Rain water harvesting, conservation and management strategies for drought – prone tahsils of jalgaon district maharashtra state, India: Urban and rural sectors

Water is our most precious natural resource and something that most of us take for granted. We are now increasingly becoming aware of the importance of water to our survival and its limited supply. The human beings require water for various purposes. The most part of the earth surface i.e. about 71 % is covered by water. Out of total volume of water available on the surface of the earth 97 % is saline water, 2 % water is in the form of ice and glaciers and only 1 % is fresh and potable water. India is well endowed nations in the world in terms of average annual rainfall. It is unbelievable but it is true that Mousinram which gets 11000 mm annual rainfall still suffers from serious drinking water shortage. Though India’s average annual rainfall is 1170 mm; in the deserts of western India it is as low as about 100 mm. Hence, it is necessary to opt for rainwater harvesting measures for fulfilment water requirement. The paper discusses related concerns and outlines what need to be done.