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Water being one of the most essential necessity of life, becoming an increasing scare resource, needs careful planning and management. Availability of safe quality drinking water is being reduced due to pollution from sewage and industrial waste. So water should be meticulously harnessed and carefully conserved. It should be economically used and safely disposed off after usage. The need of the hour is sustainable water management, specially in the context of meeting the demands of an increasing population. Simply put, it means managing our finite water resources for present needs while keeping in mind the future requirement of next generation. It also means looking at fresh water as an exhaustible, natural and essential resource and seeing watershed areas as sustainable units of water resource development and management. Uttarakhand State, whose glacial peaks and beautiful valleys hold age-old ecological secretes, is a measure water bank for North India. Its 1917 glaciers spreading over 3550 Sq. km, comprise a perennial source of water. The state is largely made up of mountainous areas full of forest, which cradle many rivers and natural water sources. These natural sources are nourished by rain water, which is the biggest source of water on this planet. Ironically, today the people of these mountainous areas are in the vice-like grip of water scarcity. Increasing population has resulted in an unsustainable demand for water, soil erosion in watershed areas, increasing silting of rivers and streams, and depletion of groundwater reserves. Uttarakhand receives an average annual rainfall of 1240 mm, much of which flows into the rivers. If we conserved a bare 0.68% of this rainwater, it would fulfill the drinking water requirement of Uttarakhand. The conservation of 2.36% would suffice irrigation requirement. It means the conservation of a mere 3% of annual rainfall holds the key to the alleviation of the State's woes! Considering the importance of water as a life sustaining resource we should launch intensive awareness campaigns for optimum water utilization and management. We should give information on different techniques of water collection, conservation and harvesting. To save water, the ground water table should be properly recharged by water harvesting schemes (making roof harvesting structures). The ancient Naulas, Dharas, Gadharas, Khals and Ponds should be protected from being polluted at their source because these are the main sources of drinking water schemes. The quality of drinking water should also be monitored. Further, linking water conservation programs with Income generating activities will also be beneficial. So water should be save and conserved.
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\ The Importance of Water Almost everyone who has studied even basic biology in high school will know that our bodies are made up mostly of water. As such, we also know that there are numerous benefits of drinking

water. Without it, we would quickly die.

But the importance of drinking water goes further than just drinking enough of it You see, the problem nowadays is that the water supply--the stuff that makes it into our tap water--is full of toxic chemicals. This isn't hyperbole, either. Numerous groups have uncovered the truth. The reality is that there are over 2,100 cancer-causing chemicals that infiltrate the US water supply. Chemicals ranging from herbicide and pesticide run-offs, to pharmaceutical drugs.

If you are one of those people who thinks buying expensive bottled water is a viable solution, think again. Even the US Food and Drug Administration has publicly stated that manufacturers of bottled water products that claim they are safer than tap water are defrauding the American public. Those are harsh words because the FDA has the facts on this one.

So, if you want the benefits of drinking water, you would be wise to invest in a whole home water filtration system that removes these long-term deadly impurities. You really have to wonder why cancer has overtaken heart disease as the #1 killer in the United States. Could it be all those proven cancer-causing contaminants in our drinking water supply that most people aren't even aware of?

I'll let you make your own conclusions. But let's get back to the importance of drinking water, assuming it's purified water.

Water is needed for all of our cellular functions. These cellular functions that keep us alive are powered by water in almost the same way that gasoline powers a car. No gas, no car. No water, no optimal health or even life. As some specific examples, water is a lubricant in the body. It protects the joints because it serves as a buffer. It helps move nutrients through our bodies. It is instrumental in regulating the temperature in our bodies. (Think about when you get too hot so you sweat. That sweating helps prevent you from overheating. This takes in the form of perspiration, which is nothing more than water!)

Did you know that one of the benefits of drinking water is that if you take in enough purified water, you can literally drastically slash your chances of some major diseases. For example, drinking eight glasses of purified water a day can cut the risk of colon and bladder cancer by almost half.

Are you a woman and worried about breast cancer like almost every woman does at some point in her life? Drinking enough water can significantly lower the chances of getting breast cancer.

