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Torrents to Trickles - Water Conservation Today
Conservation is defined as meaning, "the official care and protecting of
natural resources." Conservation does not mean to curtail use, but to
eliminate waste and use our resources in an efficient manner. The idea
of "doing more with less" applies very well to conservation. Although it
is a source of life, water may soon no longer stand as a symbol for
regeneration and purity. Around the world, water resources are growing
scarce and the balance between supply and demand is becoming a vital
issue. It is easy to take water for granted. What most of us don't
realize is that every drop of water that has been taken from nature.
Fresh water is essential for life on this planet. 97% of the Earth's
water is contained in our oceans; an additional 2% is locked up in
glaciers and icecaps; and less than one half of one percent is available
as fresh water. It is this small amount that supplies nature, and keeps
all of the world's agricultural, manufacturing, community, personal,
household and sanitation needs operating. Efforts have been made to
collect water by building dams and reservoirs and digging wells as water
conservation has become the need of the day. The problem is less to do
with quantity than with availability. The economic boom occurring in
India, for example, is deeply unsustainable (as are the economies of
America, Europe and China). Each is liquidating natural capital
-particularly water and land - at an alarming rate. Ever expanding
populations constantly drawing upon natural capital can only end in
disaster - namely ecological collapse, permanent long-term poverty,
misery and famine. If this continues basic ecological services will have
been lost forever.
Then again, as an outcome of development, too much visitation to any
location can result in environmental degradation. It is possible to
"love a place to death." It is possible to trample sensitive areas and
disturb wildlife. It is possible for people to become too crowded for
their own enjoyment. Unsustainable or intensive types of recreation can
degrade the environment and crowd out sustainable or passive uses. At
the same time, well-planned, environmentally sensitive tourism can be an
important part of local economies. Balancing tourism with resource
protection can be difficult but must be done to assure continued
protection. HRH Group of Hotels has, over the years, made a considerable
effort to keep this principle in mind. The Group believes that helping
its visitors and residents become more water efficient and
environmentally conscious is an important goal. Rainwater harvesting and
modern water conversion machinery has been put in place so as to protect
the little rainfall that the area receives. Wastewater is being
re-channeled, purified and used for agricultural purposes. Rainwater is
being collected. This endeavor is directed at recharging the
subterranean natural water aquifers as Lake Pichola too has suffered due
to a paucity of rain in the catchment area. |
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The story, however, begins long ago when, in the 15th century, a
small dam was erected across a narrow river in the small town of
Picholi. In 1560, a year after Rana Udai Singh began building
his new capital of Udaipur around the shore of the dam; he
strengthened the earlier dam and greatly enlarged the lake, for
the benefit of the expanding town. The height of the dam at the
time of its construction was 15.24 meter. Along its eastern
shore sprawls the massive City Palace Complex. South of this is
the hill known as Machchala Magra where part of the old city
wall and the small fort of Eklinggarh can still be seen. Beyond
this is the Shikarbadi Hotel, once the Khasi Odi, or hunting
lodge, of the Maharanas. When full, Pichola Lake covers an area
of almost 4.6 squire kilometers and maximum depth is +/- 8.0
meters near Badi Pal.
Fateh Sagar is the second of Udaipur's four man-made lakes. In
1678, Rana Jai Singh (1680-1698), who had already constructed
the famous
Jaisamand Lake towards southeast of Udaipur excavated this new
but small lake. It lies immediately to the north of, and is
connected by a canal to Lake Pichola, which had been built a
century earlier. Fateh Sagar covers an area around 2.5 squire
kilometers and maximum depth is +/- 12.5 meter at its deepest
point; when full. The lake is fed by the Ahar (Berach Basin)
river, through Chikalwas pick-up ware, where feeder channel of
at least 6 km. length has been built to divert the water. It has
three intake channels and an overflow channel for the rainy
season. The main causeways to the lake are from overflow of
Pichola Lake, Badi Tank and through Chikalwas Feeder.
Two centuries after its construction, a severe storm and heavy
rainfall collapsed the old eastern embankment causing loss of
life and considerable damage, especially to the nearby,
Sahelion-ki-Bari gardens. In 1889, to prevent further such
flooding, Maharana Fateh Singh reconstructed the embankment at a
great cost. Goverdhan Sagar, Rang Sagar and Swaroop Sagar are
all man made lakes that feed off the larger lakes. The Maharanas,
in their wisdom built and fortified these water bodies so as to
ward off any future problems for their peoples. Those who lived
around the lakes and used its waters did so with care and
consideration for they understood their relationship with the
land and with the bounty of nature. This is a lesson that
urgently needs to be adopted by us modern world citizens. Water
is growing increasingly scarce and both individuals and
corporations need to live with a higher consciousness. In its
endeavor towards respecting nature's gifts and truly living as
enlightened world citizens, the HRH Group follows an unwritten
charter of respect and conscious living. |
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