Geographical Information Systems (GIS)

This paper published in the journal Current Science discusses the various factors that impact effective water quality management in rural India. The article informs that access to safe drinking water remains an urgent necessity, as 30% of urban and 90% of rural households still depend completely on untreated surface or groundwater.

While access to drinking water in India has increased over the past decade, the tremendous adverse impact of unsafe water on health continues. It is estimated that about 21% of communicable diseases in India are water related.

Although some degree of intervention in terms of chlorination and monitoring of water quality exists in major cities and towns, rural India, which constitutes the bulk (70%) of the population, is usually deprived of such interventions. The population in rural India is mainly dependent on the groundwater as a source of drinking water. As a quality concern the groundwater is often found to be contaminated with fluoride, arsenic, iron and salts. In recent years, fluorosis has emerged as major public health issue in rural India.Read More

This article by Sangeeta Deogawanka in the Geospatial World deals with the issues related to the use of geospatial technology for groundwater management in the country. Core agencies of the government dealing with the management and development of groundwater resources identify and map hotspots of salinity, chloride, fluoride, arsenic, iron and nitrate in groundwater. However, most online information is of a generic nature, lacking detailed database or methodology used. On the whole a picture evolves of national bodies looking into the groundwater policy and potential zoning on a hegemonic model, with regional state-level groundwater departments.

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This paper published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research describes the findings of a study conducted in Nelvoy village in Vellore district, Tamil Nadu, India. The study attempted to understand the phenomenon of water contamination in the village by using GIS as a tool to locate and map water supply and sewage distribution systems in the village, in relation to human and animal dwellings, their wastes, sanitary practices and their connections with drinking water quality for a clearer understanding of the connections between these factors and possible solutions to the problem.

Safe water is one of the most important felt needs in public health in developing countries in the twenty first century. However, in India, as high as 72.7% of the rural populations still do not have access to safe water, nor any methods of water disinfection and 74% have no sanitary toilets. Studies have shown that a number of sociocultural practices including open air defecation, tethering of animals near human dwellings, proximity ot animal faecal matter have found to lead to water contamination resulting in outbreaks of diarrhoeal diseases. Read More

The document is a proposal for setting up of a groundwater recharge system for the Devi Rasa Boutique Hotel near Jaipur. The consultants,  Green Systems, have conducted an indepth study of various parameters which include hydro-geology and climatic conditions to come up with a set of proposals for the hotel. To come up with their suggestions the consultants also make use of technologies like remote sensing, GIS and Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES).

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