Effects Of Development

The urbanisation and advancement that we currently conceive and try to strive for, has become our pitfall brought about by our own creation. For the ever growing influx of population into the cities and towns we are unceasingly building our concrete jungles - our death-traps - WHY?
What does this Urbanization denote - covering the open soil with resisting and non-biodegradable material in the form of buildings, roads, concrete and cement drains. For us the soil is unclean and we want to cover it - we fear nature and `mud' we consider it but dirt.
Nature is not free in our townships and cities, as we constantly try to control it, resulting in the biggest misconceived man-made disaster. The more we fight nature - the worse the condition becomes. In reality we are destroying the basic elements responsible for live like air, water etc.
Herein let us glimpse into the water problem.
Effects of Development

1. Loss of open soil
2. Creation of long lasting building and roads
3. Covering of water bodies for residential and Industrial usage
4. Removal of green cover and Death of old trees
5. Drainage system not allowing water to seep into the soil
6. Water pollution

1. Loss of Open Soil - In today's world development is measured in terms of artificial monetary gains from exploitation/erosion of the natural resources with industrialisation [quickest method of doing so] - and cleanliness means covering the earth with resisting and non-biodegradable material thus losing touch with the top soil.
2. Creation of long lasting building and roads - In this process of development through industrialisation we end up creating concrete jungles [concentrated industries, townships and cities], ruining the open top soil, and covering it with non-porous material that chokes the earth.
3. Covering of water bodies for Residential and Industrial usage - As these urban jungles grow influx of human population into these artificially created areas ever increases which in turn creates pressure on the land available as density of population rises. The end result is the concentrated usage of available land and reclamation of land for the purpose of this development. Trees are cut, buildings made and water bodies covered for this urban jungle.
4. Removal of green cover and Death of old trees - With the removal of the green cover and its replacement with the man-made concrete jungle nature's lungs are being choked and as the concrete jungle increases the few lucky trees that were not cut are parched as flow of water to its roots are restricted.
5. Drainage system not allowing water to seep into the soil - In these concrete jungles water flowing around in nearly all paths is surrounded by drainage systems which do not permit this water to seep into the soil below, flushing this water away from that area. This effects the underground water lever as it can not be recharged
6. Water pollution - This is caused by the increase of products which are toxic, not bio-degradable, fertilizers and pesticides entering the lakes, streams, rivers, oceans, and other water bodies - getting dissolved or lying suspended in water or getting deposited on the bed. This effects the aquatic ecosystems and seeps down even to the groundwater deposits.

• Sources: The city sewage, industrial effluents and agricultural run-off into the rivers causes pollutants to enter groundwater, rivers, and other water bodies. Such water, finally ending up in our households, is often highly contaminated and carries disease-causing microbes.
• Effects: It is not only devastating to people but to all forms of life - plants, animals, fish, and birds. Polluted water is unsuitable for drinking, recreation, agriculture, and industry. It diminishes the quality of lakes and rivers -.contaminates water, destroying aquatic life, reducing its reproductive ability and is a hazard to human health. Nobody can escape the effects of water pollution - it basically destroys the very fundamentals of life in all forms.

Water & Development

Development of human civilization is dependent on water. In fact all life forms are totally dependent on Water. All major cities from times dating back to the commencement of civilizations have their roots firmly planted within the reaches of one fresh water body or another. Without this basic source no civilization has been born or can survive. Without water all life would perish on earth.
In fact the history of civilizations even recorded the demise of civilizations if the source of fresh water has for one reason or another been effected, polluted or removed.
The Ancient Egyptian Civilization of the  Pharaohs flourished as long as the Nile flowed - bringing the black alluvial flood soils into its plain. However when a long period of drought came owing to prolonged rain failure - the Nile got effected - this kingdom and the rule of the Pharaohs ended, people were displaced and due to the lack of agricultural produce people even started eating their own children - shocking but true. 
A civilization thus grew to such splendor and even collapsed just primarily owing to the dependence on the availability of fresh water.
The Indus Valley Civilization was dependent on the river Indus. Even today all major centers of civilization are found on or near the banks of one water body or another. Water was revered in the past and is considered holy even today. Water IS life.
Rivers have been worshiped by the Hindus as Goddesses like River Ganga (Ganges) or Jamuna.
However in the pursuit of development,  human civilization had become uncaring about water recently. They no longer guard this precious resource and are unhesitatingly with greed polluting it in the name of development and technological advancement. There are places wherein the water pollutions has reached such levels that water is no longer consumable and has to be cleaned prior to its consumption else illness or even death follows.
Clean water - The very basic requirement and foundation for the creation and growth of civilization is being destroyed. If this continues growth of civilization would become a far cry and instead its collapse may be seen. Can this be or is this DEVELOPMENT ? No this is just the result of GREED.
DEVELOPMENT SHOULD BE REWARDED AND GREED PUNISHED.
Development should assist civilization and not become a hurdle in its growth. Any act which becomes a hurdle to civilization can not be considered development of civilization!!! Such hurdles should be faced head-on and removed without compromise for civilization to grow and prosper.

