RBSE Class 12 Geography Notes Chapter 23 Irrigation and Drinking Water

Rajasthan Board RBSE Class 12 Geography Notes Chapter 23 Irrigation and Drinking Water

Introduction :

  • Water resources are sources of water that are useful or potentially useful to man.
  • Uses of water include agricultural, industrial, household, recreational and environmental activities.
  • Geographically, Rajasthan is the largest state in area but receives the least rainfall.
  • Most of the part of Rajasthan is desert, therefore, there is a great importance of water resources in the state.
  • Water resources are mainly centralised in South-Eastern part of Rajasthan.
  • The water resources in Rajasthan can be divided into two parts : The surface water resources and underground water resources of the earth.
  • The surface water resources of the earth include rivers, lakes, ponds, canals, while wells and tube-wells of underground water resources.

Surface Water Resources :

  • The leading rivers in the state are Chambal, Banas, Luni, Mahi, Banganga, Berach, Gambhiri, Sukri, Kali Sindh, Parwan, Meja, etc.
  • Rajasthan is the first state to form laws to link the rivers.
  • The river-linking program will be helpful for supply of drinking water, and resolving its shortage in the state.

RBSE Class 12 Geography Notes Chapter 23 Irrigation and Drinking Water

Underground Water Resources :

  • Wells and tube-wells are the resources of underground water.
  • 70 per cent water is obtained from underground resources for drinking and irrigation purposes.
  • For water conservation, participation of individuals, society and government is most essential.
  • Khadin, kundi, kui, nadi, johad and ponds are the traditional methods of collecting and storing water.

Water Conservation :

  • Water conservation refers to the preservation, control and development of water resources, both surface and underground water, and prevention of pollution.
  • Water can be saved by using new technology, sensible water use, preventing forest-destruction, collecting and harvesting rainwater and employing a scientific crop cycle.
  • The daily newspaper Rajasthan-Patrika has started a movement named “Amritam-Jalam” for the purpose of water conservation.

Irrigation :

  • Artificial provision of water to sustain growing plants is called irrigation.
  • The means of irrigation in Rajasthan are wells, tube-wells, canals and ponds.
  • The maximum and minimum irrigated areas in Rajasthan are Sriganganagar and Rajsamand respectively.
  • 66 per cent of total irrigated fields are irrigated with the help of tube-wells.
  • Due to availability of enough drinking water, Chandan Tube Well (Jaisalmer) is called “The Pitcher of Thar”.
  • Most of the fields in Jaipur and Alwar are irrigated with the help of tube-wells.
  • 33 per cent of irrigated area in Rajasthan is irrigated with the help of canals.
  • Sriganganagar ranks first in canal irrigation.
  • The third important source of irrigation in Rajasthan is ponds. With their help, 0.7 percent area is irrigated.
  • Bhilwara stands first in irrigation by ponds.
  • Southern and South-Eastern parts of the state are the best for digging the ponds due to it being a plateau area.

RBSE Class 12 Geography Notes Chapter 23 Irrigation and Drinking Water

Major Multipurpose Projects of Rajasthan :

Many multipurpose projects in Rajasthan are operating, out of which Chambal, Bhakra-Nangal, Beas and Mahi-Bajaj Sagar are multipurpose projects. While, Indira Gandhi canal, Gang-canal, Gurgaon-canal, Jakham, Bisalpur, Narmada, Israda and Bheekhabhai are large projects.

Indira Gandhi Canal Project :

  • Indira Gandhi canal project is the largest project in the world and famous as the lifeline of Rajasthan and by the name of Maru-Ganga.
  • Its name was changed from Rajasthan Canal to Indira Gandhi Canal on Novermber 2, 1984.
  • The chief objective of this project is to provide water for irrigation, animal herding, fisheries and to supply drinking water.
  • Kanwar Sen, the then engineer of Bikaner, presented the plan of formation of this canal in 1948 for the first time.
  • The origin of this canal is from Harike barrage dear the confluence of Sutlej and Beas rivers in Ferozepur district in Punjab.
  • Indira Gandhi canal has two parts :
    (i) Feeder canal and
    (ii) Main or principal canal.
  • Total length of this canal is 649 km. It is 40 meters wide and 6.4 meters deep.
  • Under this project, 30 percent of area is irrigated by lift canal and remaining 70 per cent by distributary canal system.
  • To the east, 8 lift canals, and to the west, main canals have been constructed.

