International Journal of Chemical Studies 2019; 7(2): 1994-1998

P-ISSN: 2349–8528
E-ISSN: 2321–4902
IJCS 2019; 7(2): 1994-1998 The clean water: The basic need of human and
© 2019 IJCS
Received: 04-01-2019 agriculture
Accepted: 06-02-2019

Dharminder Dharminder, Ram Kumar Singh, Vishal Kumar, Anoop Kumar Devedee,
Ph.D., Scholar, Institute of
Agricultural Sciences, Banaras
Mruthyunjaya M and Reshu Bhardwaj
Hindu University, Varanasi &
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Abstract
Agriculture, DRP-CAU, Pusa, Water is vital for human, animals and plant life. It is a part of all organisms, some of which contain more
Samastipur, Bihar, India than 92 percent. It is estimated that in 2010 total water withdrawal was 761 km 3 of which 91 percent, or
688 km3, are for irrigation. About 56 km3 are for municipal and 17 km3 for industrial use (FAO-2016).
Ram Kumar Singh The increasing demands on water resources by India’s burgeoning population and diminishing quality of
Professor, Institute of
existing water resources. India is facing a freshwater crisis. India has just 4% of the world's fresh water-
Agricultural Sciences, Banaras
Hindu University, Varanasi,
but 18% of the global population. The main source of freshwater pollution can be attributed to the
Uttar Pradesh, India discharge of untreated waste, dumping of industrial effluent, and run-off from agricultural fields. In
India, 163 Million Indians lack access to safe drinking water, 210 Million Indians lack access to
Vishal Kumar improved sanitation, 21% of communicable diseases are linked to unsafe water, 500 children under the
Ph.D. Scholar, Institute of age of five die from diarrhea each day in India. In world scenario is more or less same, More than one out
Agricultural Sciences, Banaras of six people lack access to safe drinking water; 3900 children die every day from water-borne diseases.
Hindu University, Varanasi, Poor quality water can be responsible for slow growth, the poor aesthetic quality of the crop and, in some
Uttar Pradesh, India cases, can result in the gradual death of the plants. There is a serious mismatch between the cropping
pattern of these crops and water resource availability in the states growing them. There is urgent need to
Anoop Kumar Devedee change cropping pattern, adopt methods of WUE and all other possible means to cope with emerging
Ph.D. Scholar, Institute of water crisis for all sectors.
Agricultural Sciences, Banaras
Hindu University, Varanasi,
Keywords: Water crisis, population, crop, industry, resources, WUE etc.
Uttar Pradesh, India

Mruthyunjaya M Introduction
Master’s Student, Institute of Pollution is not just the addition of substances that damage or kill organisms; it is any man-
Agricultural Sciences, Banaras made impact that increases the risk of damage to a natural system. The shape of the water
Hindu University, Varanasi,
molecule is a sphere, dipole (+ve and –Ve charge), it posses Cohesion (water-water) and
Uttar Pradesh, India
adhesion (water-soil). Water occurs on earth in three forms viz solid, liquid and gaseous.
Reshu Bhardwaj Water is vital for human, animals and plant life. It is a part of all organisms, some of which
Ph.D. Scholar, Institute of contain more than 92 percent. Water is an essential part of protoplasm. It is an important
Agricultural Sciences, Banaras ingredient in photosynthesis.
Hindu University, Varanasi,
In India, 163 Million Indians lack access to safe drinking water, 21% of communicable
Uttar Pradesh, India
diseases are linked to unsafe water, 500 children under the age of five die from diarrhea each
day in India (Hawthorne, 2018)[14]. The right to water has several dimensions. The quantity of
water must be, at a minimum, sufficient to meet basic needs, in terms of drinking, bathing,
cleaning, cooking, and sanitation. The quality of the water must be safe and free from
contamination. Though the quality of water can vary with its use, water should never contain
anything that could pose a health threat. In world scenario is more or less same, more than one
out of six people lack access to safe drinking water; 3900 children die every day from water-
borne diseases. An adequate supply of fresh and clean drinking water is a basic need for all
human beings on the earth, yet it has been observed that millions of people worldwide are
deprived of this. Freshwater resources all over the world are threatened not only by
Correspondence overexploitation and poor management but also by ecological degradation. The daily drinking
Dharminder water requirement per person is 2-4 liters, but it takes 2000 to 5000 liters of water to produce
Ph.D. Scholar, Institute of one person's daily food (Anonymous. 2015) [2].
Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Agriculture has comprehensively changed the face of the Earth. Good seeds and fertilizers fail
Hindu University, Varanasi & to achieve their full potential if plants are not in the situation of optimum availability of soil
Assistant Professor, Faculty of
Agriculture, DRP-CAU, Pusa, water. Adequate availability of water is important for animal husbandry as well. Fisheries are,
Samastipur, Bihar, India of course, directly dependent on water resources.
~ 1994 ~
International Journal of Chemical Studies

