This video by the Centre for Science and Environment is dedicated to India's traditional water harvesting systems and practices. The camera wanders through the states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra and records the profound traditional science of the people. “Harvest of Rain” analyses a wide variety of water harvesting systems as a function of differing ecological terrains.Read More
This paper studies the water supply, distribution, collection and storage in the forts around Nashik with the idea of testing the viability of implementing such systems in areas of similar topography. The history of forts in Maharashtra and the forts around Nashik and the water collection and distribution systems thereof are described.
This paper discusses the reasons for building tanks in ancient India and mentions ancient texts like 'Samarangan Sutradhar' to indicate how wells and other water bodies were constructed.Read More
These water storage systems indicate the knowledge of geology, soil engineering, construction engineering and structural engineering in ancient times.
This report by Both ENDS and Gomukh compiles and showcases a set of seven case studies where a ‘negotiated approach’ to River Basin Management was already being used in different parts of the world and in different geographical and socio-political environments. It builds its analysis on real life experiences, including both successful and less successful attempts to implement and scale up local water management techniques. It sets out to go beyond general policy analyses, which tend to describe `what is’ or propose recipes that are based on theoretical research. Read More
Location
Pune, MM, India
Latitude: 18.520430, Longitude: 73.856744
From Om Prakash Sharma, Wells for India – India Office, Udaipur
Posted 15 June 2010
I am working with Wells for India, a UK-based organisation working in India for last 23 years. Being water professional I am engaged in water management, livelihoods and natural resource management for the last 21 years. Our major focus is to bring water security and dignity to the poorest communities living in drylands.Read More
The paper reviews contentious issues related to water governance in the Narmada river basin like the riparian rights of States over apportionment of the use of the waters for large dam-centered canal irrigation and hydro-electric power development and the later disputes around the appropriateness of this model of development given the tremendous environmental and social costs associated with it.Read More
The report discusses the importance of the Hindu Kush Himalayan ranges as an important source of water to a large section of the population and warns of the impending crisis of water scarcity and food insecurity in the regions of Asia, if water harvesting and conservation efforts are not undertaken. The document argues that water storage thus becomes a central issue, which is very complicated to implement, particularly in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region.Read More
The following four case studies, describe the work of Sahjeevan Trust and its partners, in organising drinking water, in participation with rural communities in Kutch, Gujarat, through the Pani Thiye Panjo program.Read More
In Rajasthan Ki Rajat Boondein, Shri Anupam Mishra documents the myriad, well-organised ways in which the people of Western Rajasthan have harvested and managed water over centuries, through work of the utmost dedication, painstaking detail and community-led action. These systems have survived the test of time, and are present in most villages and towns of the desert state even today.
This path-breaking work in the harsh water-scarce conditions of the desert, was completely managed by the local communities, and serves as a guide to the rest of us, in organising to face and tackle the water crisis, that we face across the world today.
Shri Anupam Mishra has worked in the field of environment and water conservation for many decades, and is currently with the Gandhi Peace Foundation New Delhi. His books on the work of people/society organising themselves, to harvest and manage water - Aaj Bhi Khare Hain Talaab and Rajasthan Ki Rajat Boondein, are considered landmark works in the field, and continue to inspire several individuals even today, to take up work on setting up and reviving such time-tested water harvesting systems.
Shri Anupam Mishra does not hold any copy right over books written by him. Aaj Bhi Khare Hain Talaab has thus been translated through the initiatives of several inspired readers, into 19 languages including Braille. It is one of the only books after Gandhiji's autobiography "My Experiments with Truth", to be available in Braille. The total number of prints of Aaj Bhi Khare Hain Talaab, has crossed 100,000 copies as of 2009.
Readers are thus welcome to further reprint, digitise, store, extract, copy, translate, transmit or use the books in any form they wish. Please do tell us about any such efforts you make or feedback you have on the books, at contact@indiawaterportal.org, and we will forward your mail to the author.
India Water Portal acknowledges the support of Sambhaav Trust and Anand Kumar Naidu Bangalore, in making this publication available in an electronic form. We are also grateful to the Research Foundation for Science Technology and Ecology, for making the english translation available, to publish on the Portal.
Related Content
The Radiant Raindrops of Rajasthan, is an english translation of the book, done by Ms. Maya Jani of the Research Foundation for Science Technology and Ecology.
Aaj Bhi Khare Hain Talaab (in Hindi) is available on the India Water Portal here.
"The Wisdom That Was!", a talk (in Hindi) by Anupam Mishra can be viewed on the India Water Portal here.
His talk at the TED India 2009 Conference, can be viewed here.
Other articles, interviews and booklets edited / authored by him are available here.
Sujala Scheme: The Byyraju Foundation's manual for setting up a locally managed, rural drinking water plant. The Foundation's drinking water initiative covers 154 villages across five districts of Andhra Pradesh via 31 village-level treatment plants. Read More (Size: 2.1 MB) Byrraju Foundation websiteRead More
This report by the 
The following four case studies, describe the work of 
