Forestry with Water conservation – Series 4

After Rivers and rivulets, another source of water rejuvenation and storage on ground surface are “Ponds and Lakes”.

These were being maintained and protected well since historical times and suggested that these enjoyed one of the most crucial attention towards conserving precious water as life line. They graced the area urban as well as rural equally well at every strategic locations and well protected and conserved. Regular cleaning and rejuvenation of these water source (if water source existed) use to continue to happen with proper unwritten Standard Operating Procedures (SOP).

Another important water source need to be touched upon which has lost its glory in the current water greed and selfishness is nothing but the digging of wells and their regular maintenance. These were maintained with the philosophy of water source with water harvesting too. During rains water used to get stored and conserved too in these wells and usage too was slow, it used to be mostly for the community and with less pressure on it on account of less population it worked well. Later with population growth and demand for water increased bore wells replaced scientific wells and indiscriminate boring led to unscientific water harvesting and ultimately led to depleting ground water and water table.

With actual balance of nature there used to be regular rains and regular water recharging during rains, led to fulfillment of human needs during water stress time of summer. Gradually unscientific water usage and least water harvesting gradually depleted the ground water and we started facing shortage in various locations. Every year number of water critical and water deficient locations are increasing.

With no proper water harvesting during water surplus days and no vegetation as ground cover leading to over evaporation of moisture from ground and very minimal water percolation through trees and root system, water is bound to vanish from the surface as well as underground if conscious and scientific actions are taken immediately.

Thus all these water bodies like ponds and lakes are to be de-silted with an awareness of the fact that the silt extracted from the ponds or lakes is one the best source of organic manure where ever it is spread on the fields. Thus this awareness has to be build up amongst the farmers nearby so that they are encouraged to support this common cause of deepening and de-silting of these water bodies thus enhancing or reviving the reduced capacity of the water body which got reduced over a period of time. Sometimes internal water body source too get revived which gets blocked due to poor maintenance of these precious resource.

Thus with water harvesting through forestry linked with its leaves, reduced soil splashed impact and water percolation and purification into the ground through its roots and building various water harvesting small check dams near these exposed water bodies will surely enhance water retention capacity and as well as enhance duration of the water storage will surely lead to water surplus area for the community dependent on it.

Next in series- series no 5- I’ll be discussing about Water reservoirs of dams and others, where water is trickling into them. Their management will be a more complicate as this has to have impacts of Riverine watershed management and as well as treatment to large water bodies.