India, myths and reality. Water shortage in northern India

Travelers are divided into three categories:
1. For those who will never go to India
2. For those who have had enough
3. For those who cannot imagine life without this amazing country

Probably, this division can be applied to any place and state, but in relation to India it manifests itself very clearly. And this is understandable. If you go to India as you would to a European country - to see, relax, get full service, then most likely you will not get any of this. The exception is the state of Goa. You can read about this - a family who fell in love with this paradise and lived there for several seasons.

What is India anyway?

India evokes conflicting feelings. It is thoroughly imbued with traditions and faith. Moreover, there are many religious directions, which makes it surprisingly tolerant of completely distant and different cultures. Despite its ancient history, India is like an inquisitive child. Philosophy, culture, and religious traditions attract romantically inclined travelers who want to immerse themselves in meditation, faith, and practical yoga classes.

In addition, the requirements for traveling to the country are very simple. It's easy to get a visa and rent accommodation. What scares and worries you?

First of all, there is garbage and dirt throughout almost the entire country. What we call unsanitary conditions. We will tell you more about the history of littering. This is a separate very interesting topic.

From the carriage window

Another interesting topic is traffic. We talked about this in the article.

Preparing for your trip to India

I remember my preparations for India. I've heard a lot of things. What kind of diseases did they tell me about in India? And about amoebic dysentery, and about stomach disorders, and about terrible spicy food that you can’t put in your mouth - there’s so much pepper and spices in it. What frightened me the most was an incomprehensible disease that caused the entire body to become covered with thick hair. Just some kind of horror movie!

On the spot everything turned out to be simple and clear. There were no new discoveries.

There are diseases in India. Just like in any other country. And in order not to catch the infection, you just need to follow the usual hygiene rules:

1. Just wash your hands before eating.
2. You should just take antiseptic gel with you, because... There really are problems with water. And the climatic conditions are favorable not only for tourists, but also for bacteria.
3. You just need to drink only bottled water, i.e. drinking water sold in bottles at every turn.
4. You just need to watch how the locals behave, what they do, so as not to get sick from some disease unknown to us. One of those “frightening” diseases of India, from which the whole body is covered with thick black long hair.

Every cloud has a silver lining, then you can set another record for the Guinness Book.

Ram Singh Chauhan has the longest mustache - 4 meters 27 centimeters

Today we will talk about how to drink water in India and how Indians drink water.

Please note that water is sold in plastic bottles, plastic cups, plastic bags. This is the type of water that is provided and sold on trains. In eateries, a jug of water is immediately placed on the table. Here you can decide for yourself whether to drink the water offered to you or use your own.

Unlike Russia and some European countries, you can drink your own water in cafes and eateries in India.
The Indians themselves have a very interesting way of drinking water: they drink without touching the neck of the bottle. When they drink water from glasses, often these are metal utensils, they also do not touch the surface of the glass with their lips, but pour it directly into their open mouth.

It is especially important to take this tradition into account in temples and ashrams. In India, people drink a lot of water and often. A huge number of people gather in temples. And, of course, many people are thirsty. Special people, usually female assistants, carry water in cups. The glass is shared. Holding it for a long time, sipping water, is not accepted - too many people wait for their turn.

So you can’t drink from a shared glass while touching your lips. This is a serious violation.

Most likely, the rule of drinking water without touching the dishes with your lips is dictated by sanitary standards. But perhaps there are religious justifications. Galya and I don’t know about this.

Watching Indians drink water from a bottle is very interesting: it’s a whole trick. It seems that water flows unhindered into the mouth, throat, stomach and ends up somewhere in the intestines. Straightaway. In large quantities.
On YouTube, Galya shows this trick - how they drink water in India.

Residents of the region complain that they do not have the opportunity to wash themselves for several days, and in a hot climate this creates a problem not only in terms of hygiene, but also in terms of public health.

