Water Management – Assignment I

Traditional water harvesting techniques in western Rajasthan

Submitted to: Submitted by:

Vivekanand Tiwari Gracy H. David

Submitted on:

22.02.18
Water is very key essential for survival. It is used for almost every work. Life without water is unimaginable. But in
drought prone areas of India – especially the western Rajasthan, availability and preserving water has been a
challenge. The western Rajasthan includes Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Barmer and Jodhpur districts. “Necessity is the
mother of invention” (old proverb) as they say, In spite of these challenges, these places have been innovative in
developing traditional practices of conserving water. These methods were not only practiced by the rich and
knowledgeable, but by every household. And this is how they managed to survive in the difficult surroundings of
the Thar desert.

The traditional water harvesting systems have been in existence for many centuries. They have evolved with the
age-old wisdom and knowledge of the terrain developed over many hundreds of years. In recent times, however,
these water harvesting systems have fallen into disuse or are being degraded by the advent of urbanization. There
is an urgent need to regenerate and revive these ancient systems which are especially suited to the requirements of
specific areas. Droughts of varying intensity are a recurring phenomenon in the region. During 1901-2003, western
Rajasthan experienced 20 moderate droughts (with 50% to 75% of the normal annual rainfall).

This study focusses on documenting water conservation techniques being practiced in Western Rajasthan. The
region is arid to semiarid with low rainfall, high summer temperatures, low humidity and high-velocity wind causing
an average potential evapotranspiration of 2,000 mm, a negative water balance and acute water deficit and very
high pH value (alkalinity) of soil. Temperature varies between 48-50 degrees in summers and fall below freezing
point in winters, where the average rainfall is 380 mm only

The gap between the resource availability and demand of resources is increasing. The human livelihood becomes
more competitive because water is one of the major natural resources to determine the sustainability. In Semi-arid
to arid climatic region of western Rajasthan, there are three major sources to supply the water. The Thar Desert
receives very little rainfall. Hence rainwater was captured and stored in ponds and underground tanks.

a) Rainfall
b) Canals
c) Groundwater

Rain Water: Rainwater has a very limited supply in the western Rajasthan. The rainfall is calculated to be
approximately 10-25 cm with very few rainy days. Conventionally, the residents depend on water harvesting
techniques to collect rainwater. These conventional rainwater harvesting techniques are depleting because of the
ground water is easily and cheaply available.

Canal: Indira Gandhi Canal (IGC) runs through the western Rajasthan which transfers water from the western
Himalayas to western Rajasthan. Though, the Indira Gandhi Canal has successfully resolved many problems but, has
its own limitation. The limited capacity of the canal cannot feed the entire regional demand. Still, a large portion of
the area doesn’t have access to the water which is provided by IGC. The water from IGC is mostly used for
agricultural and drinking purpose mainly on its right margin distributaries.
Groundwater: Groundwater comes into usage when the water from the rain and canal fails to fulfil the large
demand for water. The quality of ground water also deteriorated with increasing depth of tube wells. The increased
depth of tube wells supply the water with very high TDS value which increased the alkalinity of the soil.

Water harvesting ways in Western Rajasthan

S.No Particulars Description Location

1. Tarais Reservoirs W.Rajasthan

2. Tankas Underground tank Bikaner, Rajasthan

3. Kunds / kundis Underground storage W.Rajasthan

4. Kuis / beris Deep pits near tanks W.Rajasthan

5. Baoris / bers Community wells Rajasthan

6. Talab Lake (surface water) Bikaner, Rajasthan

7. Jhalaras Tank Rajasthan, Gujarat

8. Nadi Village ponds Jodhpur, Rajasthan

9. Khadins Embankment across lower hill slopes Jaisalmer, W. Rajasthan

10. Vav / Vavdi / Baoli / Bavadi Stepped well Rajasthan, Gujrat

11. Tobas ponds Rajasthan

12. Paar shallow well Jaisalmer, W.Rajasthan

13. Naada / Bandha land submerged in water Mewar, Thar Desert

14. Rapat percolation tank - Rajasthan Rajasthan

15. Bundela Tank steps leading to water Rajasthan

1. Tarais (reservoirs) - Reservoirs- W.Rajasthan

They were built in the valley between sand dunes by constructing bunds at the two ends. When it rained the

rainwater collected in the reservoir. The tarais dried up in a few months owing to the highly porous soil, but the
region around it remained wet and moist. Wells were usually dug close to
the tarai.

2. Tankas- Underground tank - Bikaner, Rajasthan

Taanka is a traditional rainwater harvesting technique, common to

the Thar Desert region of Rajasthan, India. It is meant to provide drinking
water for a single or a small group of families and is an important element of water security in these arid
regions. Individual homes and farms in Bikaner built tankas. A Taanka is a cylindrical underground rainwater
storage cistern usually 10’ x 10’ in size, wherein rainwater from rooftops, a courtyard or natural or artificially
prepared catchment flows into the paved underground pit, through filtered inlets made on the external wall of
the structure, where it is stored and can be used by one family during the dry season. Once fully filled, the water
is sufficient for a family of 5-6 members for a period of 5–6 months, and saves it from every day-water-fetching-
drudgery.