If you're a man who strives to maintain good health, you already know the importance of drinking water as being crucial for an active lifestyle. Forget the protein shakes and other high calorie alternatives. When you're working out, reach for pure filtered water and you'll really be improving your health. Now that you know some of the reasons why getting enough water is vital, your next step is to learn about the kinds of water filtering products you should look into for your home so you can avoid all the undesirable chemicals that can harm your health. Gangajal Nature Foundation spreads awareness about water pollution, through the medium of Gangajal photo exhibition, reports Alekh Angre In India, the river Ganga signifies faith and religion; it is a symbol of our civilization. But, over the years, it has been reduced to a polluted drain, thanks to industrialisation and human greed. Noticing the contradictory human behaviour towards a river that people revere as Ganga maiyya (mother Ganga), a Mumbai-based freelance photographer, Vijay Mudshingikar decided to traverse the entire course of the river capturing images of the devastated Ganges. He exhibited his photographs and the experience eventually led him to set up the Gangajal Nature Foundation in 2007. The Foundation aims to protect Indias water resources from all kinds of pollution. It has collated extensive data on the polluted Ganga and creates awareness about dying water resources through photographs and documentaries. These efforts forced the Uttarakhand government to ban tourists/pilgrims at Gomukh, including the Kavad Yatra. I first read about the Ganga getting polluted while I was bedridden with slipped disc. I decided that after I recover, I must capture its condition through photographs, says Mr Mudshingikar. He was then working as a junior technician at Crompton Greaves. In 2001, armed with his camera, he started from the point where the Ganga meets the Bay of Bengal and retraced its path to its origin at Gomukh. The photographs, covering a five-year journey, include the immersion of the Durga idol in West Bengal, dev deepawali in Benaras, dead bodies thrown in the river and other forms of pollution startling enough to shock anyone. The gangajal is pristine blue at Gomukh; but at Kanpur, it was nothing but poison, he says.

Mr Mudshingikars photographs portray the truth more powerfully than words and instantly touch ones heart. These photographs are meant to create awareness about the state of Indias water resources, be it rivers, lakes or ponds. To dedicate time and attention to this work, Mr Mudshingikar took voluntary retirement from his job in 2006 and used the golden handshake funds to hold his first exhibition in Delhi. Although the exhibition drew a large number of viewers, not a single photograph got sold. Slowly word spread and funds from the founders and members of his organisation helped him in his mission to create awareness. The coming generation will see worse pollution, so we always try to create awareness amongst school kids, he explains. Gangajal Foundation organised a Jan Jodo Ganga Yatra in 2010 connecting people across the rivers 2,525km course. In the process, they collected useful data like levels of pollution, illeffects on peoples lives, video records of the untreated effluent and sewage discharge. It is the local authorities from Kanpur who took action and blocked some nullahs that were draining into the river. Local people played a major role in making the authorities take this action. We believe we have reconnected the souls of at least one crore people with the river Ganga, says Mr Mudshingikar. The Foundation did similar work on the Panchaganga River in Maharashtra on a small scale. While enthusiasm for the mission is high, paucity of funds is the biggest challenge for Gangajal Foundation. Among its plans is a survey of dying rivers in Maharashtra with special focus on the Mithi River, blockage of which caused killer floods in Mumbai in 2005. In March 2012, the Foundation will undertake a data collection cruise on the river by boat. It also hopes to start a regular Ganga tour, to educate people on water pollution. People think Ganga darshan is only for old people. We want everyone to see its condition and realise that we dont hesitate to pollute it even as we call it holy water. One can volunteer for documenting the activities and collating research material for the Foundation. You can also donate financially. All donations are eligible for tax exemption under Section 80 (G) of the Income-Tax Act.

A drop of water is worth more than a sack of gold to a thirsty man Save water, it will save you later! Dont let the water run in the sink, our lifes on the brink! Put a stop to the drop Dont waste it, just taste it! When you conserve water, you conserve life! Save water! Save Life!

Water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink Save waterit doesnt grow on trees Save water, secure the future Saving water can save the world Rainwater tank, wont break the bank Stop the drip to save the drop Dont be a fool, cover your pool Its only good until the last drop, than What? Water covers two-thirds of the surface of the Earth, but Fresh water is 0.002% on Earth Save Water..Its not just a drop in the bucket Think outside the sink! Water for the future generations.priceless Saving water one drop at a time