Of course, India is not alone in facing water shortages. However, the situation here is complicated by the fact that two factors are superimposed on each other: an acute shortage of water after dry monsoon seasons, as well as a chronic problem of depletion of water resources.

All this affects both agriculture and urban India, which has a population of 1.3 billion people.

This year, 10 of India's 29 states have already declared drought. Canals, rivers, dams - everything is drying up.

Although India's economic growth continues to exceed 7%, putting it ahead of China, such a widespread drought could seriously harm the country's farmers.

However, in the long term, ineffective management of water resources is likely to have a serious negative impact on the agricultural sector and, more broadly, on the entire economy.

Political question

However, not everyone is sounding the alarm. The Ministry of Water Resources notes that neither the political class nor the intelligentsia yet understand how hard the water crisis can hit the country's economy.

The ministry notes that discontent is already beginning to grow in rural areas, which could ultimately lead to a real struggle for water between states.

Officials are expressing concern that if nothing is done now to solve this problem, the country will face real “water wars” in the future.

And a dry monsoon that brought rainfall 12 to 14 percent below average in 2014 and 2015 has only heightened concerns about the country's water stress during the dry season.

In some parts of India, water is supplied by truck or train. In some states, gatherings of more than 5 people at a time near water sources are prohibited by law. This law aims to prevent fights over water.

In addition, a large coal-fired power plant that uses water from the Ganges River for cooling was forced to suspend operations for six months due to a shortage of water in the canal from which the plant draws it.

Activists who believe Coca-Cola uses too much water from underground sources have forced five plants to close, even though the company says only a small portion of its water comes from underground sources.

It is noted that these five factories were closed due to production optimization.

Cause and effect

However, even if this year's monsoon rains are as heavy as predicted, the country's water crisis will not be resolved.

According to Arnabh Ghosh, executive director of the Energy, Environment and Water Council, in 1951, on average, each Indian had access to 5,200 cubic meters. m of water - at that time the country's population was 350 million people.

By 2010, this figure had dropped to 1,600 cubic meters. m - this level is considered critical by international standards.

Today this level has dropped to 1,400 cubic meters. m, and analysts believe that over the next two decades it will drop to less than 1 thousand cubic meters. m.

In neighboring Pakistan, the problem is not an absolute shortage of water.

In fact, rainfall in India is quite heavy, but it is seasonal, and the rivers in the north of the country are also fed by melting snow in the Himalayas.

The real reason for water scarcity in India is the very rapid growth of the population, inefficient transport system, use of crops that require heavy irrigation such as rice or sugar beets in dry areas of the country, and the inability to control the demand for water due to free electricity. and diesel fuel subsidies.

But the point is not that the canals are drying up, and farmers are wasting the water that the state gives them. Land owners can obtain as much water as they need by pumping it from their lands.

According to a recent study by the European Commission, the number of wells in India has increased from 10 thousand in the 1960s. to over 20 million today.

India, according to this study, pumps out 230 billion cubic meters. m of groundwater is more than any other country.

Over 60% of agricultural irrigation and 85% of drinking water comes from groundwater.

Ghosh also notes climate change, which has also had an impact on water problems in the country.

Temperatures in India are forecast to rise, which will also lead to increased water use, but rainfall is also expected to become less predictable.

Both government representatives and representatives of environmental organizations agree that serious measures need to be taken now to prevent a water disaster in the future.

Brothers in misfortune

However, the situation in India is not unique. In different regions of the world, populations are faced with a similar problem, and different methods are used to solve this issue.

So, California has been in a drought for five years now. Experts note that this is the largest drought in the last 1,200 years.

Local authorities strive to regulate the level of water use. In addition, water desalination plants are used throughout the state.

However, this is still of little help. Agriculture in the state has suffered greatly, and authorities fear that the negative effect will only intensify over time.

In cases where the problem cannot be dealt with, drought leads to the population starting real wars for water.

According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, until 2011, Syria experienced five years of very severe drought. The country experienced a mass exodus of people from rural areas to cities.

