Groundwater - Basics

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• Groundwater is the primary source of water for use by people and industries. Groundwater plays an important role in the sustainability of the eco-system and at the same time is vulnerable to pollution, sea water instruction and over-extraction. To learn more about the issues related to groundwater, Click Here

• There is groundwater deep beneath the surface of the land. Groundwater gets stores in the crevices of the earth and flows over natural passages and rock formations. This groundwater   is pumped up for use for personal and commercial purposes. To understand the processes of ground water extraction, click on these illustrated and interactive graphic files. The link has been taken from Groundhogs and the video is on the historical path of water, uses of water and dangers faced by groundwater. Information been sourced from UNEP’s (GRID) Arendal, a collaborating centre which communicates environmental information. It has also been taken from earthguide.diagrams.

          Groundwater-animation
          Groundwater-aquifers-wells-circulation
          Investigating-groundwater

• Groundwater management is complex and challenging.  Are the users of groundwater primarily responsible for its scarcity?  What repercussions do they face due to declining and contaminated ground water? Does integrated, co-operative management provide the solution for replenishing ground water levels? For more information, watch the Arghyam produced presentation, whose concept and content is developed by ACWADAM and design and development is by TRINA. The multimedia groundwater course provides an illustrative overview of groundwater management of India, including the uses, problems of groundwater, its concepts and components. Read More

• Artificial recharge mechanisms are significant for water stressed cities as they can reduce the dependency on rainfall. The Indian Government’s initiative to provide safe and sustainable water for its citizens, irrespective of their socio-economic status and region, includes various strategies, many based on traditional water harvesting principles, The Central Ground Water Board, Northern Region, has presented direct and indirect artificial recharge techniques. To learn more about them, Click Here

• In order to support the sustainable management of groundwater resources, it is necessary to map, model and quantify the stored volume and average annual replenishment of groundwater, while determining its chemical quality. The World-wide Hydrogeological Mapping and Assessment Programme (WHYMAP) was created in 1999 in order to contribute to worldwide efforts towards better managing the Earth’s water resources, particularly groundwater. It is a joint programme of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Commission for the Geological Map of the World (CGMW), the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR). Refer the attachment for a comprehensive map of the groundwater resources of Asia and of the world. The International Association of Hydrogeologists

• Groundwater is vulnerable to contamination from salt water, and industrial and domestic pollutants. A table, prepared by the Department of Environmental Protection, State of Connecticut, helps you understand not only the different sources of pollution but also the repercussion of groundwater contamination. To learn more about how you are affected by groundwater contamination, Click Here

• People who consume arsenic contaminated water can suffer from skin diseases and even damage their internal organs. How common is arsenic contamination in India. To learn more, click on this article from the India edition, of Zeenews.com Click Here
  
  

• How does groundwater fill the spaces between rocks and stones in the earth? What role does groundwater play in the eco-system? For an illustrated presentation made by earthguide.diagrams on groundwater, Click Here