Question

Suggest three ways to conserve water.

Answer 1

• Access to adequate and clean water sources is a big problem that is prevalent in many parts of the world.
• Measures must be taken to conserve this reducing resource.
• Although water is a renewable resource, the pollution of water and its overuse makes it unsuitable for consumption.
• Discharge of industrial effluents in water bodies, agricultural chemicals, untreated or partially treated sewage are the major reasons for contamination of water.
• Water gets polluted with pesticides, metals and nitrates.
• Most of these chemicals are non-biodegradable and reach human bodies through water.
• Hence before releasing them into water bodies, it is important to control the flow of these pollutants and treat those pollutants to prevent water pollution.
• Underground water gets replenished and the surface run off slows down due to vegetation cover and forests.
• To save surface runoff, water harvesting is a good method.
• To minimise losses by water seepage, the canals used for irrigating fields should be properly lined.
• Water losses through seepage and evaporation can be checked by effectively irrigating the area using sprinklers.
• Trickle or drip irrigation is very useful in dry regions with high rates of evaporation.
• Hence valuable water resources can be conserved by adopting these means of irrigation.
• Shortages in fresh water supply are prevalent in parts of South America, north-west Mexico, South Asia, West Asia, most of Africa, and all of Australia.
• Great problems of water scarcity are found in countries located in climatic zones most susceptible to droughts.