Conservation - Reducing Water Usage

This report by the Advisory Council on Artificial Recharge of Ground Water, the Ministry of Water Resources, Government of India is divided into the following sections:

Part A: Improving Rice Productivity and saving Water through System for Rice Intensification (12 minutes)

This site includes a collection of documents, research reports and useful links on SRI . These include:

This report available on the  Watershed Support Services And Activities Network (WASSAN) site provides the details of three workshops organised by People's Science Institute (PSI) in October 2006 in the states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh as a first step towards sharing the experiences of System of Rice Intensification (SRI) method with the stakeholders group as well as assist the voluntary organisations in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh to develop professional capabilities in the field of SRI method of paddy cultivation.

This document describes the drought situation in India over the years, the earlier perspective at drought management and the gradual change in perspective at managing droughts that evolved over the years.

Agriculture is a vital sector in India with about 60% of the population engaged in agricultural vocations and contributing to about 30% of the GDP. It consumes about 80% of water used in the country and 76% of the net irrigated area in the country is from ground water sources.

This paper by the Madras Institute for Development Studies presents estimates of the ‘consumptive use’ of water in crop production; the ratio of consumptive use to gross water utilization; and productivity per unit of consumptive use.

Click here to read more: Read the report

The objectives of National Water Awareness Campaign, (Rashtriya Jal Chetna Yatra) include creating awareness about the conservation of water, and to strive for the society's right to water. The campaign used innovative methods to create awareness in different states of India.

An article in Parivesh, produced b the ENVIS Centre – the Central Pollution Control Board explores the advantage of groundwater recharge, in particular artificial recharge systems. These help to prevent decline in groundwater tables, and resolve saline water intrusion, a common problem in coastal areas.