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Sources of Water

We have learnt that water is a renewable resource. Rain is the natural source of water. The water

from rain gets filled in rivers, lakes, ponds and some water seeps into the ground. The water

present on the Earth gets renewed every time when it rains.

The Indian farmers are dependent on rains largely. But, the amount of rainfall is not fixed every

time. Due to this reason some areas get heavy rainfall

while some areas get less or no rainfall. For this reason

we should think of ways to meet the various needs of

water to make it available in areas of scarcity.

Rivers, lakes and ponds are the natural sources of

freshwater. The water from the glaciers on the

mountains melts and seeps down into rivers. These

rivers are known as perennial rivers. Ganga, Yamuna,

Indus and Brahmaputra are examples of perennial

rivers. These rivers get water all round the year. Then

these rivers flow further and join other rivers to form Ganga river
tributaries. The rivers of peninsular India like-

Godavari, Kaveri and Krishna are dependent on rains. These are known as non-perennial rivers.

Wells and tube-wells are the artificial sources of water. The rainwater seeps in the ground and this

water collects in the soil underground. This water is drawn up with a pulley and a bucket through

wells or tube-wells. The tube-wells are the major source of irrigation for the farmers of Punjab,

Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.

In the Deccan plateau the land is rocky and uneven. In such places tanks are built to store water for

irrigation purposes. Canals are also an artificial source of irrigation in the fields. Dams are also built

with cement and steel to store the flowing water. It is a large barrier that stores the flowing water

for various purposes. During heavy rains, the dams are very beneficial as they store the excess

water for future use.

These dams are also used to produce electricity. The forced water rushing down the pipes of the

dam is very useful. This water helps the turbines to spin which in turn produces electricity. This is

known as hydroelectric power.

Well Tube-well Canal Dam

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