Water
is a critical natural resource for not only human development
and the sustainability of the ecosystem, but also the
economic growth of a nation. The importance of water
is felt even more in the desert state of Rajasthan due
to meager rainfall, adverse climatological conditions,
and reduced per capita water availability, with increasing
population. This paper aims to develop an integrated
fuzzy assessment model which would evaluate the status
of water resources development in a watershed by analyzing
different factors important for river basin planning
and management. Further, a case study of a watershed,
which comes under the Banas river basin in the Chittorgarh
district of Rajasthan, has been undertaken for the evaluation
of the status of water resources development in different
sub-regions (tehsils) of the district. The above model
will clearly demonstrate the status of water carrying
capacity of sub-regions (tehsils) of the Chittorgarh
district of Rajasthan for assessing potential water
resource development. The study concludes with an immediate
need to develop a system to preserve, conserve and utilize
water in an efficient manner through recycling, and
by generating high social consciousness among the people,
and utilizing technological advancements with active
coordination and involvement of water managers and water
users alike in the Chittorgarh district.
In
fact, the importance of water is high in the desert
state of Rajasthan, due to meager rainfall, adverse
climatological conditions, and reduced per capita water
availability, with increasing population. The Aravalli
mountain range divides the state into eastern and western
Rajasthan. The area west of Aravalli forms a part of
the `Great Thar Desert' with an average rainfall of
around 320 mm. Towards the east of the Aravalli range
the climate is comparatively humid, with rainfall ranging
between 400 to 1000 mm, at an average of around 690
mm. The average rainfall for the whole state is about
570 mm. It has been noted that the Chittorgarh district
has a normal rainfall of about 772 mm, but between the
years 1986 to 2003, it recorded less than normal rainfall,
ranging between 410 mm (2002) to 762 mm (1999). Rainfall
has been, however, consistently lower than normal since
1997, except during the year 2004. Apparently, the district
has faced more droughts in these years and more frequently.
The heavy environmental degradation due to destruction
of the forests and deterioration of natural drainage
pattern in the local region, have perhaps, restricted
the amount of rainfall required for filling-up the depleted
surface and subsurface reservoirs. |
