Disappearing Act of Water

Water is a wonder liquid. It is a universal solvent as it has the capacity to dissolve almost any substance. Hence living entities consume water extensively to carry out chemical reactions and biological processes in the body. Apart from drinking, water is used in bathing, washing clothes, cooking, cleaning utensils and other miscellaneous activities.

Table of Contents

• What is the Disappearing Act of Water?
• Conclusion

But where does all this water come from? Do we have enough water to carry out all our activities?

The water we use on a daily basis comes from ponds, rivers, lakes, dams, and reservoirs which contain fresh water. These water bodies are refilled by rain through the water cycle. People in cities get access to a good amount of water which tends to get misused. While those in remote areas face scarcity of water to carry out even basic chores and worse conditions lead to unavailability of water for drinking. We need to use water wisely since the availability of fresh water is decreasing by the day due to many serious factors such as growing population, global warming etc.

Also Read: How can we Conserve Water?

Why does spilt water dry up after a few minutes? How do wet clothes get dried? After rains, the water disappears from roads, rooftops etc. How does water disappear?

Water has the property to transition into different states of matter. On heating, the water turns into its gaseous state and forms vapours. Water vapours thus formed are carried away by air and are not visible. Hence water seems to disappear from rooftops, roads etc. This process is called evaporation and is usually carried out during the daytime i.e., in the presence of sunlight.

During the daytime, sunlight falls everywhere – on land, fields, and water bodies, such as lakes, rivers, and oceans. Water from these sources is continuously absorbed and turns into vapours, leaving dissolved nutrients and salts behind. All air surrounding us gets heated during the daytime. This air is warm and facilitates evaporation of water even in the shade from all open surfaces, as a result of which water continuously gets added to the air. Evaporation is a slow process, but in the presence of sunlight, it occurs rapidly.

Further reading: Water

Water, being an essential resource, has been depleting drastically. The groundwater level throughout the country has degraded severely. People have dug wells for centuries to obtain water for human consumption. But with the invention of tube well, and the spread of irrigation, the groundwater level has deteriorated quickly.

The groundwater levels are different in different parts of the country. In the eastern region, the water used is replenished during monsoons. The arid regions receive scanty rainfall, which is insufficient to compensate for the loss of water during dry months. In the rocky areas also, the water does not permeate into the land, which has resulted in a reduction in the water table.

Also, deforestation activities have also led to a decrease in rainfall and have reduced the water holding capacity of the soil. Therefore, it is extremely important to save water to sustain life on earth.

Also Read: Water for All

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