Page 9 - Jan-Mar 2015

VOl. 12 No. 1
Water Harvesting Systems – Our Indigeneous Marvels In a number of

villages women
cHARMING kHADINS have to walk long
distances to collect
Khadin is a traditional water management system designed water.
to harvest runoff water for agriculture. it is commonly found
near the lower hill slopes. The Paliwal brahmins of Jaisalmer,
rajasthan first built them during 15th century. The key feature
of this system is the construction of a very long earthen
embankment built across the lower hill slopes.
Madhumita M. Mitchu, L'ecole Chempaka Society for Educare, PAAR ABOvE PAR!
Trivandrum; Nithya M., IX H, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s Public School,
Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad Paar is a common water harvesting
system found in western rajasthan.
in this system, the rainwater that
flows from the catchment into the
sandy soil is stored by digging kuis
or beris. Illustration by: Diksha Jatav, X-B,
All Saints Sr. Sec. School, Ajmer
Diksha Jatav, X B, All Saints Senior Sec. School, Ajmer; Heena, VIII F,
P.K.R. Jain Sr. Sec. Public School, Ambala City

NOvEL NAULAS
Illustration by: Bhoomika, VI-B, Ryan International School, Sec-40, Gurgaon
Naulas are small wells or ponds
SURANGAM STORY in which water is collected by
making a stone wall across
Surangam is a special water a stream in the hilly areas of
harvesting system popular uttarakhand. local villagers Illustration by: Parth Sharma, VI-E,
in northern Kerala and was perform rituals before a naula Scholars Home, Dehradun
built by digging deep in to is constructed. it consists of a tank that is closed on all three
the laterite soil until water was sides which is covered. The fourth side, opens to a flight of
found. The water seeped out of steps, which leads to the water level.
the hard rock and flowed into a tunnel where it was collected Parth Sharma, VI E, and Unnati Arya, VII B, Scholars Home, Dehradun
in an open pit.
Kamna, VIII F, V.V.D.A.V Public School, Delhi
kHATRIS - A ROck MARvEL
Khatri is a type of traditional rainwater harvesting
UNIQUE JOHADS system found in the mountainous regions of india mainly
hamirpur, Kangra and Mandi in himachal Pradesh. They
Johads are small, earthen are carved out from the hard rock mountains.
check dams which are built Sakshi Rawat, VII, Raksha Anusandhan Vidyalaya, Dehradun
to harvest and conserve
rainwater. They are a good
source of managing water as PATS OF MADHYA PRADESH
they help in improving water
percolation and groundwater in the Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh, a unique Pat
recharge. Johads are mainly found in the state of rajasthan. system to harvest rainwater has been developed keeping
in the alwar district, johads have led to a sort of water in mind the geographical terrain of the region. in this
revolution and this has helped in conserving water. system, free-flowing water from the hill streams is diverted
to irrigation channels called pats.
Vishal Singh, VIII A, Sherwood Convent School, Gurgaon; Bhumika
Sankhla, XI, All Saints Senior Sec. School, Ajmer Shivam Gupta, IX C, The S.D. Vidyalaya Public School, Ambala Cantt.

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