by water ponds has recharged Gadkharak Gadhera. From its source in the forest at the head of
Gadkharak, it has been recharged by the water
seeping into the watercourse, by the numerous
Jal Talais that retard the excess surface drainage
and nourish the land with moisture throughout
the year. The presence of Jal Talais in the upper
reaches of the landscape has nourished the
impoverished land back to health and raised the
moisture level, in the singularly barren slope,
thus making it arable again. Hence the process of
upland losses having immense downhill ramifications has been reversed. Taking advantage of
the close proximity of the river Pasol, the people
constructed a Gul, to help irrigate the restored
fields. On an average each household owns about
40 Nali (20 Nali = 1 acre) of farm holdings. Of
these about 10–15 Nali are Panchar or irrigated
fields (Bandooni et al. 2017). In Dulmoth, the
people have been able to recover a tract of about
50 nali, in the lower reaches of the hillside,
served with Jal Talais.
Water for irrigation comes from either ground
water or surface water, raising concerns that
heavy uses could deplete water supplies in a
region to the extent that non-agricultural users are
negatively affected. Irrigation has been linked to
the increasing soil salinity and contamination of
ground water with chemicals fertilizers through
run-off. Recreational water use is mostly tied to
reservoirs. If a reservoir is kept fuller than it would
otherwise be for recreation, then the water
received could be categorized as recreational
usage. Water release from a few reservoirs is also
timed to enhance white water boating, which
could also consign a recreational usage, and some
other examples are anglers, water skiers, nature
swimmers, and enthusiasts. Recreational usage of
water is usually non-consumptive.
12.4.3 Water Potential: Availability,
Need, and Storage
and Its Sustainability
Water potential quantifies the trend of water to
move from one area to another due to gravity,
mechanical, pressure, osmosis, or matrix effects
such as capillary actions. Water potential integrates a variety of different potential drivers of
water movement, which may conduct in the same
or different way. Within biological systems, it is
prevalent for many potential factors to be
important such as the addition of solutes to water
lowers the water potential, just as the increase in
pressure increases its potential. If there is no
provision on flow, water will move from an area
of higher water potential to an area that has lower
water potential (Pandey and Mishra 2013).
On an average, India receives about 4000
cubic km (1 cubic km is the same as one billion
cubic meters, abbreviated as bcm) of precipitation every year. Precipitation means rainfall and
snowfall together. The rainfall is distributed
unevenly not only in space but also in time.
Almost 80% of rainfall occurs in the four monsoon months of June to September. Within these
four months also, most of the rainfall comes in a
few spells of intense rain. It is estimated that in
Himalayan rivers, where there is some flow due
to snowmelt also, about 80% of the total annual
flow takes place within these four monsoon
months. In peninsular rivers, where there is no
contribution from snowmelt, monsoon flow
accounts for more than 90% of the annual flow.
Owing to this uneven distribution of flow in time
and space, it is possible to utilize only a small
part of it. It is estimated that out of this 400 bcm
of precipitation, the annual flow in the rivers is
only 1869 bcm, out of which only 690 bcm can
be put to use. Another 432 bcm can be used from
ground water. Thus, total utilizable quantity of
water is 690 + 432 = 1122 bcm per year. Transbasin transfer of water, also called interlinking of
rivers, will enable utilization of an additional 200
bcm of water (IWRS 2015).
Water is essential for human life, development,
and environment, but it is a finite and vulnerable
resource which has quantitative limitations and
qualitative vulnerability. Water is a regional
resource, but water shortage is becoming a global
issue due to increasing population, economic
growth, and climate change. Development of new
sources of water besides its efficient use, together
with conservation measures, should be an
important component of any country’s national
164
A. S. Prasad et al.
Gadkharak, it has been recharged by the water
seeping into the watercourse, by the numerous
Jal Talais that retard the excess surface drainage
and nourish the land with moisture throughout
the year. The presence of Jal Talais in the upper
reaches of the landscape has nourished the
impoverished land back to health and raised the
moisture level, in the singularly barren slope,
thus making it arable again. Hence the process of
upland losses having immense downhill ramifications has been reversed. Taking advantage of
the close proximity of the river Pasol, the people
constructed a Gul, to help irrigate the restored
fields. On an average each household owns about
40 Nali (20 Nali = 1 acre) of farm holdings. Of
these about 10–15 Nali are Panchar or irrigated
fields (Bandooni et al. 2017). In Dulmoth, the
people have been able to recover a tract of about
50 nali, in the lower reaches of the hillside,
served with Jal Talais.
Water for irrigation comes from either ground
water or surface water, raising concerns that
heavy uses could deplete water supplies in a
region to the extent that non-agricultural users are
negatively affected. Irrigation has been linked to
the increasing soil salinity and contamination of
ground water with chemicals fertilizers through
run-off. Recreational water use is mostly tied to
reservoirs. If a reservoir is kept fuller than it would
otherwise be for recreation, then the water
received could be categorized as recreational
usage. Water release from a few reservoirs is also
timed to enhance white water boating, which
could also consign a recreational usage, and some
other examples are anglers, water skiers, nature
swimmers, and enthusiasts. Recreational usage of
water is usually non-consumptive.
12.4.3 Water Potential: Availability,
Need, and Storage
and Its Sustainability
Water potential quantifies the trend of water to
move from one area to another due to gravity,
mechanical, pressure, osmosis, or matrix effects
such as capillary actions. Water potential integrates a variety of different potential drivers of
water movement, which may conduct in the same
or different way. Within biological systems, it is
prevalent for many potential factors to be
important such as the addition of solutes to water
lowers the water potential, just as the increase in
pressure increases its potential. If there is no
provision on flow, water will move from an area
of higher water potential to an area that has lower
water potential (Pandey and Mishra 2013).
On an average, India receives about 4000
cubic km (1 cubic km is the same as one billion
cubic meters, abbreviated as bcm) of precipitation every year. Precipitation means rainfall and
snowfall together. The rainfall is distributed
unevenly not only in space but also in time.
Almost 80% of rainfall occurs in the four monsoon months of June to September. Within these
four months also, most of the rainfall comes in a
few spells of intense rain. It is estimated that in
Himalayan rivers, where there is some flow due
to snowmelt also, about 80% of the total annual
flow takes place within these four monsoon
months. In peninsular rivers, where there is no
contribution from snowmelt, monsoon flow
accounts for more than 90% of the annual flow.
Owing to this uneven distribution of flow in time
and space, it is possible to utilize only a small
part of it. It is estimated that out of this 400 bcm
of precipitation, the annual flow in the rivers is
only 1869 bcm, out of which only 690 bcm can
be put to use. Another 432 bcm can be used from
ground water. Thus, total utilizable quantity of
water is 690 + 432 = 1122 bcm per year. Transbasin transfer of water, also called interlinking of
rivers, will enable utilization of an additional 200
bcm of water (IWRS 2015).
Water is essential for human life, development,
and environment, but it is a finite and vulnerable
resource which has quantitative limitations and
qualitative vulnerability. Water is a regional
resource, but water shortage is becoming a global
issue due to increasing population, economic
growth, and climate change. Development of new
sources of water besides its efficient use, together
with conservation measures, should be an
important component of any country’s national
164
A. S. Prasad et al.