsoon showers) conserve soil moisture.Moisture penetration to a depth of 90 cm is achieved if the land is ploughed to a depth of 30 cm. Other practices like early sowing of seeds, moderate use of fertilisers, weeding, pest and disease control and timely harvesting increase the yield inspite of limited moisture in the soil.
- Mulching the soil with organic residue conserves soil moisture.
- Terrace cultivation of hilly slopes prevents water run off.
- Contour ploughing and planting of grasses and trees check run-off water and increase the soil's capacity to retain moisture.
- Green manuring ( incorporation of fresh green leaves into the soil) and crop-rotation (cultivating different crops in rotation depending upon the soil and climate, e.g. cereals followed by legumes) conserve soil moisture.
- The use of sprinkler irrigation for closely spaced crops like millets, pulses, groundnuts, etc. conserves 30 to 40% of the surface water.
- Harvesting rain water and storing it in small ponds ensures water supply during summer.
Tips to save water!!
- Close taps tightly.
- Fix leaking taps, faucets, pipes, etc. immediately and check them regularly for leaks.
- Put a couple of bricks in the lavatory cistern to reduce its capacity. Or, install one of the new flush toilets that use less water.
- Check for leaks in your toilet tank by putting a little food colouring in the cistern. If the colour begins to appear in the bowl without flushing, you have a leak that should be fixed at once.
- When brushing your teeth, shaving or washing your hands, never leave your tap running. Fill a glass or bowl with water for rinsing the mouth, shaving or brushing.
- Don't use the shower. A bucket of water will suffice for a bath.
- Use water from cooked vegetables for cooking dhal or rice. Not only will you save water, you will benefit as well, as it is full of nutritious vitamins and minerals.
- Wash your vehicles with a bucket and sponge instead of a hose which uses about 400 litres of water. By using a bucket, upto 300 litres can be saved.