According to estimates by the UN and the International Red Cross (ICR), approximately 800 thousand Syrians have completely lost their livelihoods due to the drought. All this has brought a certain tension to Syrian society.

Then, in some provinces, local residents fought with each other for drinking water.

Politicians and activists in various countries are trying to find a way to eliminate the water imbalance in the world, but so far all attempts have been unsuccessful.

And this is precisely what is causing concern, because, according to experts, regional conflicts over water resources await us in the near future - alarm bells are already ringing in different parts of the world, which indicate what awaits the world in the future.

However, time will tell whether water will become another resource for which wars will be fought.

Groundwater reserves, actively used in agriculture in northern India, are being consumed much faster than they are replenished by melting Himalayan glaciers and precipitation, which could lead to an environmental and economic disaster in the region in the future, the authors of a study published in the journal Nature believe.

4) An elderly farmer bathes under a hand pump along a village road in northern India, which has seen a huge increase in water use since the 1960s. This is partly due to population growth, but even more due to the so-called “green revolution”, which has seen India's agricultural production increase dramatically and, as a result, the use of groundwater for irrigation. (Altaf Qadri/AP)

6) A farmer in northern India pumps water into a reservoir for later use. "This region has become dependent on irrigation to maximize agricultural productivity," said Matthew Rodell, the lead author of the groundwater study. "Unless action is taken to stabilize groundwater use, the impact on the region's 114 million people could mean collapse of agricultural production and severe shortages of drinking water." (Altaf Qadri/AP)

If you still think that in Indian cinema all the films are only about love with songs and dances or about a wide variety of diseases, then you are deeply mistaken. Even there they can film a completely serious social drama without unnecessary sentimentality. Well, to be fair, it's worth noting that Deepa Mehta Born and raised in India, she moved to Canada after her marriage. In addition, she began her career with the documentary genre. This is probably why her work is different from the rest of Indian cinema.

The events of the film take place in India of the 20th century and tell us about the fate of widows. One of the oldest Indian teachings says that widows should live in humility and chastity, so after the death of their spouse they have three options: to burn in the funeral fire along with their husband; marry his younger brother, if the family of the deceased allows; or go to an ashram, a shelter for widows, where they will spend their entire subsequent life. Many will want to ask: “Why are they sent there?” The answer is simple - to work off karma, because supposedly their husbands died because of their bad karma. Although there is a less poetic explanation: there will be one less mouth in the family. No one cares about the future fate of the widows.

An 8-year-old girl comes to this ashram. I smell it . The little girl doesn’t even remember how her parents married her off, so she doesn’t quite understand why her hair was cut off and she was sent to this orphanage. A young beauty lives there too Kalyani , who has to support the whole house, earning money with her body. Her hair was not touched, so as not to deprive her of her attractiveness, but the harlot was avoided. A woman keeps herself apart Sakuntala , who has come to terms with her lot because she firmly believes in the ancient scriptures. But even she, in the course of some events, will reconsider her views on life. There is even an old woman in the orphanage who also came to the ashram as a little girl and lived there all her life. She still remembers her wedding and the taste of sweets that she could eat as a child.…

Sad movie. So many crippled women's destinies due to some kind of religious prejudice! And this is the 20th century! I’m actually outraged, how can parents give their daughter away in marriage if she’s still a child?! It’s just that at one “wonderful” moment the life of a carefree girl was crossed out, because, you see, she became a widow. It's like she did something about it. I liked the meaning of the film, the acting, and the strong ending, but the plot itself flows very sluggishly, so I will reduce the final rating by one point. But the main trump card of this film is that we are introduced to the culture and customs of another country. For the sake of general development, I definitely recommend watching it. Even if the movie gets a little boring in the middle, still watch it to the end.

Natural resources are the basis of the economic development of any territory. They include water, land, forest, recreational, and mineral components. Everything that India is rich in.

