The Rainwater Harvesting System at Mira Model School

Traditional - TARAIS OF THARPARKAR

In the Thar, rainwater is collected in the forms of the ponds, locally known as tarais. While the surface water that is available directly from tarais is short-lived, the water seeps down is available for a longer duration. The availability of water in a tarai depends on its size, the permeability of layers lying beneath the water accumulated, the amount of rainwater available, the intensity of evaporation and other factors. The water it holds is fresh and sweet and is used for drinking, domestic purposes and cattle watering. Though almost every village in Thar had tarai, the larger ones deserving mention include gadro tarai, chappar ji tarai, chelhar tarai, khinsar tarai, khinsar, mithi, jahero and lunio tarais.

Tarai exert significant influence on top-seated aquifers: their water seeps slowly down to the groundwater reservoirs and freshens the brackish or saline in situ water, making it suitable for drinking and other purposes. Most of the wells now in operation have, therefore, been dug close to tarais. A wooden foundation, in the shape of a wheel, is placed at the bottom of these wells and sides are then lined with wicker, a work of green branches and brushwood. In localities in the interior, where the depths of wells vary between 40-100 meters, they are lined with burnt bricks. Local knowledge is used to identify sites to dig wells. The site selected is the lowest depression at the bottom of the valley. Traditionally, these wells are dug by private expertise and financed at the village level.

Traditional-
International

w	Dry lands-ed
w	Rod Kohi
w	TOBAS-ed
w	Qanats-ed
w	TARAIS -ed
w	Algeria

International Technology Urban

w	Germany
w	Singapore
w	Tokyo

International Technology Rural

w	China
w	Sri Lanka
w	Thailand

AT A GLANCE

The Potential
Harvesting System

n	Components
n	Design
n	Construction
n	Maintenance
n	Cost

Traditional Practices