Geography [3 Mark Question Answer]

(i) Water conservation is a process of collecting and preserving available water resources and making their judicious use.
(ii) Water conservation also refers to use water efficiently to reduce unnecessary water usage. It also includes preventing water pollution.
Steps for water conservation are:
(i) Dams and tanks are built.
(ii) Rooftop rainwater harvesting is carried-out.
(iii) Surface water is harvesting by constructing recharge pits.
(iv) By using water saving technologies for irrigation, such as drip irrigation.

Advantage:
(i) This method is practised in arid, semi-arid and hilly areas as it saves water.
(ii) It causes less wastage of water, less soil erosion and proper distribution of water to the crops.
Disadvantage:
(i) It is expensive.
(ii) It cannot be used in small land holdings.
Running and maintenance cost is high as we need to run them using electricity.

Advantage:
(i) This method can be practised in arid, semi-arid and hilly areas as it saves water.
(ii) There is minimum wastage of water as water is supplied directly to the roots and hardly any water gets evaporated.
(iii) It is helpful in conserving water and reducing soil erosion.
Disadvantage:
(i) It is expensive.
(ii) Pipes can get clogged due to soil and impure water.

(i) Tubewells can irrigate up to 450-500 hectare area whereas a well can irrigate only 1 to 2 hectares.
(ii) Tubewells are more reliable in summer whereas most of the wells dry up in summer.
(iii) Tubewells occupy very small place and hence there is no evaporation of water whereas wells occupy big space and if wells are pen, then lot of water is lost through evaporation.

(i) Tubewells are introduced in the Indo-Gangetic plains where groundwater is ample.
(ii) It is available close to the surface and thus reduce the cost and of lifting the water.
(iii) Tubewells are very costly but as the land in Indo Gangetic plain is very fertile, and farms are huge in size, in due course, tube wells are economical and useful.

Advantages:
(i) They are naturally formed so there is no need of construction, and hence, they are cheap.
(ii) In South India, they are found in more number where there are very few perennial rivers.
(iii) It stores the rain water which otherwise will flow away and get wasted.
(iv) This water can be used for irrigation and for domestic purpose.

Advantages of well irrigation
(i) Wells are the simplest and the cheapest means of irrigation.
(ii) Wells can be dug at any convenient place.
(iii) It is an independent source of irrigation.

Irrigation is essential in India because
(i) India is an agricultural country. Hence, round the year supply of water is essential.
(ii) Rainfall is insufficient and unevenly distributed.
(iii) India has a yearlong agricultural season, but the rainfall is seasonal. Thus, irrigation ensures yearlong cultivation.
(iv) Crops like rice, wheat, Jute and sugarcane require plenty of water which can be provided only through irrigation.
(v) Due to growing population, there is a great demand for food which is fulfilled by bringing all possible regions under cultivation and providing irrigation to them.
(vi) Some parts of India are drought prone and are known for uncertain rainfall. Irrigation becomes indispensable in such parts of the nation.