Peace loving country

India is a country with an ancient culture. Various civilizations have existed on the territory of the current state since the third millennium BC. But, characteristically, they were all peace-loving. India developed not through external expansion, but through the subjugation of invaders with its high culture, for which it was famous since ancient times. The country has served as the source of many world geographical discoveries. and the resources of India attracted other peoples here. Europeans sought to reach it by both land and sea routes.

What, in addition to finding these same paths, led to the discovery of the New World. The riches of India attracted invaders. At first, Alexander the Great sought to expand his empire to the Indian Ocean at all costs. Then the Romans, Chinese, Mongols, Persians, Ottomans, and British had the same desires. The Indians allowed themselves to be captured and then assimilated their invaders. If we briefly describe India's natural resources, we can say that they allow the country to have virtually no need for imports, while still exporting a lot. Both in ancient times and in the present.

Indian waters

The country's most famous river, the Indus, gave its name to the entire state - India. The natural resources of the water component, in addition to it, include the largest rivers not only of the country, but also of the whole of Eurasia. These are the Ganges, Brahmaputra and their numerous tributaries. They serve as the basis for artificial irrigation of agricultural land. And almost sixty percent of the land in India is irrigated. There are practically no lakes in the country; groundwater is used up faster than it is replenished by melting glaciers or precipitation. At the same time, the rivers are mostly fed by rain, which negatively affects agriculture. During dry times, rivers become shallow, and during the rainy season they often overflow their banks, often leading to flooding of fields.

Land resources

If we evaluate the natural conditions and resources of India, it should be noted that, despite the presence of huge megacities in the country, it is mostly agricultural. With a pronounced crop-growing bias. The climate allows us to get two or even three harvests a year. But the presence of high population density and intensive use of mineral fertilizers have led to the fact that the lands of India are not highly productive.

Almost forty percent of the territory is used for crops, which has brought the country to fourth place in the world in terms of agricultural production. India is the world leader in the production of tea, pineapples and bananas. It ranks second in rice yield, third in tobacco, fourth in wheat and cotton. In addition, a special place in local agriculture is occupied by the production of spices - black pepper, cardamom and cloves, thanks to which many European merchants became rich. The country has the largest number of cattle - up to fifteen percent of the world's total. At the same time, the cow is a sacred animal and is used not for meat production, but as a draft force.

There is very little land allocated for pastures - no more than five percent. India has developed poultry farming, pig farming, and small livestock breeding. River and sea fishing. The country is the largest producer of cotton fabric - more than twenty percent of the world's volume.

Woodlands

Forest areas occupy more than twenty percent of the territory of a state like India. Natural resources of this type are actually scarce in the country. After all, most of the forests are tropical and monsoon, not suitable for economic needs, and logging in the Himalayas is prohibited. However, some wood derivatives, such as shellac and plywood, are harvested exclusively for export purposes. Taking into account the fact that forests supply Indians not only with wood, but are also a source of rosin, resin, cane, bamboo, and feed for livestock, the forest, along with agriculture, is the breadwinner of people. Wood components are also used in many medical preparations.

Recreational components

One cannot ignore the diversity of climatic conditions and cultural values ​​that India represents. The natural recreational resources of the ancient state are represented primarily by the historical and cultural direction - all kinds of numerous monuments of different eras, starting from the world famous Taj Mahal.

The ecological direction of these natural resources is represented by national parks and exotic natural landscapes. Holidays in the most famous place in India for its beaches - Goa - have already become a household name. Despite the absence of the world's highest peak - Chomolungma - in the country, skiing and mountaineering destinations are developing in the country by leaps and bounds.

