Rethinking rehabilitation: socio-ecology of tanks and water harvesting in Rajasthan, North-west India

In the arid and semi- arid Indian state of Rajasthan, tanks and ponds have been a mainstay of rural communities for centuries. There are over 4600 large minor irrigation tanks, plus numerous johads, bandhs and pals (small water harvesting structures). This paper assesses a strategy proposed for reha...

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Main Authors: Shah, Tushaar, Raju, K. Vengama
Format: Artículo preliminar
Language:Inglés
Published: International Food Policy Research Institute 2001
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/156401
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author Shah, Tushaar
Raju, K. Vengama
author_browse Raju, K. Vengama
Shah, Tushaar
author_facet Shah, Tushaar
Raju, K. Vengama
author_sort Shah, Tushaar
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description In the arid and semi- arid Indian state of Rajasthan, tanks and ponds have been a mainstay of rural communities for centuries. There are over 4600 large minor irrigation tanks, plus numerous johads, bandhs and pals (small water harvesting structures). This paper assesses a strategy proposed for rehabilitating 1200 of the larger tanks. It argues that treating tanks only as flow irrigation systems --which lies at the center of the mainstream thinking on rehabilitating surface irrigation systems--is very likely to result in a flawed strategy when applied to tanks. Instead, reviewing the successful experience of NGOs like PRADAN and Tarun Bharat Sangh in reviving and rehabilitating clusters of small traditional water harvesting structures at a watershed level, it posits that Rajasthan's tanks belong more to the watershed development domain than to the irrigation domain and that a strategy that views tanks as multi-use socio-ecological constructs, and which recognizes varied stakeholder groups is more likely to enhance the social value of tanks.
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spelling CGSpace1564012025-01-10T06:37:47Z Rethinking rehabilitation: socio-ecology of tanks and water harvesting in Rajasthan, North-west India Shah, Tushaar Raju, K. Vengama watersheds water water use water harvesting irrigation methods surface irrigation multiple use collectivization community involvement In the arid and semi- arid Indian state of Rajasthan, tanks and ponds have been a mainstay of rural communities for centuries. There are over 4600 large minor irrigation tanks, plus numerous johads, bandhs and pals (small water harvesting structures). This paper assesses a strategy proposed for rehabilitating 1200 of the larger tanks. It argues that treating tanks only as flow irrigation systems --which lies at the center of the mainstream thinking on rehabilitating surface irrigation systems--is very likely to result in a flawed strategy when applied to tanks. Instead, reviewing the successful experience of NGOs like PRADAN and Tarun Bharat Sangh in reviving and rehabilitating clusters of small traditional water harvesting structures at a watershed level, it posits that Rajasthan's tanks belong more to the watershed development domain than to the irrigation domain and that a strategy that views tanks as multi-use socio-ecological constructs, and which recognizes varied stakeholder groups is more likely to enhance the social value of tanks. 2001 2024-10-24T12:44:02Z 2024-10-24T12:44:02Z Working Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/156401 en Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Shah, Tushaar; Raju, K. Vengama. 2001. Rethinking rehabilitation: socio-ecology of tanks and water harvesting in Rajasthan, North-west India. CAPRi working paper 0018. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/156401
spellingShingle watersheds
water
water use
water harvesting
irrigation methods
surface irrigation
multiple use
collectivization
community involvement
Shah, Tushaar
Raju, K. Vengama
Rethinking rehabilitation: socio-ecology of tanks and water harvesting in Rajasthan, North-west India
title Rethinking rehabilitation: socio-ecology of tanks and water harvesting in Rajasthan, North-west India
title_full Rethinking rehabilitation: socio-ecology of tanks and water harvesting in Rajasthan, North-west India
title_fullStr Rethinking rehabilitation: socio-ecology of tanks and water harvesting in Rajasthan, North-west India
title_full_unstemmed Rethinking rehabilitation: socio-ecology of tanks and water harvesting in Rajasthan, North-west India
title_short Rethinking rehabilitation: socio-ecology of tanks and water harvesting in Rajasthan, North-west India
title_sort rethinking rehabilitation socio ecology of tanks and water harvesting in rajasthan north west india
topic watersheds
water
water use
water harvesting
irrigation methods
surface irrigation
multiple use
collectivization
community involvement
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/156401
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