WATER CONSERVATION: STRATEGIES AND SOLUTIONS

Abstract

India has 16% of the world’s population and only 4% of the world’s water resources, which are
depleting rapidly. The demand for water is expected to grow from 40 billion cubic metres (bcm)
currently to around 220 bcm in 2025. Water is one of the most important inputs essential for
crops. Both it’s shortage and excess affects the growth and development of the plants, yields and
quality of produce. There are numerous methods to reduce such losses and to improve soil
moisture. These are mulching, cropping, planting of trees, utilization of fog or dew by net- surfacing traps or polythene sheets, contour farming, transfer of water from surplus areas to
deficit areas by inter-linking water systems through canals, desalination technologies such as
distillation, electro-dialysis and reverse osmosis, use of efficient watering systems such as drip
irrigation and sprinklers will reduce the water consumption by plants. The most important step in
the direction of finding solutions to issues of water and environmental conservation is to change
people's attitudes and habits; this includes each one of us.