Tankas

Tankas (small tank) are underground tanks, found traditionally

in most Bikaner houses. They are built in the main house or in
the courtyard. They were circular holes made in the ground,
lined with fine polished lime, in which raiwater was
collected. Tankas were often beautifully decorated with tiles,
which helped to keep the water cool. The water was used only
for drinking. If in any year there was less than normal rainfall
and the tankas did not get filled, water from nearby wells and tanks would be obtained to fill the
household tankas. In this way, the people of Bikaner were able to meet their water requirements.
The tanka system is also to be found in the pilgrim town of Dwarka where it has been in
existence for centuries. It continues to be used in residential areas, temples, dharamshalas and
hotels.

Khadin

A khadin, also called a dhora, is an ingenious construction designed to harvest surface runoff
water for agriculture. Its main feature is a very long (100-300 m) earthen embankment built
across the lower hill slopes lying below gravelly uplands. Sluices and spillways allow excess water
to drain off. The khadinsystem is based on the principle of harvesting rainwater on farmland and
subsequent
use
of
this
water-saturated
land
for
crop
production.

First designed by the Paliwal Brahmins of Jaisalmer, western Rajasthan in the 15th century, this
system has great similarity with the irrigation methods of the people of Ur (present Iraq) around
4500 BC and later of the Nabateans in the Middle East. A similar system is also reported to have
been practised 4,000 years ago in the Negev desert, and in southwestern Colorado 500 years
ago.

Urban

rainwater

harvesting

Urban centres in India are facing an ironical situation today. On one hand there is the
acute water scarcity and on the other, the streets are often flooded during the
monsoons. This has led to serious problems with
quality and quantity of groundwater.
This is despite the fact that all these cities receive
good rainfall. However, this rainfall occurs during short
spells of high intensity. (Most of the rain falls in just
100 hours out of 8,760 hours in a year). Because of
such short duration of heavy rain, most of the rain

falling on the surface tends to flow away rapidly leaving very little for recharge of
groundwater. Most of the traditional water harvesting systems in cities have been
neglected and fallen into disuse, worsening the urban water scenario. One of the
solutions to the urban water crisis is rainwater harvesting - capturing the runoff.

This is practiced on a large scale in cities like

Chennai, Bangalore and Delhi where rainwater harvesting
is a part of the state policy. Elsewhere, countries like
Germany, Japan, United States, and Singapore are also
adopting
rainwater
harvesting.

Water harvesting system at

CSE's office in Delhi

Why

to

harvest

rain?

In areas where there is inadequate groundwater supply or

surface
resources are either lacking or insufficient, rainwater
harvesting
offers
an
ideal
solution.

Helps in utilising the primary source of water and prevent the

runoff
from going into sewer or storm drains, thereby
reducing
the
load
on
treatment
plants.

Reduces

urban

flooding.

Recharging water into the aquifers help in improving the

quality of existing groundwater through dilution.

Jal Yodhas
When it comes to the Indian sub-continent, given the delay in implementing plans to conserve
natural resources, people prefer to depend on themselves. Jal Yodhas (Water warriors) is a tale
of individual efforts that can act as a precursor to bring a shift in peoples' attitude towards
conservation of natural resources, particularly water. This section is about ordinary men with
extraordinary will in the context of water harvesting. Initial failures did not deter these men of
steel who in most cases have faced rebellion from their own people.
Meet the Jal Yodhas... Water conflicts

Summer comes to India every year. Along with it comes water crisis

As wells, ponds and taps dry up, women begin to walk the village streets and city roads with pots
and pitchers looking for a water-point. As municipality water-tankers and government-run water
trains begin to traverse the length and breadth of the country, people
gather on street corners, village squares and in front of municipality
offices. They murmur, growl, throw stones, and fight...
Water is becoming a cause for social conflicts
Protests, demonstrations, road-blockades, riots. City-dwellers against
farmers. Villages against towns. Towns against cities. Citizens against the government. People
against people. Increasingly, these (usually local) conflicts are taking on the general shape of a
bitter war for water.