About 400 to 500 liters of water is necessary for the About 97 percent of worlds in the oceans and this are not
production of one kilogram of plant dry matter. Water is also useful for irrigation. Of The total quantity of water, only 2.6
required for translocation of nutrient and dissipation of heat. percent is fresh water, which is in the form of ice caps,
icebergs and glaciers and the only small fraction of water are
1. Water distribution in the world and India present in the ground, rivers, and atmosphere that can be
According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and harvested for irrigation of crops.
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) estimates, the total volume Some of the crucial issues faced by the water sector in India
of water on earth is about 1.4 billion km 3, which is enough to include (a) erratic distribution of rainfall, often leading to
cover the earth with a layer of 3 km depth. Our earth is a floods and droughts in various areas; (b) water use
combination of the lithosphere (solid crust) and Hydrosphere inefficiency; (c) unregulated groundwater extraction; (d)
(Oceans, lakes, rivers and other water bodies). The water pollution; and (e) decreasing water quality due to poor
hydrosphere composition is Oceans (96%), a small portion waste management laws, inter-state river disputes, growing
(2%) as snow and ice and rest (2%) in the water bodies of the financial crunch for development of resources and scarce safe
continents. Continuous circulation of water between drinking water (Anonymous, 2013) [5].
hydrosphere, atmosphere, and lithosphere is known as the
hydrological cycle. This has neither a beginning nor an end. Water resources of India
The physical and biological processes in the environment are The average rainfall of India is 1194 mm. When considered
sustained by the Hydrological cycle. Oceans account for 85% over the geographical area of 328 million hectares, this
of worldwide evaporation. Evaporation is the chief source of rainfall amounts to 392 million hectare meters (m. ha. m).
water vapour in the atmosphere. Water vapour in the This may round off to 400 (m. ha. m) by including the
atmosphere constitutes only 0.001 percent (if converted in contribution of snowfall which is not yet fully determined.
term of water it will be 2.5 cm of rainfall) of the total global Out of 400 (m. ha. m) of rainfall, 75% is received during the
water. Of the precipitation that falls over continents, about South-West Monsoon period (June to September) and rest in
65% is returned to Atmosphere through evapotranspiration remaining months as shown below. A Major portion of water
and the rest goes as surface runoff into the rivers and finally (215 m. ha. m) soaks into the soil, while 70 (m. ha. m) is lost
into the oceans. as evapotranspiration (Anonymous, 2018a) [7].

Table 1: The trend of rainfall received (India) during recent time.

Year 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Total Rainfall (mm) 1234 1086 1215 1161 1181 1117 954 1213 1116 1024 1243
Total Volume of Rainfall (BCM) 4057 3570 3996 3819 3882 3674 3136 3989 3669 3467 4085
Source: Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), M/o Science & Technology

2. The requirement of water by different sectors 2016) [13]. Agriculture is the largest water user worldwide,
It is estimated that in 2010 total water withdrawal was 761 accounting for 70 percent of total freshwater withdrawals on
km3 of which 91 percent, or 688 km3, are for irrigation. About average (FAO-2011) [12] but these amounts can reach as much
56 km3 are for municipal and 17 km3 for industrial use (FAO- as 95 percent in some developing countries.

Fig 2: Use of water by different sectors in India and World.

Table 2: The water require of different crops grown in India.

