Groundwater Contamination & its Depleted Levels: It is Alarming and Needs Effective Solutions

India is a land of 14 major and 44 medium rivers. The catchment area of each of the major river is 20,000 sq. km and above while that of medium rivers, is between 2000-20,000 sq. km. Also, there are 53 small rivers each with the catchment area of 2000 sq. km. These rivers receive their top-up from glaciers and rainwater. India receives an average rainfall of 4000 BCM (Billion Cubic Metre) every year from the rain. This is what we see as surface water. Then, there is some proportion of this surface water which gets absorbed and accumulated beneath the ground, called as groundwater.

Among all the available sources of water, mankind is majorly interested in groundwater, for his drinking and majorly, for its agricultural needs. From the statistics mentioned earlier, it may seem like our country has enough water to meet the demands of the population. But here are some eye-opening points.

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Converting Rainwater into Potable Drinking Water – Methods and Benefits

The drinking water demand of our earth’s population is generally fulfilled by two sources – groundwater and surface water (river, streams, waterfalls). However, rainfall is a major source of supply for above-mentioned sources. So, isn’t it a great idea to directly use the rainwater for drinking purpose? And moreover, rainwater is considered the purest form of water.

By the purest form of water, it is meant that rainwater has a low mineral composition and acidic content. But that does not mean it is safe to directly drink the rainwater. Even though its natural composition is neutral, the rainwater drops do pick up pollutants and dirt from the atmosphere, especially in the areas of high chemical industries and nuclear explosions. There are more reasons that support the need for purifying rainwater before using it as a potable water. […]

Uranium in the Water of Indian States – Is it Alarming?

The naturally occurring water from the sources like rain, rivers, under the ground, water streams, etc. is base of life on our beautiful planet. Water is just not water. It has all the life-supporting nutrients- Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, Copper, Selenium, Potassium. But along with it, there is one more element whose presence can be found in naturally occurring water – Uranium

What is Uranium?

Uranium is a chemical which is silvery-grey metal with weak radioactive in nature. We can see Uranium in ammunition (high-density penetrators) and as a fuel for nuclear power plants (It is to be noted that naturally occurring Uranium is found in different variance, with different levels of radioactive intensity). The Uranium in nature is found in soil and rocks.

Interestingly, a very small amount of Uranium is found in water as well, with the concentration varying from region to region. The amount of Uranium in the water depends on the type of minerals in the soil and bedrock.

For instance, the average concentration of Uranium in water is comparatively higher in the granite bedrock. […]

Rainwater Harvesting at Home – Simple, Yet Effective Methods

There is a common saying, “Charity begins at home”. This may look odd, but we can associate this saying with water preservation technique called rainwater harvesting. Imagine the quantity of rainwater we could save if every possible house or building structure in India starts to take rainwater harvesting measures! At least, these households or buildings can preserve a certain percentage of required water quantity, thus lowering some of the pressure over the depleting natural ground water.

The idea is very simple; setup either simple or somewhat sophisticated rainwater harvesting systems in your house or in a building having several apartments, for collecting and storing the water poured down as rain. The care must be taken that the stored water does not contaminate & becomes the ground for breeding diseases. For this purpose, a minor investment is needed on your individual or collective part. […]