Introduction The Himalayas, often referred to as the “Third Pole”, host the largest concentration of glaciers outside the polar regions. They are the lifeline of several major rivers in South Asia, including the Ganga, Indus, Brahmaputra, and their tributaries, which support over 1.5 billion people. In recent decades, these glaciers have been shrinking at an…
Introduction Water has been one of the most critical natural resources shaping human civilization, particularly in South Asia, where rivers have historically supported dense populations, agriculture, and trade. Among these rivers, the Indus system has been of paramount importance, sustaining millions of people across present-day India and Pakistan. However, the political partition of the Indian…
Introduction The Himalayas, often referred to as the “Water Towers of Asia,” are home to the largest concentration of glaciers outside the polar regions. These glaciers, stretching across India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Tibet, act as perennial reservoirs of freshwater. India, in particular, depends heavily on Himalayan glaciers, which feed its major river systems—the Indus, Ganga,…
Introduction India is a country of diverse hydrological regimes, hosting numerous river systems that sustain agriculture, industries, drinking water supply, and inland navigation. Despite this, India faces multi-dimensional water problems: To address these challenges, the concept of interlinking rivers (ILR) has emerged as a potential solution. The idea is to transfer surplus water from river…
Introduction Water is one of the most critical resources for agriculture, and India, being heavily dependent on monsoon rainfall, faces significant challenges in efficient water management. A large proportion of India’s cultivated land suffers from water scarcity, over-extraction of groundwater, and inefficient irrigation practices. To address these issues, the Government of India launched the National…
Introduction Water is a finite and invaluable resource critical to human survival, agriculture, industry, and ecological balance. As global populations increase and climate change disrupts natural water cycles, the demand for sustainable water management has never been more urgent. Enter Artificial Intelligence (AI) — a powerful enabler of smart, data-driven, and efficient water resource management…
Introduction India is an agrarian country where a large portion of the population depends on agriculture for livelihood. With the rising population, rapid urbanization, and industrial growth, pressure on water resources has increased manifold. In this context, it becomes crucial to utilize water resources for multiple purposes. This is where Multipurpose River Valley Projects come…
Introduction The Himalayas, often referred to as the “Third Pole,” are home to the largest concentration of glaciers outside the polar regions. These glaciers are vital for sustaining perennial rivers such as the Ganga, Yamuna, Indus, and Brahmaputra. However, in recent decades, the Himalayan glaciers have been retreating at an alarming rate, threatening not only…
Introduction to Watersheds A watershed is a land area that drains or “sheds” water into a common body of water, such as a river, lake, or ocean. It is defined by the boundaries of the highest points of land, which direct rainfall and other forms of precipitation into streams, rivers, or other water sources within…
Introduction Rivers are dynamic systems that constantly shape the landscape through erosion, transportation, and deposition of sediments. One of the most fascinating features of river dynamics is meandering, a process where rivers develop sinuous curves or loops as they flow across relatively flat terrain. Meandering rivers play a significant role in shaping floodplains, influencing agriculture,…