Traditional water harvesting systems
Topic: Water Resources of India: Availability, Use and Conservation · NCERT: Class 7, Ch 1 "Geographical Diversity of India"; Class 7, Ch 1 "The Story of Indian Farming"
Meaning
Traditional water harvesting systems are local structures that people in India built over centuries. They catch rain, store floodwater or divert streams. Each was designed for its area's rainfall, slope and soil, so they differ widely across the country. Communities usually built and looked after them. They matter today because they are cheap, they recharge (refill) groundwater and they can be revived.
Example
- Guls and kuls: glacier-water channels in the Western Himalayas (Spiti).
- Khadin: in Jaisalmer. Johad: in Alwar. Taanka (roof-fed house tank): in Bikaner and Barmer. Kund (covered pit in open ground): in the Thar.
- Ahar-pyne: in south Bihar. Eri: in Tamil Nadu. Phad: in the Tapi basin.
- Bamboo drip irrigation: in Meghalaya.
- Inundation channels: in Bengal.
Don't confuse with
- Multipurpose river projects: these are large, state-built dams such as Bhakra. Traditional systems are small, local and run by communities.
Related concepts
- Ancient hydraulic structures of India
- Kallanai
- Guls and kuls
- Inundation channels
- Khadin
- Johad
- Taanka
- Kund
- Ahar-pyne
- Eri