Discuss how rainwater harvesting in semi-arid regions of Rajasthan is carried out.
Answers
Answer:
In the semi-arid and arid regions of Rajasthan, particularly in Bikaner, Phalodi and Barmer, almost all the houses traditionally had underground tanks or tankas for storing drinking water. The tanks could be as large as a big room. The tankas were part of the well-developed rooftop rainwater harvesting system and were built inside the main house or the courtyard. They were connected to the sloping roofs of the houses through a pipe. Rain falling on the rooftops would travel down the pipe and was stored in these underground ‘tankas’. The first spell of rain was usually not collected, as this would clean the roofs and the pipes. The rainwater from the subsequent showers was then collected. The rainwater can be stored in the tankas till the next rainfall making it an extremely reliable source of drinking water when all other sources are dried up, particularly in the summers. Rainwater, or palar pani, as commonly referred to in these parts, is considered the purest form of natural water. Many houses constructed underground rooms adjoining the ‘tanka’ to beat the summer heat as it would keep the room cool.
Answer:
The various technological and institutional reforms consist of various measures taken by the Central and State governments from time to time. Flooding of fields with water is now being replaced by drip irrigation and the use of sprinklers. Chemical fertilizers are being used on a large scale, to increase the farm yields. Bio- fertilisers are now supplementing them. High yielding and early maturing quality seeds have been developed. Most of these technology inputs gave birth to Green Revolution in sixties and seventies of twentieth century. White Revolution followed the Green Revolution.
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