Continuous contour trench
Also called: CCT · Topic: Soils of India: Types, Degradation and Conservation · NCERT: Class 9, Ch 2 "Shaping of the Earth's Surface"
Meaning
A continuous contour trench (CCT) is a long trench dug along a contour, a line joining points of equal height on a hillside. Rainwater running down the slope collects in the trench instead of rushing away. This slows the runoff, holds the water and lets it soak into the ground. As a result, less soil is washed away and groundwater is recharged. CCTs are a key method in watershed development on hills and drylands.
Example
The villages of Ralegan Siddhi and Hiware Bazar in Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra, dug contour trenches on their hill slopes. This reduced soil loss and raised groundwater levels.
Don't confuse with
- Contour bunding: a bund is a raised earthen bank built along the contour of a sloping field. A CCT is a trench dug into the ground, usually on hill slopes.
- Contour ploughing: this is a way of ploughing farm fields across the slope. It does not dig any trench.