Changing water resources study using GIS and spatial model — A case study of Bhatar Block, district Burdwan, West Bengal, India

Abstract

Markov chains have been used to model spatial changes in a variety of spheres. Changes in social situations, economic standards, natural resource availability, and even weather conditions have been explored and predicted using Markov Random Function (MRF) and Markov Random Chains (MRC). In this section, we try to use data of Mahata village of Bhatar Block, extracted from GIS based maps/images in a MRC to obtain present transition probabilities and predict future changes. The village is facing the problem of decreasing the water table and at the same time the number of surface water bodies is also decreasing. This is a serious situation for the development of the agricultural activities in general and at the same time it poses threat to the human habitation of the village in the long run. The average depth of the ground water table from ground level increased from 8 meter to 15 meter within the last 10 years. The threat is coming from the changes in land use and land cover, especially due to substantial extension of agricultural activities which is expanding at a very fast rate. Increasing population is also demanding more lands for settlement and industrial uses. The surface water bodies i.e. the ponds etc. are used for such intensive irrigation purposes. As a result the surface water bodies depletes before the onset of summer. The cultivators use those dried up ponds or surface water bodies for agricultural purposes also. There is thus a serious trend to convert the surface water bodies into the agricultural land. It is estimated using MRC, that in next 25 years, the number of surface water bodies will deplete by 50% in the agriculturally active Bhatar PS at the current rates of depletion. Shifting to less water needy crops, prevention of LULC conversion, and water harvesting would provide some solace to the situation. 706

Evaluation of mass bathing effects on water quality status of eight prominent ponds of Haryana (India): A multi-location study

“…Many rituals are associated with religious activity like idol immersions containing col-oured pigments and paints having harmful chemicals, Pind Daan, Deep Daan (Enlightened Diyas having oils in them), bathing, washing, immersion of clothes, ash, oil, flour, floral offerings, coconut shells, plastic, wood, detergents, soap and other domestic wastes in the water bodies; which increases the pollution load in the water body and deteriorates the quality of waters (Bhatnagar and Sangwan, 2009;Gupta et al, 2011 andNath, 2015). This is the time when the already overburdened religious tanks/ ponds are subjected to an even greater load and this consequential deterioration of water quality leads to a condition where such water becomes unsuitable in terms of its uses like recreation, bathing and a source of raw water supply (Biswas, 2000; Khan et al, 2004). The deteriorating quality of the water is threatening the sustainability of water resources and is therefore a cause for concern.…”