India’s Rich Tradition of Water Harvesting Systems The practice of harvesting rainwater dates back to Vedic times when the need to create water sources that would remain both clean and provide plentifully was recognized. Rivers were the obvious location of civilizations, and different civilizations utilized them in different ways. Early people cut channels, diverted rivers, and farmed their regions. Wells had been dug in the cities of the Sarasvati - Sindhu Valley by the third millennium B.C., while the “Great Bath” was probably a water storage tank. The Sindhu Valley (Indus) cities had excellent systems of water harvesting and drainage. Dholavira, laid out on a slope between two storm water channels, is an example of sophisticated engineering. RAINWATER HARVESTING IN ANCIENT INDIA THROUGH THE AGES ⭆ 3rd millennium B.C. Dams built of stone rubble were found in Baluchistan (ruled by the #Paratarajas) and Kutch ⭆ 3000 – 1500 B.C. : #Dholavira, a major site of the Indus valley civilisation had several reservoirs to collect monsoon runoff. Wells were probably a Harappan invention. A recent survey revealed that every third house had a well. ⭆ 321 – 297 B.C Historical records show that Indians were constructing dams, lakes and irrigation systems during the period of king Chandragupta of the #Maurya dynasty. Kautilya a minister in this kingdom wrote a treatise called Arthasastra where rainfall regimes, soil types and irrigation techniques have been mentioned. Units to measure rainfall are also recorded in this book. ⭆ 1st Century B.C The city of Sringaverapura near Allahabad in North India had a sophisticated water harvesting system using the floodwaters of the river Ganges ⭆ 2nd Century A.D. King Karikala of the Chola dynasty in South India built a #GrandAnicut or #Kallanai across the river Cauvery to divert flood water for irrigation; this dam is still functional. Inscriptions found in Junagadh in North India during this period provide information about the repair of an embankment for a lake named Sudarsana. Literature from Tamil Nadu, the author’s native state, dating back to this period records details about rice cultivation using tank irrigation. ⭆ 11th Century A.D. Several irrigation tanks called cheruvu, kere and eri respectively in the three southern states of India – Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamilnadu – were constructed. King Bhoja of Bhopal in Central India built the largest lake (over an area of 65,000 acres), fed by streams ⭆ 12th Century A.D. Rajatarangini by Kalhana describes a Well-maintained irrigation systems existed in Kashmir, the northern most tip of India. ⭆ 17th Century A.D. West Bengal, a state in eastern India had a system of overflow irrigation, which worked well till the advent of the British. This method greatly enriched the soil. ⬓ Tanks in the Sindhu – Sarasvati Valley: The excavations at Harappa and Mohenjodaro reveal deep rectangular constructions that were probably the earliest tanks built in India. ⬓ At Sringaverapura near Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh, India, there exists an extraordinary example of hydraulic engineering dating back to the end of the 1st century BC. It comprises three percolation-cum-storage tanks, fed by an 11 m wide and 5 m deep canal that used to skim the floodwaters off the monsoon-swollen Ganga. Water from the canal first entered a silting chamber where the dirt settled. This relatively clean water was then directed to the first brick-lined tank (Tank A), then on to Tank B through a stepped inlet (which cleaned the water further). This tank constituted the primary source of water supply. Next, the water passed to a circular Tank C, which had an elaborate staircase. An elaborate waste weir, consisting of seven spill channels, a crest, and a final exit, ensured that the excess water flowed back into the Ganga. Traditional water harvesting – from Kashmir to Kanyakumari Throughout India, several ingenious ways have been devised to catch and store rainwater for future use. They are known as traditional water harvesting systems. It is the traditional water harvesting systems that have made life possible even in the Thar Desert. The technology and engineering of the traditional water harvesting systems differed, depending on whether they were to provide drinking water or to be used for irrigation. Those meant for drinking water were generally smaller, sometimes covered and with steps leading down to the water. This ensured that people could only collect water manually in small quantities to meet their individual or family’s needs. Irrigation systems on the other hand spread over large open areas and had a complicated network of pipes and channels for collecting and distributing water. More Reading at cpreec.org/pubbook-traditional.htm
Posted on: Tue, 13 Jan 2015 05:46:59 +0000
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