Groundwater - Get Started
The earth’s surface has been punctured by millions of wells - open wells, tube wells, bore wells - to access water for one’s needs. Contamination and scarcity of groundwater are only two of the myriad issues dominating the Indian waterscape. Are city planners fighting a losing battle while balancing development with sustainable ground water usage, recharge and replenishment? Is the ownership of groundwater fuelling conflicts between the well-to-do and the deprived? Is it polarizing the urban and rural class? As a citizen, the answers concerns you in one way or the other.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
What is groundwater and how is it formed?
Groundwater is part of the earth's water. When rain falls on the earth, part of rainwater seeps through the porous top soil and travels down the earth's layers, to eventually accumulate on an impermeable bed or in wide rocky crevices. This water is known as groundwater.
-
How does groundwater get contaminated?
Groundwater is vulnerable to contamination from various minerals and chemicals deposits in the earth, salt water pollution, sewage discharge, agricultural and industrial pollution.
-
Everywhere I hear about decline in groundwater levels. What is it all about?
Unsustainable city planning and development practices have made it difficult for rainwater to reach the water aquifers. As a result, surface water either evaporates or flows off into storm water drains. This water eventually joins with river water or drains into the sea or the ocean. Deforestation, low rainfall patterns, drying of surface water bodies such as ponds and lakes, the building of dams, and the concretization of surface areas also prevent water from reaching groundwater aquifers. Mining for minerals and chemicals have also damaged groundwater reservoirs as water has been emptied from them in order to mine precious ores.
-
Is the groundwater stationary in the deep recesses of the earth?
No, ground water is continuously in motion. It slopes up and down gradients and falls in the fractures in the earth's core. The water flows from groundwater aquifers and joins the sea or the ocean.
-
The water from many tubewells saline or borewells become dry. Why does this happen?
Borewells and tubewells are a common sight in households which prefer to have a captive source of water to meet its needs. The building and maintenance of borewells and tubewells has an impact on its water quality and sustainability. Learn more about borewell construction and maintenance. Click here
YOUR PROFILE
Add yourself or your organization to this directory. You can be an organization that works on water-issues, or a water-expert or a water-conscious citizen.