Brief description of mineral resources

A special feature of the country is the presence on its territory of reliefs of all types: the world's highest mountain range - the Himalayas, and the Indo-Gangetic Plain. This served as the basis for the fact that they are numerous and varied. The main location of ore rocks is the northeast of the country, where there are deposits of aluminum, titanium and iron ores, deposits of manganese, and rare metals. The coal basins of the northeast, although they have low quality raw materials, are used to the maximum. The south of the country is rich in bauxite, gold, chromite and brown coal, the central part of the country is rich in coal and ferrous metals. The coastal strip is endowed with reserves of monazite sands containing uranium ores. At the same time, the work of the mining industry is focused on the domestic market, but the extraction of iron ore, bauxite, mica and manganese is intended for export to other countries. The presence of deposits of precious metals in India - primarily gold and silver - has made this state a world leader in the production of jewelry.

Ore minerals

The Indian platform became the basis of a separate metallogenic region, which contains entire basins and more than one deposit of ore - iron, manganese, chrome. First of all, this concerns proven reserves of iron ore, of which there are twelve billion tons. Mining occurs at such a high pace that the Indian metallurgy industry, although it ranks tenth in the world in terms of production volumes, is unable to process the entire amount.

Therefore, more than half of the iron ore is not processed in the country, but is exported abroad. The content of useful components in chromites mined in the central part of the country is as high as in iron. This should be added to the presence of large bauxite deposits with estimated reserves of more than three billion tons. In addition to them, there are reserves with a high content of zinc, lead and copper and accompanying precious metals.

Nuclear power

Separately, we should highlight the valuable deposits of ore resources contained in the coastal strip around the entire Hindustan Peninsula. Monazite deposits contain radioactive thorium and uranium ores. Their active development allowed India to enter the list of world nuclear powers. In addition to radioactive elements, monazite sands contain titanium and zirconium.

Coal mining

Coal remains the main nonmetallic resource extracted from the depths of the earth for India. Brown coal occupies an insignificant volume in total production - less than three percent; the main emphasis is on hard coal. Its deposits are located mainly in northeast India. In terms of explored reserves, the country ranks only seventh in the world - about eighty billion tons. But in the production of this mineral, India holds the palm with more than seven percent of global production.

The main uses of hard coal are fuel (more than eighty percent of India's electricity is generated at thermal power plants) and raw materials (in metallurgy). Brown coal is used exclusively for energy purposes.

Oil production

Until the mid-fifties of the last century, India's hydrocarbon-rich minerals were mined only in the extreme northeastern lands of Assam. But with the rapid development of oil fields around the world, new oil-rich fields were discovered in Gujorat and on the shelves in the Arabian Sea, one hundred and twenty kilometers north of Mumbai. Mining of black gold began to develop at a rapid pace. India now produces more than forty million tons per year, which is about one percent of global production. The reserves of this product are estimated at more than eight hundred million tons, and according to this indicator the country ranks twenty-second in the world. It is clear that this is not enough for domestic needs, and oil is one of the import priorities.

Diamonds

What else is India rich in? Natural resources of non-metallic type, in addition to the coal and oil noted above, are graphite, muscovite and, of course, diamonds. For more than two thousand years, the country remained practically the only source of diamonds in the world. But the gradual colonization of various parts of the world map by Europeans led to the fact that India lost its uniqueness in this matter. Already by the eighteenth century, it turned out that the sources of diamonds in the country had been depleted, and the world championship in the extraction of precious stones turned out to be Brazil.

But the South American state did not hold the palm for long. Currently, the largest quantities of diamonds are mined in South Africa's Botswana, South Africa and Angola, as well as in Russia and Canada. But almost all the world's famous diamonds that have their own names originate from Indian mines.

Alternative energy

An assessment of India's natural resources suggests that the country is using existing reserves to the maximum, but it does not stop there. The state is one of the world leaders in the use of alternative energy sources. India is the fifth largest wind energy producer in the world. This source accounts for more than eight percent of the total energy generated in the country.

And the potential for using solar energy exceeds six hundred terawatts. It is the only world power that has a corresponding ministry. Its activities are aimed at the development of renewable (solar, wind, tidal) and other alternative energy sources.