Crop Water Requirement (mm) Crop Water Requirement (mm)
Rice 900-2500 Chillies 500
Wheat 450-650 Sunflower 350-500
Sorghum 450-650 Castor 500
Maize 500-800 Bean 300-500
Sugarcane 1500-2500 Cabbage 380-500
Groundnut 500-700 Pea 350-500
Cotton 700-1300 Banana 1200-2200
Soybean 450-700 Citrus 900-1200
Tobacco 400-600 Pineapple 700-1000
Tomato 600-800 Gingelly 350-400
Potato 500-700 Ragi 400-450
Onion 350-550 Grape 500-1200
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International Journal of Chemical Studies

3. Shortage of fresh water every year due to inadequate access to water (WHO, 2018)
“Composite Water Management Index", underscores the [19]
. The present-day availability is 695 BCM. The total
looming threat of India’s water crisis (Anonymous, 2018b) [3]. availability of water possible in the country is still lower than
Its current proportions are severe-about 200,000 people die this projected demand, at 1,137 BCM.

Fig 3: Demand and supply of India (BCM)

The increasing demands on water resources by India’s Pesticides and fertilizers in agriculture, excessive use Plastics
burgeoning population and diminishing quality of existing and polythene bags, Urbanization without proper planning.
water resources because of pollution and the additional 10% of the population depends on food and vegetables that
requirements of serving India’s spiraling industrial and are grown in contaminated water (Corcoran et al. 2010) [8].
agricultural growth have led to a situation where the Heavy rainfall and floods are related to extreme weather
consumption of water is rapidly increasing while the supply provide a congenial environment for different water born
of fresh water remains more or less constant (Dhawan, 2017) diseases (Ahmad et. al., 2014) [1]. Bacterial diseases; Typhoid
[10]
. (Salmonella typhi), Cholera (Vibrio cholera), Bacterial
India is facing a freshwater crisis. India has just 4% of the Diarrhea (Shigella spp), Leptospirosis (Leptospira), Viral
world's fresh water — but 18% of the global population. In diseases; Infective Hepatitis (Hepatitis virus), Protozoan
2013-14, only about 47.7% of total agricultural land in India diseases; Amoebic dysentery (Entamoeba histolytica),
was reliably irrigated. About 2/3rd cultivated land in India is Diarrhoea {Giardia (Lambliaintestinalis)}, Bilharzia
dependent on monsoons. The ultimate irrigation potential of (Schistosoma spp), Guinea worm (Dracunculusmedinensis).
the country has been estimated to be 139.5 mha. India has Preventive Measures; The city water supply should be
acquired an irrigation potential of about 84.9 mha against the properly checked and necessary steps are taken to disinfect it.
ultimate irrigation potential. The share of water use other than Water pipes should be regularly checked for leaks and cracks.
for agriculture was only 13 percent in 1985, which is likely to At home, the water should be boiled, filtered, or other
become 27 percent by 2025. Such a fast growth of water need methods and necessary steps taken to ensure that it is free
in the face of emerging supply constraints is likely to result in from infection (Pandey and Sharma, 2018) [18].
a wide supply gap for irrigation water in the near future It is not easy to separate the effects of agriculture from those
(Dehadrai, 2003) [9]. of urbanization. Nitrogen and phosphorus leached from fields
or animal dung have exactly the same effects as those
4. Causes of Water pollution and its consequences on produced by street drainage. Links between irrigated
human agriculture and increased malaria incidence in the tropics are
India's rivers receive millions of litres of sewage, industrial well established (Kebede et al. 2005) [16].
and agricultural waste on a daily basis. The most polluting
source for rivers is city sewage and industrial waste discharge. 5. Effect of quality water on agriculture production and
Presently, only about 10 percent of the wastewater generated quality of produce
is treated; the rest is discharged as is into our water bodies. Poor quality water can be responsible for slow growth, the
Due to this, pollutants enter rivers, lakes and the groundwater. poor aesthetic quality of the crop and, in some cases, can
Such water, which ultimately ends up in our households, is result in the gradual death of the plants (Anonymous,
often highly contaminated and carries disease-causing UMAAS). High soluble salts can directly injure roots,
microbes. Agricultural runoff, or the water from the fields that interfering with water and nutrient uptake. Salts can
drains into rivers, is another major water pollutant as it accumulate in plant leaf margins, causing burning of the
contains fertilizers and pesticides (Anonymous, 2012) [4]. It is edges. Water with high alkalinity can adversely affect the pH
reported that 75 to 80% of water pollution is caused by of the growing medium, interfering with nutrient uptake and
domestic sewage. Waste from the industries like, sugar, causing nutrient deficiencies which reduce plant health.
textile, electroplating, pesticides, pulp, and paper are polluting Only 60% fertilizers are used in the soil other chemicals
the water. Polluted rivers have an intolerable smell and leached into soils polluting the water, cyanobacteria are rich
contain less flora and fauna. 80% of the world's population is in polluted water and excess phosphate runoff leads to
facing threats to water security (Kamble, 2014) [15]. The major eutrophication. Residues of chemicals mix with river water
sources of water pollution are domestic sewage, due to flooding, heavy rainfall, excess irrigation and enter the
Industrialization, Population growth, indiscreet use of food chain. These chemicals are lethal for living organisms
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International Journal of Chemical Studies

