Discuss how rainwater harvesting in semi-arid regions of Rajasthan is carried out.
Answers
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; one household in Phalodi had a tank that was 6.1 metres deep, 4.27 metres long and 2.44 metres wide. 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 be 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.
Answer:
In semi-arid regions of Rajasthan every house had underground tankas to store the water for drinking purposes. (ii) These tankas are large and deep which were built inside the main house or the courtyard. ... (iv) The rainwater collected, is stored in the tankas providing drinking water till the next rainy season
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