Water Management

CURRENT FORMS OF MANAGEMENT

The individual and the community can help minimize water pollution by simple housekeeping and management practices thus the amount of waste generated can be minimized.

Conservation - In the forests, water seeps gently into the ground as vegetation breaks the fall. This groundwater in turn feeds wells, lakes, and rivers. Protecting forests means protecting water 'catchments'.

Over the years rising populations, growing industrialization, and expanding agriculture have removed forests and pushed up the demand for water. Water is collected by building dams and reservoirs and digging wells. Some countries have also tried to recycle and desalinate (remove salts) water. Water conservation is the need of the hour. The idea of ground water recharging by harvesting rainwater is gaining importance in many cities.

Some ancient methods of water conservation - The Indus Valley Civilization, that flourished about 5,000 years ago, had one of the most sophisticated urban water supply and sewage systems in the world. The people were well acquainted with hygiene can be seen from the covered drains running beneath the streets of the ruins at both Mohenjodaro, Harappa and the well-planned city of Dholavira, on Khadir Bet, a low plateau in the Rann in Gujarat. One of the oldest water harvesting systems is found about 130 km from Pune along Naneghat in the Western Ghats. A large number of tanks were cut in the rocks to provide drinking water to tradesmen who used to travel along this ancient trade route. Each fort in the area had its own water harvesting and storage system in the form of rock-cut cisterns, ponds, tanks and wells that are still in use today. A large number of forts like Raigad had tanks that supplied water. In ancient times, houses in parts of western Rajasthan were built so that each had a rooftop water harvesting system. Rainwater from these rooftops was directed into underground tanks. This system can be seen even today in all the forts, palaces and houses of the region. Infact underground baked earthen pipes and tunnels to maintain the flow of water and to transport it to distant places, are still functional at Burhanpur in Madhya Pradesh, Golkunda and Bijapur in Karnataka, and Aurangabad in Maharashtra. `Pookars' or ponds were dug and maintained in each village and town.

Another important step in the direction of finding solutions to issues of water and environmental conservation is to change people's attitudes and habits this includes each one of us. Conserve water because it is the right thing to do.

You can store water in a variety of ways. A simple method is to place a drum on a raised platform directly under the rainwater collection source. You can also collect water in a bucket during the rainy season.
What you can do to conserve water 

• Use only as much water as you require.
• Close the taps well after use. 
• While brushing your teeth do not leave the tap running, open it only when you require it. 
• See that there are no leaking taps. Get a plumber to come in and seal all leaks. 
• Use a washing machine that does not consume too much water. 
• Do not leave the taps running while washing dishes and clothes. 
• Install small shower heads to reduce the flow of the water. 
• After washing vegetables and fruits use it to water flowers and ornamental potted plants. 
• At the end of the day any water left should not be thrown away but poured into some plants.

Rainwater harvesting - Cherrapunji was famous as it received the highest volume of rainfall in the world. It still does but experiences acute water shortages due to extensive deforestation and improper methods of conserving rainwater. There has been extensive soil erosion and often one can see stretches of hillside devoid of trees and greenery. People have to walk long distances to collect water. In the areas around the River Ruparel in Rajasthan not even half the rainfall is received as compared to Cherrapunji, yet the story is different due to proper water conservation and management resulting in more water being available than in Cherrapunji. The water level in the river declined due to extensive deforestation and agricultural activities along the banks and, by the 1980s, a drought-like situation spread. The villagers built johads (round ponds) and dams to hold back rainwater. Gradually, water returned as proper methods of conserving and harvesting rainwater were followed. The river revived and transformed the ecology here strengthening the relationship with their natural environment.

