Why groundwater as an important source …

The water found below the water table is called groundwater. A large amount of unseen water is hidden as groundwater. Many people in cities and villages use groundwater which they draw from wells, handpumps, tubewells, etc. The level of water under the ground is known as watertable. The water table varies from place to place and may change at a given place.

Groundwater mainly comes from rainwater that seeps through the soil to reach the bedrock. Sometimes, water from lakes, rivers and ponds may also seep into the ground. The process of seeping of water into the ground is called infiltration. The seeped water collects between layers of hard rocks known as aquifers. Aquifers are like huge underground lakes filled with gravel and rocks from which water can be pumped out. Water in the aquifers can be usually pumped out with the help of tube wells or handpumps.