Effects of overexploitation of water resources
Answers
Explanation:
Over Exploitation of Ground Water:
(i) Subsidence:
When groundwater withdrawal is more than its recharge rate, the sediments in the aquifer get compacted, a phenomenon known as ground subsidence. Huge economic losses may occur due to this phenomenon because it results in the sinking of overlying land surface. The common problems associated with it include structural damage in buildings, fracture in pipes, reversing the flow of sewers and canals and tidal flooding.
(ii) Lowering of water table:
Mining of groundwater is done extensively in arid and semi-arid regions for irrigating crop fields. However, it is not advisable to do excessive mining as it would cause a sharp decline in future agricultural production, due to lowering of water table.
(iii) Water logging:
When excessive irrigation is done with brackish water it raises the water table gradually leading to water logging and salinity problems.
Over Exploitation of Surface Water:
Surface water is mainly misuse, due to which its quality and quantity both degrades. Since lakes, ponds, rivers, sea are used for dumping industrial and sewage wastes, dead bodies, solid wastes etc. hence their quality degrades, which give rise to many environmental, ecological and health problems.