Water has been harvested in India since the ancient period. The need of Conservation and
Management of Water was felt even by the people of the Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, about 5000
years ago.
Here is a historical account of the practice of water conservation in India, after which we will study about various water harvesting practices and structures that have been traditionally popular in the different parts of the country.
Must read: INTEGRATED WATERSHED MANAGEMENT – OBJECTIVES , COMPONENTS AND NEED
HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF WATER HARVESTING IN INDIA
The Archaeological Studies show that India’s Great Rann of Kutch had several reservoirs to collect rain water run off in the extremely dry region of Dholavira, dating back to the 3rd millennium before the Christ.
Kautilya’s Arthashashtra that was written in the 3rd century B.C. has a mention of irrigation by rain-harvested water through community participation.
Junagarh Inscriptions dating back to 2nd century A.D. inform us about the restoration of Sudarsana Lake, which is not seen now since 9th century A.D.
The Vijainagar Tradition of Vijainagar Kingdom (1336-1564 A. D.) laid much emphasis on the development of irrigation and water harvesting for the improvement of agriculture.
The kings of olden days like Krishnadeo Rai (1509- 1530) etc. emphasized that prosperity of the empire depended on the construction of irrigation channels and water tanks.
The Gond Tradition emphasized on the repairs of channels, embankments, distributaries, tanks or Talabs etc. The Rani Talab of Jabal Pur is a glaring example of water harvesting tradition of Gond Tribes.
The Bengal Tradition laid emphasis on irrigation on irrigation with the water collected through rain water harvesting.
The Karikala Chola of 2nd century A.D. built a Grand Anicut across the river Cauvery to divert water for irrigation.
Raja Bhoj of Bhopal built the largest artificial lake (65,000 acres) in India. That lake was fed by streams and springs. Kalhan in his Raj Tarangini (12 century A.D.) has described a well maintained irrigation system in Kashmir.
TRADITIONAL WATER HARVESTING SYSTEMS
ZING
Melting glaciers and snows are the only sources of water for the people residing in Ladakh region. The people of this region make intelligent use of their limited resources and make agriculture possible in this dry and barren land.
The snow and ice melt slowly through the day and water is available in the streams only in the evening, when it is too late for irrigation. The water in the streams is hence led by channels to storage tanks and used the next day. These storage tanks are called as ZING.
APTANI SYSTEM
This system is practiced in Arunachal Pradesh by Aptani tribes. Under this system the stream water is blocked by constructing a wall 2 to 4 m high and 1 m thick near forested hill slopes. This water is taken to the agricultural fields through channels.
The valleys are terraced into plots separated by 0.6 m high earthen dams with inlet and outlet channels (to the next plot) that help to flood or drain the plots as and when required.
ZABO SYSTEM
This traditional system is practiced in Nagaland. The term Zabo means ‘impounding run-off’. When rain falls on terraced hill slopes, the runoff collects in ponds in the middle terrace. The runoff then passes through slopes where there are cattle yards, and finally reaches the paddy fields at the foot of the hills.
Thus it is through this system that not only the irrigation of paddy fields is brought about, but the fertility of the crop- field is also improved.
BAMBOO DRIP IRRIGATION & TRICKLE DRIP IRRIGATION
Under this system the rapidly flowing water from streams and springs is captured by bamboo pipes and transported over hundreds of metres to drip irrigate black pepper cultivation in Meghalaya.Many bamboo pipes of varying diameters and lengths are laid to manipulate and control the flow of water through this system of water conservation.
The Trickle Drip System is a system of irrigation that was first developed in 1960s by farmers to check wastage of water during irrigation.
In this system water is allowed to pass through a narrow route drop by drop directly to the plant roots. This system delivers the correct quantities of water to the roots of the plant, thereby not wasting any of the precious water. This method of irrigation does not waste water, and allows the crops to be adequately watered all year round.
AHAR-PYNE
Ahar-pyne is a traditional floodwater harvesting system indigenous to South Bihar. Here the
terrain has a marked slope, the soil is sandy, groundwater levels are low and rivers flood their banks
only during the monsoon. The ahar is the catchment basin embanked on three sides, while the fourth
side is the natural slope. Pynes or artificial channels start out from the river, and meander through
fields to end up in an ahar.
TANKAS
Tankas are round or rectangular structures usually constructed to store water in Bikaner of India.
Rainwater from the roof or terrace is directed towards an opening in the floor which leads to the
tanka. The rain water thus stored in tankas is used for various purposes.
JOHAD
Johads are small earthen check dams that capture and conserve rainwater, improving percolation and groundwater recharge. This practice was started in 1984 in Rajasthan. This has resulted in a general rise of the groundwater level by almost 6 metres and a 33 percent increase in the forest cover in the area.
Five rivers that used to go dry immediately following the monsoon have now become perennial, such as the River Arvari, has come alive.
KHADIN
A Khadin, also called a dhora, is an ingenious construction designed to harvest surface runoff water for agriculture. Its main feature is a very long (100-300 m) earthen embankment built across the lower hill slopes lying below uplands. Sluices and spillways in the area allow excess water to drain off to the catchment.
The Khadin system is based on the principle of harvesting rainwater on farmland and subsequent
use of this water-saturated land for crop production.
First designed by the Paliwal Brahmins of Jaisalmer, Western Rajasthan in the 15th century, this system has great similarity with the irrigation methods of the people of Ur (present Iraq) around 4500 BC and later of the Nabateans in the Middle East.
A similar system is also reported to have been practiced 4,000 years ago in the Negev desert, and in southwestern Colorado 500 years ago.
KUNDS OR KUNDIS
In Churu, Bikaner, and Sikar of Rajasthan people have learnt to harvest rain water in Kunds or Kundis.
Dome shaped structures over an underground tank surrounded with an artificially paved catchment sloping towards the centre is called as Kund or Kundis.
Traditionally, these tanks were made up of lime, which acted as disinfectant but currently scarcity and demand hassled people to construct Kunds of cement.
PANIKHETI
The system of rice cultivation on terraces developed by the Angami and Chakesang tribes of Nagaland state of the North- eastern India is called a Panikheti. Rather, Panikheti is the term applied to the beautiful rice terraces in the North-eastern Hill Region of India.
In this system of farming on terraces, water is supplied to plants by channels that carry water from streams. About 10 to 15 cm of water level is maintained in the fields and rest of the water is allowed to flow down to the lower terraces.
This traditional practice ensures that there is no wastage of water while protecting the rights of farmers over the use of water.
REASONS FOR DECLINE IN TRADITIONAL WATER HARVESTING SYSTEM
1. Lack of interest on community in participation in preservation of traditional structures.
2. Neglect of policy makers towards traditional existing structures , lack of innovative methods to deal with water related issues.
3. Pollution of water due to sewage and industrial waste.
4. Some tanks have been encroached for farming, sand mining, expansion of city, waste dumping ,
industry etc.
5. Growing use of subsidised energized system ( subsisidised electrical powers) to exploit deep
aquifers.
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Very informative