World Water Day 2022 : Theme as "Groundwater: Making the Invisible Visible"

Celebrating World Water Day 2022

TSAP Students & Faculty initiative, with an aim to sensitize & create awareness about water resources & using these resources wisely.

History of the Day

The idea for this international day goes back to 1992, the year in which the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro took place. That same year, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution by which 22 March of each year was declared World Day for Water, to be observed starting in 1993.

Later on, other celebrations and events were added. For instance, the International Year of Cooperation in the Water Sphere 2013, and the current International Decade for Action on Water for Sustainable Development, 2018-2028. These observances serve to reaffirm that water and sanitation measures are key to poverty reduction, economic growth, and environmental sustainability.

The importance of water

World Water Day, held on 22 March every year since 1993, focuses on the importance of freshwater.

World Water Day celebrates water and raises awareness of the 2.2 billion people living without access to safe water. It is about taking action to tackle the global water crisis.

A core focus of World Water Day is to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030.

Groundwater, making the invisible visible

This 2022, the focus is groundwater, an invisible resource with an impact visible everywhere.

Groundwater has been a priceless resource for humanity for centuries.Groundwater is water found underground in aquifers, which are geological formations of rocks, sands and gravels that hold substantial quantities of water. Groundwater feeds springs, rivers, lakes and wetlands, and seeps into oceans.

Groundwater is recharged mainly from rain and snowfall infiltrating the ground. Groundwater can be extracted to the surface by pumps and wells.

Life would not be possible without groundwater. Most arid areas of the world depend entirely on groundwater. Groundwater supplies a large proportion of the water we use for drinking, sanitation, food production and industrial processes.

It is also critically important to the healthy functioning of ecosystems, such as wetlands and rivers.

We must protect them from over exploitation – abstracting more water than is recharged by rain and snow - and the pollution that currently haunts them, since it can lead to the depletion of this resource, extra-costs of processing it, and sometimes even preventing its use.

India is one of the world’s largest user of groundwater. The country’s economy is tagged to groundwater development in many ways and its inadequacy will jeopardize progress. Tube wells, bore wells, springs and open-dug wells remain the primary source of groundwater production and abuse in India. Currently, there is a complete mismatch between available resources and the volumes of water withdrawn.

Exploring, protecting and sustainably using groundwater will be central to surviving and adapting to climate change and meeting the needs of a growing population. Integration of technology, ecology and livelihood is critical to the overall sustainability of groundwater.

India is endowed with extraordinarily diverse and distinctive traditional water-bodies (water architecture) found in different parts of the country, commonly known as ponds, tanks, lakes, vayalgam, ahars, bawdis, pushkarnis, talabs and others. They play an important role in maintaining and restoring the ecological balance. They act as sources of drinking water, recharge groundwater, control floods, support biodiversity, and provide livelihood opportunities to a large number of people.

India has both hard-rock and alluvial aquifers which differ considerably in their physical and socioeconomic profiles and require very different sets of solutions at both the macro and micro levels. As global experience offers few comparable models, home grown solutions are needed.

Let us look at some ways to protect & conserve groundwater

Ways to protect and conserve groundwater

Never pour water down the drain when there may be another use for it such as watering your indoor plants or garden.

Repair dripping faucets and toilets. One drop per second wastes 2,700 gallons of water a year.

Retrofit all household faucets by installing aerators with flow restrictions. Choose appliances that are water and energy-efficient.Don’t run a faucet when you’re not using the water, such as while brushing your teeth.Operate clothes washers only when they are fully loaded, or set the water level to match the size of your load.

Plant native and/or drought-tolerant grasses, ground cover, shrubs, and trees. Once established, they do not need water as frequently and usually will survive a dry period.

Install irrigation devices that are the most water efficient for each use. Micro and drip irrigation and soaker hoses are examples of efficient devices.

Use mulch to retain moisture in the soil. Use of Grass pavers in parking areas,other hardscape areas.

Wherever permitted, consider installing rain harvesting systems and store rainwater for irrigation during dry season.Cover pools and spas to reduce evaporation of water.

Because, Every drop counts....“जल है तो कल है”I

Ar. Sujit Vasant Jadhav

Assistant Professor,

Thakur School of Architecture & Planning.

Eligibility Requirements for Admission to Architecture in India:

HSC in Science Stream, with 50% Aggregate and 50% Aggregate in PCM.

Qualifying Entrance Exam: NATA or JEE-Paper II

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