Question

Make a report on rainwater harvesting

Answer 1

Water is essential for life. All living things rely on it and are made up of it. 60% of the human body is composed of water, and it is crucial that we replenish our supply several times a day. With water covering 71% of the Earth's surface, one would think everyone should have easy access to water, but it is unevenly distributed.
Source of water has been ground water across the country. Per capita availability of water is reducing day by day on account of rapid urbanization, industrialization and population growth. We must control wastage of water and conserve in every possible way.














Paar system

Paar is a common water harvesting practice in the western Rajasthan region. It is a common place where the rainwater flows from the agar (catchments) and in the process percolates into the sandy soil. In order to access the rajani pani (percolated water) kuis or beris are dug in the agar (storage area). Kuis or Beris are normally 5 mts to 12 mts deep. The structure was constructed through traditional masonary technology.

This is the most predominant form of rainwater harvesting in the region. This method is also known as Patali Paani.

Talab / Bandhis

Talabs are reservoirs. They may be natural, such as the ponds (pokhariyan) at tikamgarh in the bundelkhand region. They can be human made. A reservoir area of less than five bighas is called a talai, a medium sized lake is called a Bandhi or Talab, and bigger lakes are called sagar or samand. The pokhariyan serve irrigation and drinking purposes.

Saza Kuva

An open well with multiple owners (Saza = partner), Saza Kuva is the most important source of irrigation in the Aravalli hills in Mewar, eastern Rajasthan. The soil dug out to make the well pit is used to construct a huge circular foundation or an elevated platform sloping away from the well.

Saza Kuva construction is generally taken up by a group of farmers with adjacent landholdings.

 Johad

Johads are small earthen check dams that capture and conserve rainwater, improving percolation and groundwater recharge. Starting 1984, the last sixteen years have seen the revival of some 3000 Johads spread across more than 650 villages in Alwar district, 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.

 Pat System

This system was devised according to the peculiarities of the terrain to divert water from swift-flowing hill streams into irrigation channels called pats. The diversion bunds across the stream are made by piling up stones and then lining them with teak leaves and mud to make them leak proof. The pat channel has to negotiate small nullahs that join the stream off and on and also sheer cliffs before reaching the fields.

The villagers irrigate their fields by turns. The channel requires constant maintenance and it is the duty of the family irrigating the fields on a particular day to take care of the pat on that particular day.

Naada / Bandha

Naada/Bandha is found in the Mewar region of the Thar Desert. It is a stone check dam, constructed across a stream or gully, to capture monsoon runoff on a stretch of land. Submerged in water, the land becomes fertile as silt deposits on it and the soil retains substantial amounts of water.

 Rapat

A Rapat is a percolation tank, with a bund to impound rainwater flowing through a watershed and a waste weir to dispose of the surplus flow. If the height of the structure is small, the bund may be built of masonary, otherwise earth is used. Rapats and percolation tanks do not directly irrigate land, but recharges well within a distance of 3-5 km downstream.

 Chandela tank

These tanks were constructed by stopping the flow of water in rivulets flowing between hills by erecting massive earthen embankments, having width of 60m or more. These hills with long stretches of quartz reefs running underneath them, acted as natural ground water barrier helping to trap water between the ridges. The earthen embankments were supported on both sides with walls of coarse stones, forming a series of stone steps. These tanks are made up of lime and mortar and this is the reason why these tanks survived even after thousand years but the only problem, which these tanks are facing, is siltation of tank beds.

Bundela Tank

These tanks are bigger in size as compared to Chandela tanks. These tanks had solidly constructed steps leading to water in the tank but these structures had chabootaras, pavillions and royal orchards designed to show off the glory of the king who built them. But these tanks are not as cost effective and simple as Chandela tanks. These tanks were constructed to meet the growing water demands in the area; maintenance of these tanks was done by the person employed by the king but in case of smaller tanks villagers collectively removed silt and repair embankment.