and many vegetables and fruits are contaminated with these efficiently, some are listed below: 1. The method of irrigation
chemicals (Ebenstein, 2008 and Kamble, 2014) [11, 15]. Soluble followed in the country is flood irrigation, which results in a
inorganic nitrogen compounds come from mineralization of lot of water loss. Greater efficiency in irrigation was achieved
organic nitrogen in agricultural and undeveloped soils, from through 2: Proper designing of irrigation system for reducing
wastewater treatment works, from the oxidation of nitrogen water conveyance loss. 3: Adoptions of water-saving
oxides in the atmosphere as well as from fertilizer run-off. technologies such as sprinkler and drip irrigation systems
Nitrogenous chemicals are responsible for cancer and blue have proven extremely effective in not just water conservation
baby syndrome (Krishnan and Indu, 2006) [17]. Poor drainage but also leading to higher yields. 4: New agronomic practices
and irrigation practices have led to waterlogging and like raised bed planting, the ridge-furrow method of sowing,
salinization of approximately 10 percent of the world's subsurface irrigation, and precision farming which offer vast
irrigated lands. In the extreme cases of waterlogging and scope for economizing water use. 5. Selection of crops, their
salinity, the seeds may not germinate and the plants may wilt varieties and salt tolerance at various stages of their growth
permanently. Waterlogging and salinity of agricultural lands are also important. 6. Adaptation of guidelines for using
are due to a natural process or man-made activities. In saline irrigation water.
irrigated areas, chemical degradation of land is a subsequent
development on account of long duration waterlogging. The shift in the Cropping System
Besides the erratic rainfall distribution, inundation of coastal Consider the production of water-thirsty crops like paddy and
areas by back-water flow from the sea and absence of proper sugar cane in the Punjab-Haryana belt and Maharashtra,
soil and water conservation measures in the catchments are respectively. There is a serious mismatch between the
also important factors leading to drainage congestion and cropping pattern of these crops and water resource availability
related problems in the agricultural lands. There is a lack of in the states growing them. The National Bank for Agriculture
up-to-date and methodically monitored information on the and Rural Development (NABARD)- Indian Council for
type, severity, and extent of drainage problems in the country. Research on International Economic Relations’ (ICRIER’S)
Estimates of waterlogged areas in India range from 2.5 to 16 report also makes an argument for moving such high water-
mha, and those for salinized areas from 3.3 to 10.9 mha. reliant crops to other, relatively water-abundant areas. For
instance, in regions with high irrigation water productivity
6. Water quality for crop production better suited to water-intensive crops and poor power supply
(a) Irrigation water tests should always include pH and and other such problems make cultivation of water-intensive
alkalinity. (b) Reclaimed water, runoff water, or recycled crops non-remunerative. There is room for the government to
water may require reconditioning before use for irrigation correct such misalignment.
since disease organisms, soluble salts and traces of
organic chemicals may be present. (c) Water quality Investment on new technologies
should be tested to ensure it is acceptable for plant Investing in readjusting irrigation patterns is equally
growth and to minimize the risk of discharging pollutants important for fulfilling the “more crop per drop" objective. To
to surface or groundwater. (d) Use filtration to remove deal with such water-management challenges it is alarming
suspended solids from water to prevent clogging of time to boost alternative irritation techniques such as drip
piping, valves, nozzles, and emitters in an irrigation irrigation is a necessity. There has been some progress here;
system. Suspended solids include sand, soil, leaves, the Maharashtra government has made drip irrigation
organic matter, algae, and weeds. (e) Water pH may need mandatory for sugar-cane cultivation, for instance. But more
to be adjusted before being used for mixing some must be done.
pesticides, floral preservatives, and growth regulators
(Anonymous, UMAAS). "The earth, the land, and the water are not an
inheritance from our forefathers but on loan from our
7. Using agriculture to tackle the water crisis children. So, we have to hand over to them at least as it
Water use efficiency was handed over to us.” - Mahatma Gandhi
Different approaches have been put forward for using water

