Shallow Aquifers

The Nilgiris have undergone an incredible amount of change in the last 10 years. Coonoor, an area well endowed with natural resources, is the second largest tourist destination here. However, over the last year (2012-13), the town has been reeling under a water crisis [1].

The 200 odd residents of Didakhedi, a sleepy village just 13 kms from Sehore town in Madhya Pradesh, never had adequate water. Two decades ago, most of the farming in the village was done during the monsoons. The village had no electricity and a lone diesel pump operated the shallow dug wells to irrigate some lands during the winter.

Phailin increases Andhra groundwater levels

Cyclone Phailin finally wanes

As temple tanks go, this one is quite beautiful. It is a rectangular masonry-lined tank, about the size of a badminton court. Brick steps lead down to the water. On one of its longer sides is a lovely old temple, shaded by mango trees. Groups of men and women sit and gossip in the coolness. Facing them is an avenue of large trees, below which sit contemplative buffaloes.

“PAWAN GURU, pani pita, mata dharti mahat” (air is teacher, water is father and earth our mother) -  thus goes the closing line of the Japji Sahib given by the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev. It holds special significance for Amritsar, the holy city, which boasts of the Harmandar Sahib (also known as the Golden Temple).

Both rural and urban India are faced with water problems. People do not have access to good quality, safe drinking water. The source for most drinking water is either rivers or underground aquifers (wells). Since water can dissolve just about anything that it comes into contact with long enough, often the groundwater we get isn’t pure.

Reams have been written about Sacchidanand Bharti, of Ufrenkhal fame and his work on afforestation and water conservation. However, very rarely does he speak about his own efforts and experiences.

For the last 50 years, the Bhilai Steel Plant, which is India's largest integrated steel plant has got its supply of iron ore from Dalli Rajhara's mines. Dalli Rajhara, a municipality which is also an industrial city is located 90km south of Durg in Chhattisgarh. It is a part of the Rajhara group of mines. Iron ore mined in this area are of two types - hematite and magnetite.

The construction industry went through a boom in the 1990s due to more people demanding and affording houses. This put a lot of pressure on the Pennar area in Andhra Pradesh. Sandmining, which is the process of taking sand, became rampant at that time.