WATER CONSERVATION THROUGH REJUVENATING VILLAGE PONDS

AS AN ECONOMIC ACTIVITY FOR RURAL INDIA

 HYPOTHESIS

• Alternate Hypothesis: Water conservation

through rejuvenating village ponds can generate
Economic benefits to rural India
• Null Hypothesis: Water Conservation through
rejuvenating village ponds cannot generate
Economic benefits to rural India
• A pond is an area filled with water, either natural
or artificial, that is smaller than a lake
• India has 5,55,557 small water bodies (including
village ponds) with area less than 2.25 ha.
• As such, rejuvenation of these water bodies has large
potential of achieving water security and climate
resilience. There have been many success stories of
pond and lake rejuvenation throughout the country
• The state governments should make a concerted plan to
rejuvenate at least 40 to 50 village ponds in each
district every year
• Wetlands such as tanks, ponds, lakes, and reservoirs
have long been providing multiple-use water services
which include water for irrigation, domestic needs,
fisheries and recreational uses; ground-water recharge;
flood control and silt capture.
SITUATION
• Ponds in India are filled with all sorts of waste from their
catchment areas.
• Domestic wastewater and solid wastes are dumped into these
ponds.
• Disposal of wastewater in the ponds is a major public health
concern as the stagnant water smells bad and leads to many
diseases.
• As a result, ponds are no more used for drinking or bathing
purposes or any other useful purpose.
• The groundwater recharge from these ponds is contaminating
the local aquifers.
• Many of these ponds have been encroached upon by local land
mafia
STRATEGIES FOR REJUVINATION

 ADHERENCE TO WATER QUALITY STANDERDS(WQS)

 WEED REMOVAL

 AFFORESTATION ALONG TANK BUND

 DESILTATION

 PREVENT POINT SOURCE OF POLLUTION

 CORRECT NON-POINT SOURCE POLLUTION PROBLEMS

 RESEARCH DESIGN

• Research is designed around rejuvenation of “Limbhoi-Pond” of Limbhoi

village of Aravali district and its economical effect on Lombhoi village
• Instrument of data collection
 Conclusion of a survey conducted in the area.
 Interview with beneficiary of the village
 Government data on ecological study
 Time study
 Detailed study
 PARAMETERS

 1. Water harvesting and Conservation

 2. Water management
 3. Direct economical benefits
 4. Indirect Economical benefits to villagers
1. WATER HARVESTING AND CONSERVATION
INCREASES GROUND WATER LEVEL

• Groundwater is part of the hydrological

cycle, storing and releasing water
• Ponds are important sources of
groundwater recharging and drought
proofing.
• Source of water security in the villages
• They act like a sponge, soak up water
during wet period and release up during
dry period
• Pond help maintain the level of water
table. 
• The increase in groundwater levels near
the pond is a result of seepage from the
ponds to aquafer
2. WATER MANAGEMENT
IRRIGATION WATER FOR FARMING

 In India for Irrigation most of the time we have

to depend on rain.
 So increased ground water level and utilization
of pond water for irrigation can be helpful.
 Water co-operatives can be formed and water
treatment plant can be established to control the
usage and to improve water quality of pond
water.
 The Irrigation from Pond can contribute to
recharging the aquifers and to reducing the
extractions of groundwater, reducing the pressure
that these water bodies are subjected to
 The diesel consumption from pumping is less
than the pumping ground water
3. DIRECT ECONOMICAL BENEFITS
POND FISHING CONTRACTS • A tendency of any common resource that is unowned, and hence
nonexcludable to be overused and undermaintained. In order to
assuage and ameliorate this process and save a public good it is
beneficial to have contract system for ponds
• Fisheries are an important source of food, nutrition,
employment and income in India.
• In terms of growth in fish production in India, wetlands
specially ponds play a significant role.
• At the moment, majority of fish production in the country is
from inland water bodies (61% of total production), i.e.rivers;
canals; reservoirs; tanks; ponds; and lakes.
• It increased from 0.2 million tonne in1950–1951 to about 5.1
million tonne in 2010–2011..
• Water policy guidelines:Licensing an d Management of water
bodies for culture fisheries: States will develop comprehensive
leasing and licensing policy for all public water bodies by
balancing competing objectives of resource development,
livelihoods, welfare and revenue generation, etc.
 • Water chestnut (Trapa natans) is one of the
WATER CHESTNUT FARMING most important minor fruit crops grown in
India. It is an aquatic nut crop grown in the
tropical and subtropical regions as a
submerged plant community.
• It also thrives in the soft nutrient rich waters
in lakes, ponds and streams with neutral to
slightly alkaline pH level. Water chestnut is
also known as “Singhara” and water caltrops.
• Grown areas
• Water chestnuts grow throughout the East of
India-West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar.
• The yield of fresh nut range between 2500-
3800 kg per hectare area of the pond
 LOTUS FARMING
• Lotus- National Flower of India.
• Indian lotus, (Nelumbo nucifera Garten) is
also popular as a Sacred lotus because of its
significance in the religions.
• Lotus flowers, seeds, young leaves and
rhizomes all are edible. Every part of the plant
is used traditionally to cure several ailments in
human beings.
• It oxygenates bottom sediments, preventing
release of toxic gasses and nutrients through
anaerobic decomposition processes.
• Lotus has an advantage over many other
aquatic plants in that the leaves are held above
the water. Most floating aquatic plants leaves
cover water interface and heavy cover results
in deoxygenation of the water beneath.
4. INDIRECT ECONOMICAL BENEFITS TO VILLAGERS
PLACES OF GATHERING
• Engagement of people participation, cultural &
recreational activities, etc., help in public gathering.
• As from the ancient time there is religious places
developed near by pond or water bod
• Development of tourism, cultural activities etc
• Home to birds, flora and fauna
• Afforestation in nearby area and gardening will
attract people
• Nearby area can be a market place that will generate
revenue for the villagers.
 Conclusion

•INTENSIVEMONITORING
• INTERACTION AND COOPERATION AMONG PEOPLE
AND VARIOUS AGENCIES INVOLVED
• MAINTAIN IMPORTANT NATURAL PROCESSES THAT
OPERATE ON LAKES THAT MAY BE ALTERED BY
HUMAN ACTIVITIES
• CONDUCT REGULAR WATER QUALITY MONITORING
•CREATING BUFFER ZONES FOR LAKE PROTECTION
•DEVELOPMENT OF WATER QUALITY DATABASE
• ANALYSE AND DISCUSS CASE STUDIES