Introduction: Water is one of the basic necessities of life. We require plenty of water every day for drinking, cooking and washing. It is necessary also for cleanliness of homes and hospitals.
Water is used for various important purposes:
Water in Agriculture
Water plays the most important role in agriculture. Agriculture is impossible without irrigation throughout the crop season. Irrigation ensures proper plant growth.
Water for Municipal use
Lifestyle of the inhabitants and their economic conditions affect the water use within the home in different parts of the country. Municipal; demand includes water for domestic purposes, commercial uses, street washing, lawn and garden irrigation, fire protection.
Water in the domestic sector is generally used for drinking, washing toilets, lawn sprinkling, and food preparation etc.
Balancing the ecosystem
Water is not only important for human beings but also plays an important role to balance the entire ecosystem by various ways:
By its presence in the atmosphere it absorbs the Sun’s heat.
The rain water scours the hills and carries the sediments into rivers, valleys etc.
Percolating water into rock crusts takes part in the formation of mineral deposits.
In Polar Regions, water in the form of the caps influences climatic and geographical changes.
Water for industries
Water is used in huge quantities in the industries like steel industry, chemicals, fertilizers, textiles, cement, electricity, petrochemicals and paper. Mining, food etc. these industries require water for following or the other reasons:
Cooling.
Generation of power.
Cleaning purposes.
Fire protection.
Air conditioning.
Water for power
Thermal power plants also requires large volume of water for the purpose of cooling and disposal of fly ash. Water is used in thermal power generation.
Water for Navigation
Water ways are important medium of transportation. Transport by water ways is cheaper as compared to by road and railway. The main waterways exist in the Ganga in the eastern region and Brahmaputra in the north-eastern region, which account for more than 60 per cent of the traffic.
Water for fish, wildlife and recreation
Fish, wildlife and recreation facilities play an important role in nation’s life and adequate water supplies for their continued development and important. Swimming, boating, fishing is the important outdoor recreational activities which are impossible without water.