In urban centers, the construction of houses, footpaths, roads and drainage system has left little exposed earth for water to soak in. Water harvesting 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 groundwater depletion, it also raises the declining water table and can help augment water supply. Rainwater harvesting and artificial recharging are becoming very important issues. It is essential to stop the decline in groundwater levels, arrest sea-water ingress, i.e. prevent sea-water from moving landward, and conserve surface water run-off during the rainy season. Town planners and civic authority in many cities in India are introducing bylaws making rainwater harvesting compulsory in all new structures. 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.
Benefits of rainwater harvesting

• Increases water availability
• Checks the declining water table
• Is environmentally friendly
• Improves the quality of groundwater through the dilution of fluoride, nitrate, and salinity 
• Prevents soil erosion and flooding especially in urban areas

Agriculture - Conservation of water in the agricultural sector is essential since water is necessary for the growth of plants and crops. A depleting water table and a rise in salinity due to overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has made matters serious. Various methods of water harvesting and recharging have been and are being applied all over the world to tackle the problem. In areas where rainfall is low and water is scarce, the local people have used simple techniques that are suited to their region and reduce the demand for water.

In India's arid and semi-arid areas, the 'tank' system is traditionally the backbone of agricultural production. Tanks are constructed either by bunding or by excavating the ground and collecting rainwater.

Rajasthan, located in the Great Indian Desert, receives hardly any rainfall, but people have adapted to the harsh conditions by collecting whatever rain falls. Large bunds to create reservoirs known as khadin, dams called johads, tanks, and other methods were applied to check water flow and accumulate run-off. At the end of the monsoon season, water from these structures was used to cultivate crops. Similar systems were developed in other parts of the country. These are known by various local names ¾ jal talais in Uttar Pradesh, the haveli system in Madhya Pradesh, ahar in Bihar, and so on.

Reducing water demand - Simple techniques can be used to reduce the demand for water. The underlying principle is that only part of the rainfall or irrigation water is taken up by plants, the rest percolates into the deep groundwater, or is lost by evaporation from the surface. Therefore, by improving the efficiency of water use, and by reducing its loss due to evaporation, we can reduce water demand.
There are numerous methods to reduce such losses and to improve soil moisture. Some of them are listed below.

• Mulching, i.e., the application of organic or inorganic material such as plant debris, compost, etc., slows down the surface run-off, improves the soil moisture, reduces evaporation losses and improves soil fertility. 
• Soil covered by crops, slows down run-off and minimizes evaporation losses. Hence, fields should not be left bare for long periods of time.
• Ploughing helps to move the soil around. As a consequence it retains more water thereby reducing evaporation. 
• Shelter belts of trees and bushes along the edge of agricultural fields slow down the wind speed and reduce evaporation and erosion.
• Planting of trees, grass, and bushes breaks the force of rain and helps rainwater penetrate the soil.
• Fog and dew contain substantial amounts of water that can be used directly by adapted plant species. Artificial surfaces such as netting-surfaced traps or polyethylene sheets can be exposed to fog and dew. The resulting water can be used for crops. 
• Contour farming is adopted in hilly areas and in lowland areas for paddy fields. Farmers recognize the efficiency of contour-based systems for conserving soil and water. 
• Salt-resistant varieties of crops have also been developed recently. Because these grow in saline areas, overall agricultural productivity is increased without making additional demands on freshwater sources. Thus, this is a good water conservation strategy.
• Transfer of water from surplus areas to deficit areas by inter-linking water systems through canals, etc.
• Desalination technologies such as distillation, electrodialysis and reverse osmosis are available. 
• Use of efficient watering systems such as drip irrigation and sprinklers will reduce the water consumption by plants.

A MUST TO DO

• HOME * OTHER WORKS

Industrial Development & Green House Gases

Green house gases are a must to keep the earth livable. Its lack or excess would make the atmosphere too extreme for life to survive – giving rise to increase in water levels, extreme weather, droughts, devastating tropical hurricanes and floods.

The earth’s atmosphere has warmed almost 1 degree in the last century and the green house effects are now a clearly recognized fact. Environmentalists and scientists have been warning about this for quite sometime.

