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Each and every
drop of water needs to be saved following the principle “No crop
without a drop”. A little thought and attention followed by an
action from us can go a long way in conserving this precious
natural resource.
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Encourage your
family, community and local govt. to conserve water by providing
water literacy.
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Water should not
be wasted at any cost. Taps should be closed when not in use and
leaky taps must be repaired without any delay.
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Rainwater should
be harvested by using various rainwater harvesting techniques
and can be used for various domestic, agricultural purposes and
also for groundwater recharging.
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Water supply lines
must be maintained properly and faulty and leaking pipes
replaced. Plumbing should be done correctly, seeking advice
from experts.
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Always install low
volume flush toilets.
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Hand pumps should
be well maintained to perform effectively and efficiently.
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HP matching in
accordance with water demand is essential. High HP motors should
not be used to draw water from the well (open or bore) when low
HP pumps can perform the same function.
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Avoid installing
ornamental water features unless the water is being recycled.
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Overhead storage
tanks should be maintained in good condition, PVC tanks which
are cheaper and lighter in weight and do not corrode or rust are
preferable to metal tanks.
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Ensure that your
swimming pools, fountains and ponds are equipped with
recirculating pumps.
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Don’t forget to
weed your crop fields, lawns and gardens.
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Always irrigate
plants during morning or evening to minimize evaporation losses.
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Desilting of
canals, tanks, ponds, etc. must be done regularly during the
summer months. People should be encouraged to revive the
traditional practices of protecting trees around tanks, ponds or
other water reservoirs.
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Don’t water your
fields, lawns and gardens on windy days.
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Deforestation of
vegetation without compensatory afforestation is a short-sighted
approach for solving immediate needs. Afforestation of barren &
hilly slopes should be carried out. Trees withstand drought
better than crops. They check dust, replenish streams, provide
fodder for cattle, shade to cattle & man in addition to
innumerable resources for day to day requirements of man.
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Watershed
management i.e creation of small reservoirs and percolation
tanks to hold run-off water must be implemented and maintained.
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Agronomic
practices like off-season tillage (prior to pre-monsson showers)
conserve soil moisture. Moisture penetration to a depth of 90
cm is achieved if the land is ploughed to a depth of 30 cm.
Other practices like early sowing of seeds, moderate use of
fertilizers, weeding, pest and disease control and timely
harvesting increase the yield in spite of limited moisture in
the soil.
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In hilly areas
terrace cultivation should be practiced to prevent surface run
off.
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Contour ploughing
and planting of grasses and trees in catchment area check
run-off water and increase the soil’s capacity to retain
moisture.
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Green manuring
(incorporation of fresh green leaves into the soil) and
crop-rotation (cultivating different crops in rotation depending
upon the soil and climate, e.g. cereals followed by legumes)
conserve soil moisture.
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Mulching the soil
with organic residue conserves soil moisture and increase the
humus content of soil .
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Sprinkler
irrigation should be used of for closely-spaced crops like
wheat, millet, pulses, groundnuts, etc., as it conserves 30 to
40 per cent of the water as compared to surface method of
irrigation.
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Drip irrigation is
most suited for closely spaced row crops like vegetables,
cotton, sugarcane. The efficiency of this system is around 25
to 30 per cent in conserving soil moisture.
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Pitcher irrigation
can also be used for irrigating the plants. In this method
holes are drilled in a mud pot and it is partially buried in the
soil in proximity to the plant. The water in the pot oozes out
slowly, ensuring that the soil is continuously moist and the
plant gets a constant supply of water.
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Supply of water to
fields/lawns should match the in-filtering capacity of soil to
prevent the run off.
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Deep trenches can
be dug adjacent to bunds to collect run off water and soil
especially in water deficient regions.
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Wastewater
generated in industries should be treated carefully and should
be recycled.
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