Category: Blogs

Water Augmentation - A Critical Step to Solve the Water Crisis What is Water Augmentation? Water" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.smsfoundation.org/water-management/">Water augmentation looks to increase availability and supply of water by replacement of the current reduced amount of water. This can be done through active recharge of water and protection of water recharge areas. Traditionally, water augmentation has been followed in India over many centuries. Harnessing rainwater and recharge of the water table allows for recharge through infiltration into aquifers. Water augmentation can be classified broadly into three areas. 1) Capturing the water through harvesting. 2) Storing the water through storage. 3) Recharging the water table through percolation into shallow aquifers. Issues In Exploitation Of Groundwater Receding groundwater level, leading to lowering of water table. Increasing cost of extraction due to higher depth of water. Reduced water availability in nearby water bodies. Deterioration of water quality leading to increased salinity and brackishness. Soil erosion. Water Augmentation Techniques Several techniques can be used to augment water and increase availability. Depending on the hydro-geological specifications, the techniques are diverse and vary. Some include: Direct Surface • Flooding • Basins or percolation tanks • Stream augmentation • Ditch and furrow system Direct Sub Surface Techniques • Injection wells or recharge wells • Recharge pits and shafts • Dug well recharge • Borehole flooding • Natural openings, cavity fillings. Combination Surface/ Subsurface Techniques • Basin or percolation tanks with pit shaft or wells. With most parts of Northern India dependent on rainfall that is getting erratic by the day, augmenting water availability by harvesting every drop of rainwater is a necessary starting point. Water harnessing structures like dams are another technique being used to capture surface and subsurface flows. One of the rural development NGOs in India, S" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.smsfoundation.org/">S M Sehgal Foundation (Sehgal Foundation) has been working since 1999 to improve the quality of life of the rural communities in India. As a public, charitable trust, the S M Sehgal Foundation has been focusing on sustainable programs to address rural India’s most pressing needs. It has five main program areas: Water Management, Agricultural Development, Local Participation and Sustainability, Transform Lives one school at a time, and Outreach for Development.