The major green house gases and factors responsible for global warming are:
1. Carbon-dioxide – 50%
Carbon-dioxide is produced by the burning of fossil fuels like petroleum, natural gas and coal products – the natural source of energy and with depletion of forests the capacity of absorbing the excess carbon-dioxide is further reduced.
2. Methane – 20%
Methane is another potential green house gas and is produced by organic material decomposition in absence of oxygen. It is produced in swamps, marshes, rotten rice fields and paddies covered with water, in digestive tracts of cows and in sealed land-fills.
3. Ozone & Water evaporation
Green house effects are mainly the results of the burning of fossil fuels and destruction of forests, increase in the use of nitrogen fertilizers rotting of rice fields under water and in digestive tracts of cows. Further the systematic production of green house gases have over the years intensified the problem, like CFCs, which cause depletion of Ozone and can survive over centuries.

Industrial revolution, a gift of the western world, commenced over 100 years. The `development’ of civilization globally as of date owes much to this subsequent industrialization and to the excessive greed of the human race. The industries and consumers, primarily of the developed nations, are primarily responsible for the present world condition – the green house effect and global warming. The industrialized society tends to break down communities, societies, families and personal institutions – leaving the individual just another face in the crowd.

Developed countries have developed in terms of industrialization, energy creation and production of consumption goods, some of which are not even bio-degradable, but in terms of land and environmental management, they have wholly failed. In fact industrialization is the root cause of the increase of global pressure on land and natural resources. The attempt of developmental experts to modernize African animal husbandry has proved a dismal failure. United States management of range lands has caused desertification of around 215 million acres – primarily owing to plowing and over-grazing by livestock. Due to the excessive use of fertilizers, pollution of air water and land has become a normal condition.
It thus is not surprising that the northern hemisphere has to first face the consequences of disasters especially in an around the Arctic, like Canada, with the increase of temperatures, melting of ice and flooding etc. Further its resultants also are causing climatic havoc around the world.

In the current form of Industrial Development it is acceptable that nature be exploited and manipulated at all costs for the benefit of humans, material or otherwise. Industrial development has erased cultural diversity, generated boredom, decreased moral values and family life.

There are calls for stiff measures for controlling green house gas emissions and debates on international forums but till date of no concrete solutions or understanding between the nations of the world. Primarily national gains are over riding the basic thought that this is our home planet and the only known place in the universe where man can reside.

• HOME * OTHER WORKS

Humanity & Development

• HOME * OTHER WORKS

Man wants to be the Supreme - he wants to conquer nature and is unsatisfied living in harmony and peace with it. He believes everything around is for him to exploit or use as he wants. His desire is agrivated with his greed for accumulation of material wealth and results in the present form of industialisation. This has numerous backdrops and has given rise to dangerous forms of technologies which are resposible and result in the endangerment of life on earth. The air, water, land and even space are being harmed/polluted.
In the name of the present acceptable form of development and material greed has MAN the RIGHT to:

1. Supress LIBERTY and lifestyle of other life forms?
2. Curtail FREEDOM of other lifeforms?
3. DESTROY other life forms?
4. POLLUTE the earth and its elements?
5. CREATE non-biodegradable products?
6. EXPLOIT nature mercilessly for immediate gains?
7. RUIN eco-balance and DEGRADE the Earth for progeny?

Man has no such right. When humanity talks of the rights of freedom, liberty, respect, life, lifestyle and no exploitation - this concept is incomplete if it is just in reference with the human race. This concept needs to be applied to all life forms on earth - including our home - the EARTH.
We talk of Human Rights - but has man the right to overlook the rights of other life forms?
Care for all life forms and of earth must not only be the priority of MAN but must be ever CHERISHED. The safety and future of all life depends on this as all life be interdependent and as per our current knowledge - the Earth is the only planet wherein humans can live.
The collective objective of development can not be so narrow that it takes into account only material gains at the cost of life itself. Development MUST keep in mind - EARTH & LIFE - its sustainment and stability. If this be missing and growth be for just body comfort, pleasure or leasure - it can not be development. If growth causes destruction it can not be development of either the earth, or of life forms on earth, or of Man.
Development must cater to the total safety, security and growth of all life forms and the Earth

• HOME * OTHER WORKS