Water Shortage Analysis based on Reservoir Surfaces with varying Population and Rainfall for 2011-20 at Egra in Purba Medinipur

Abstract

Egra is one of the blocks of Purba Medinipur in West Bengal. The northing and easting of Egra are 21.9°N and 87.53°E respectively. The total number of reservoirs is a hundred (100) as of the year 2020. Reservoir water is utilized for irrigation and industrial purpose. According to Census report 2011, it has been observed that the total population in Egra was 345,926 and the growth of population in Egra is 2.25% p.a. In Egra the population density is more than that of West Bengal. This is enhanced many more times in the last decade i.e from 2011 to 2020. In 2011 the total perimeter of the reservoir was 18630.00m with an area of 145513.00 m 2 . But in 2020 total perimeter of reservoirs was 13752.40 m with an area of 115255.40 m2 . So the water content has been reduced in reservoirs of Egra location in Purba Medinipur. Now increases in population, irrigation and industrialization have been taken place in the Egra manifold. So the withdrawing of water from the reservoirs of Egra has been taken place in indiscriminate ways. But the filling up of water of the reservoirs is very low as the amount of precipitation in the entire Purba Medinipur is quite less. From the Indian meteorological department, it has been found that in maximum years from 1991 to 2020 in Purba Medinipur annual rainfall was around1600 mm. So abstraction is more than the recharge of reservoirs. It’s an alarming situation for Egra. If such an indiscriminate usage of water from reservoir for increasing irrigation and industrialization has been taken place then reservoirs will become dry. If irrigation and industrialization are taking place by the withdrawal of groundwater then the ground water table will be diminished. So if groundwater harvesting is adapted to store water in the reservoir to supply water required for irrigation and industrialization then it may be benefitted. Keywords: Reservoir, perimeter, area, irrigation, industrialization, population