Rain Water Harvesting and Ground Water Recharging in North Western Himalayan Region for Sustainable Agricultural Productivity
Journal Title: Universal Journal of Environmental Research and Technology - Year 2011, Vol 1, Issue 4
Abstract
This paper reveals the study of low cost traditional water harvesting structures that helps in improving the socio-economic status of the poor farmers of the hill region. In the foothill region of North Western Himalayan region of India, the soil erosion has converted most of the fertile soils into barren, fallow and degraded lands. It is estimated that about 40 per cent of the total geographical area of Himachal Pradesh, Uttrakhand and Jammu and Kashmir is highly degraded. Soil loss through erosion is about 3.6 to 80 t ha-1. The farmers are not aware of rainwater management for storage and ground water recharge. The major constraints identified for conservation and management of water and soil in the area includes lack of technical knowledge and poor economic status of the farmers. Assessment of the area showed that if rainwater is conserved vis-à-vis managed properly and existing technologies are refined for specific land and pedospheric characteristics, it would rehabilitate the degraded lands and in turn increase the productivity in the area. Low cost farm ponds are a better option for collecting rainwater excess during monsoon periods for utilization for irrigation. The most efficient and cheapest way of conserving rainwater at the agricultural farm was found to be in- situ runoff management, which also reduces soil losses and increases the opportunity time for ground water recharging. The earthen embankment for rainwater harvesting has cost benefit ratio of 1.38:1. In addition, good results of harvesting and storage are being achieved in ferro-cement water storage structures of different dimensions of 3 to 5 m deep and 1 to 3 m in diameter.
Authors and Affiliations
Rohitashw Kumar, Thaman S. , Agrawal G. and Sharma Poonam
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP31679
- DOI -
- Views 322
- Downloads 2
Compressed Natural Gas in India: Contemporizing the Delhi Pollution Case
In 1998, the Indian Supreme Court, embracing its activist role, issued a controversial order suo moto mandating the conversion of the entire Delhi fleet of diesel powered buses to compressed natural gas (CNG). The judg...
Studies on Adsorption of Basic Dyes on Activated Carbon Derived from Phragmites australis (Common Reed)
In this study, the adsorption of two basic dyes, namely, Crystal Violet (CV) and Rhodamine B (RB) from aqueous solution by phragmite australis treated with 40% H3PO4 was investigated. Batch experiments were conducted t...
Biogeochemistry of Groundwater beneath On-site Wastewater Systems in a Coastal Watershed
The goal of this study was to determine if on-site wastewater system PO4 and coliform contributions to groundwater were significant enough to be included in water quality management plans for a coastal watershed. Monit...
Biosorption of some heavy metals from Textile Wastewater by Green Seaweed Biomass
The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential of green seaweed biomass to remove heavy metals such as iron (Fe), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), silver (Ag) and chromium (Cr) present in textile...
Applications of Eco-Friendly Natural Dye on Wool Fibers Using Combination of Natural and Chemical Mordants
The colour fastness properties of the flowers of Erythrina suberosa dyed on wool were studied using combination of mordants such as lemon juice: copper sulphate, lemon juice: potassium dichromate, lemon juice: ferrous...