Chambal Project :

  • Chambal project is a joint venture of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
  • The objective of the project is to control the floods in Chambal river, irrigation, and generate hydro-electricity and to provide drinking water.
  • With the support of this project, Kota has turned into a large industrial city. Also, Chambal area has become a famous tourist spot.

Mahi-Bajaj Sagar Project :

  • It is a joint venture of Rajasthan and Gujarat.
  • Mahi Bajaj Sagar Dam is situated 16 kilometers away from Banswara town at Borkhera.
  • The project has been completed in three stages.
  • It is a boon for the tribals of Banswara and Dungarpur.
  • Irrigation can be developed in the state by sensible use of underground water, appropriate use of latest technology, drip irrigation method and proper maintenance of the project.

Drinking Water :

  • There is a scarcity of drinking water in the state due to dry and semi-arid climate, drought, recurrence of famine, insufficient and irregular rainfall, very low groundwater level, high percent of salt and fluoride in water and indifference towards traditional water sources.
  • In Rajasthan, the Centre of Science and Environment and Thar Social Development Society are trying their best to revive the traditional water conservation methods.
  • To provide drinking water in Rajasthan, public water plan, water rural plan, national rural drinking water project and Aapni Yojana, etc schemes are being operated.
  • Mukhya Mantri Jal Swavalamban Abhiyan is a public campaign, which is being operated in Rajasthan to provide drinking water with the cooperation of government and local community efforts.
  • To make the village a self-reliant unit in drinking water through permanent measures, several efforts are being made by the central as well the state government, as also by the non-government organizations.

RBSE Class 12 Geography Notes Chapter 23 Irrigation and Drinking Water

Glossary :

  1. Irrigation : Artificial provision of water to sustain growing plants.
  2. Water Resources : Water resources are sources of water that are useful or potentially useful to man.
  3. Surface Water Resources : Water that is obtained from the surface of the earth is called surface water resources, i.e. water in rivers, lakes and pond.
  4. Rainfall: Rainfall is the amount of rainwater that falls in a particular place during a particular time.
  5. Desert : Arid land with usually sparse vegetation, especially, such land having a very warm climate and less than 25 cm of sporadic rainfall annually.
  6. Salinity : The concentration of dissolved salt in a given volume of water is called salinity.
  7. Ground Water : It is the water found under ground in the cracks and spaces of rocks, in soil, sand and rocks.
  8. Lake : A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land, apart from any river or oudet that serves to feed or drain it.
  9. Resource : Every material useful for human beings found in the earth or any other planet is called a resource.
  10. Water Conservation : It refers to the preservation, control and development of water resources, both surface and groundwater and prevention of water pollution.
  11. Vegetation : Vegetation is an assemblage of plant species and the ground cover they provide.
  12. Agriculture : The science or practice of farming including cultivation of the soil for growing of crops and rearing of animals to provide food, wool and other products.
  13. Port : A town or city with a harbour or access to navigable water where ships are loaded and unloaded.
  14. Multipurpose Projects : Projects which serve more than one purpose are called multipurpose projects. Water resources projects are planned for various purposes like irrigation, hydro-power generation, water supply, flood control, navigation, etc.
  15. Feeder canal : A canal serving to conduct water to a large canal is called feeder canal. .
  16. Lift canal : The canal that is built to supply water to an elevated area uses lift canal technology.
  17. Barrage : The dam that is built for irrigation purposes is called a barrage.
  18. Mineral : A naturally occurring inorganic substance with a definite chemical composition and a regular internal structure.
  19. Waterfall : A waterfall is a place where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops in the course of a stream or river.
  20. Flood : Floods occur when a river overflows its banks if it is carrying so much water that it cannot be confined to its usual course.
  21. Drought : A drought is a period of below average precipitation in a given region, resulting in prolonged shortage in the water supply, whether atmospheric, surface water or ground water.
  22. Monsoon : A seasonal wind of south Asia that blows from the south west in summer, bringing heavy rains and blowing from the north-east in winter.
  23. Water Management : An activity of planning, developing and managing the use and conservation of water is called water management.
  24. Soil Erosion : The process by which rock or soil is gradually carried away by wind, rain or the sea

RBSE Class 12 Geography Notes Chapter 23 Irrigation and Drinking Water

RBSE Class 12 Geography Notes