Rain water flows down the hills in the form of small streams which join together to form rivers

and lakes. And this is the important and the natural source of water for the living beings. Some of the rain water percolates down the earth until it reaches the hard surface. There it collects to form a large underground water reservoir. Such water is obtained on digging wells and it is called sub-soil water or ground water. Thus, there are three important natural sources of water besides abundantly available sea water. The sea water being saline can not be sued as such either for industries or for domestic consumption. (a) Rain water or snow water. (b) Surface water (river, lakes, streams, canals, ponds, etc.) (c) Ground water or sub-soil water wells and springs. Rainwater Harvesting In urban areas, the construction of houses, footpaths and roads has left little exposed kuchha earth for water to soak in. In parts of the rural areas of India, flood water quickly flows to the rivers, which then dry up soon after the rains stop. If this water can be held back by storage or by reducing speed of flow, it can seep into the ground and recharge the ground water supply. This has become a very popular method of conserving water especially in the urban areas. Rainwater harvesting essentially means collecting rainwater on the roofs of building and storing it underground for later use. Not only does this recharging arrest ground water depletion, it also raises the declining water table and can help augment water supply. Rainwater harvesting and artificial recharging are becoming very important methods. It is essential to stop the decline in ground water levels, arrest sea-water ingress, i.e., prevent sea-water from moving landward and conserve surface water runoff during the rainy season. Town planners and civic authority in many cities in India are introducing by-laws making rainwater harvesting compulsory in all new structures. No water or sewage connection would be given, if a new building did not have provisions for rainwater harvesting. Such rules should also be implemented in all the other cities to ensure a rise in the groundwater level. Realizing the importance of recharging ground water, the CGWB (Central Ground Water Board) is taking steps to encourage it through rainwater harvesting in the capital and elsewhere. A number of Government buildings have been asked to adopt water harvesting in Delhi and other cities of India. All you need for a water harvesting system is rain, and a place to collect it. Typically, rain is collected on rooftops and other surfaces, and the water is carried down to where it can be used immediately or stored. You can direct water run-off from this surface to plants, trees or lawns or even to the aquifer.

Some of the benefits of rainwater harvesting are as follows: I. Increases water availability II. Checks the declining water table III. Is environmentally friendly IV. Imporves the quality of ground water through the dilution of fluoride, nitrate, and salinity V. Prevents soil erosion and flooding, especially in urban areas You May Also Like:

Essay on Too many Holidays in India are nothing but waste of time Artificial spaceships are man-made satellites, space-stations and sky-labs which are launched into the space List of Maharatna, Navratna and Miniratna CPSEs As per available information (as on February, 2013)

Maharatna CPSEs
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited Coal India Limited GAIL (India) Limited Indian Oil Corporation Limited NTPC Limited Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Limited Steel Authority of India Limited

Navratna CPSEs
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Bharat Electronics Limited Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited National Aluminium Company Limited NMDC Limited Neyveli Lignite Corporation Limited Oil India Limited

10. Power Finance Corporation Limited 11. Power Grid Corporation of India Limited 12. Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited 13. Rural Electrification Corporation Limited 14. Shipping Corporation of India Limited

Miniratna Category - I CPSEs

1. Airports Authority of India 2. Antrix Corporation Limited 3. Balmer Lawrie & Co. Limited 4. Bharat Dynamics Limited 5. BEML Limited 6. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited 7. Bridge & Roof Company (India) Limited 8. Central Warehousing Corporation 9. Central Coalfields Limited 10. Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited 11. Cochin Shipyard Limited 12. Container Corporation of India Limited 13. Dredging Corporation of India Limited 14. Engineers India Limited 15. Ennore Port Limited 16. Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited 17. Goa Shipyard Limited 18. Hindustan Copper Limited 19. HLL Lifecare Limited 20. Hindustan Newsprint Limited 21. Hindustan Paper Corporation Limited 22. Housing & Urban Development Corporation Limited 23. India Tourism Development Corporation Limited 24. Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation Limited 25. IRCON International Limited 26. KIOCL Limited 27. Mazagaon Dock Limited 28. Mahanadi Coalfields Limited 29. Manganese Ore (India) Limited 30. Mangalore Refinery & Petrochemical Limited 31. Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited 32. MMTC Limited 33. MSTC Limited 34. National Fertilizers Limited 35. National Seeds Corporation Limited 36. NHPC Limited 37. Northern Coalfields Limited 38. North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited

39. Numaligarh Refinery Limited 40. ONGC Videsh Limited 41. Pawan Hans Helicopters Limited 42. Projects & Development India Limited 43. Railtel Corporation of India Limited 44. Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilizers Limited 45. RITES Limited 46. SJVN Limited 47. Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Limited 48. South Eastern Coalfields Limited 49. State Trading Corporation of India Limited 50. Telecommunications Consultants India Limited 51. THDC India Limited 52. Western Coalfields Limited 53. WAPCOS Limited

Miniratna Category-II CPSEs

54. Bharat Pumps & Compressors Limited 55. Broadcast Engineering Consultants (I) Limited 56. Central Mine Planning & Design Institute Limited 57. Ed.CIL (India) Limited 58. Engineering Projects (India) Limited 59. FCI Aravali Gypsum & Minerals India Limited 60. Ferro Scrap Nigam Limited 61. HMT (International) Limited 62. HSCC (India) Limited 63. India Trade Promotion Organisation 64. Indian Medicines & Pharmaceuticals Corporation Limited 65. M E C O N Limited 66. National Film Development Corporation Limited 67. National Small Industries Corporation Limited 68. P E C Limited 69. Rajasthan Electronics & Instruments Limited