Table 3: The major river basins in India and their Catchment Area, Average Water Resources Potential and Utilisable Surface Water
River Basins( BCM)
Catchment Area Average Water Resources Utilizable Surface Water
River Basin
(Sq. Km.) Potential Resources
1 Indus (up to Border) 321289 73.31 46.0
2 Ganga- Brahmaputra-Meghna
a) Ganga 861452 525.02 250.0
b) Brahmaputra 194413 537.24 24.0
c) Barak & Others 41723 48.36
3 Godavari 312812 110.54 76.3
4 Krishna 258948 78.12 58
5 Cauvery 81155 21.36 19
6 Subernarekha* 29196 12.37 6.8
7 Brahamani&Baitarni 51822 28.48 18.3
8 Mahanadi 141589 66.88 50
9 Pennar 55213 6.32 6.9
10 Mahi 34842 11.02 3.1
11 Sabarmati 21674 3.81 1.9
12 Narmada 98796 45.64 34.5
13 Tapi 65145 14.88 14.5
14 West Flowing Rivers From Tapi to Tadri 55940 87.41 11.9
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International Journal of Chemical Studies

15 West Flowing Rivers From Tadri to Kanyakumari 56177 113.53 24.3

16 East Flowing Rivers Between Mahanadi &Pennar 86643 22.52 13.1
17 East Flowing Rivers Between Pennar and Kanyakumari 100139 16.46 16.5
18 West Flowing Rivers Of Kutch and Saurashtra including Luni 321851 15.1 15
19 Area of Inland drainage in Rajasthan - Negl. -
20 Minor River Draining into Myanmar( Burma) &Bangladesh 36302 31 -
Total 1869.37 690.1
Source: B.P. Directorate, CWC.

Table 4: State-wise total length of rivers and canals

River Length (km) Name of States/UT
<500 Andaman & Nicobar Is, Chandigarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu, Delhi, Goa, Lakshadweep, Puducherry
500-999 Sikkim
1000-1999 Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura
Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Manipur, Orissa,
2000-4999
Uttarakhand, West Bengal
5000-9999 Haryana, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu,
10000-14999 Andhra Pradesh
15000-19999 Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab
25000 & above Jammu & Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh
Source: Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries, M/o Agriculture

Conclusion 9. Dehadrai PV. Irrigation in India. FAO Fisheries

Large scale adaptation of rainwater harvesting apart from Technical Paper 430. Fisheries in irrigation systems of
construction of new water storage structure along with arid Asia, 2003.
enhancing the water use efficiency, taking appropriate step to http://www.fao.org/3/y5082e/y5082e08.htm accessed on
prevent the contamination of water resources (surface and 2019/02/23
groundwater). Agriculture is a major stakeholder in 10. Dhawan V. Water and Agriculture in India Background
freshwater consumption, So, primary responsibility of paper for the South Asia expert panel during the Global
Agricultural researcher to develop new technologies and Forum for Food and Agriculture, 2017.
made necessary update in existing methodologies of irrigation https://www.oav.de/fileadmin/user_upload/5_Publikation
for enhancing water use efficiency and disseminated these en/5_Studien/170118_Study_Water_Agriculture_India.p
technologies to farmers. df.Accessed on 2019/02/23.
11. Ebenstein AY. Water pollution and digestive cancer in
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~ 1998 ~