Rainwater from the roof or terrace was directed towards an

opening in the floor which led to the tanka. They are
traditionally found in the main house or in the courtyard of
the Bikaner houses. It is an underground tank with circular
holes made in the ground, lined with fine polished lime
where the rainwater is collected. Often, tankas are
beautifully decorated with tiles which helped to keep the
water cool. This water is used only for drinking purposes.

History of Tankas:

Though originally found in the desert towns, the system has since gained immense popularity in rural areas.
In Phalodi, Barmer and Balotra region, rural taankas were found that were 6.1 metres deep, 4.27 metres long
and 2.44 meters wide. This technique of harvesting rainwater was perfected to a fine art in the arid regions of
western Rajasthan.

Bikaner was founded by Rao Bika in 1489 AD. The choice of Bikaner as an urban center seems to have been
strongly influence by the availability of tracts of mudiya kanker which possess excellent run off characteristics.
This facilitated rainwater harvesting through an elaborate network of tanks. The catchments area (Agor) of
these tanks was treated as a sacred area where human activities like defecation were prohibited.

In towns around Bikaner, there was an abundance of tanks. The most important ones being at Kolayat with a
catchment area of 14,900 ha., Gajner 12,950 ha., and Ganga sarovar with 7,950 hectares. The water needs of the
town were met by the innumerable tanks in and around Bikaner, together with the wells and taankas that each
house traditionally built for harvesting rainwater from the roof tops. The water from the taankas was used only
for drinking purposes. If in any year there was less than normal rainfall and the taankas did not get filled, water
from proximal wells and tanks would be obtained to fill the household taankas. In this way, the people of
Bikaner were able to meet their water requirements.

Present situation:

The technique was largely abandoned in the later 20th century as pipes lines or hand pumps were laid, it was
when faced with drought-like situations, inadequate supplies of piped water on the account of growing
population, which also resulted in depleted or contaminated ground water, this traditional method was revived,
along with other traditional rainwater harvesting structures like, Naadi, a village pond and Beri, a small
rainwater-collecting wells, especially for supplying drinking water.
3. Kund - Underground storage - W.Rajasthan
The villagers of the Thar Desert had evolved an ingenious system
of rainwater harvesting known as kunds or kundis. Kund, the local
name given to a covered underground tank, was developed
primarily for tackling drinking water problems. Usually
constructed with local materials or cement, they are prevalent in
the western arid regions of Rajasthan. Here, the limited
groundwater is moderate to highly saline. Groundwater in Barmer,
in nearly 76 per cent of the district’s area, has total dissolved salts (TDS) ranging from 1,500-10,000 parts per
million (ppm). Under such conditions, kunds provided convenient, clean and sweet water for drinking.
Kunds were owned by communities or privately, with the rich having one or more kunds of their own.
Community kunds were built through village cooperation or by a rich man for the entire community.

History of Kund:
The first known construction of a kund in western Rajasthan
was during 1607 AD by one Raja Sursingh in village Vadi-ka-
Melan. In the Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur, a kund was
constructed during the regime of Maharaja Udai Singh in
1759 AD. During the Great Famine of 1895-96, construction
of kunds was taken up on a wide scale. It is quite possible
that kunds could have been built even prior to 1607 AD in the villages of western Rajasthan. Jalwali, a village on
the road from Bikaner to Anupgarh has nearly 300 kunds. Since the area is sandy, kunds have been constructed
wherever the land slopes. Each household owns four to five kunds. During the period of the Mahabharata, this
place had 84 kunds associated with an equal number of tirthas. All have now disappeared due to
encroachment.

Utility
Before the onset of rains every year, meticulous care was taken to clean up the
catchment of the kunds. Cattle grazing and entry with shoes into the catchment
area of the kunds was strictly prohibited. The proximity of a kund to the house
or village saved time and effort in searching for drinking water. Without a kund,
households in many parts of the Thar would have to make a 10-15 km round trip
with a donkey, camel or bullock cart to meet their water needs. Coupled with the
benefits of cleanliness and quality of water, the kund became an ideal device to
collect drinking water. Water-borne diseases, which are otherwise quite
common in the desert area, are thus reduced.
The kund consists of a saucer-shaped catchment area with a gentle slope
towards the centre where a tank is situated. Openings or inlets for water to go
into the tank are usually guarded by a wire mesh to prevent the entry of floating
debris, birds and reptiles. The top is usually covered with a lid from where water
can be drawn out with a bucket.
Kunds are by and large circular in shape, with little variation between the depth and diameter which ranges
from 3-4.5 m. Lime plaster or cement is typically used for the construction of the tank, since stone as a building
material is not always available and is relatively more expensive. Either of these materials can be used to plaster
the horizontal and vertical soil surfaces, although cement ensures a longer life span. The success of
a kund depends on the selection of the site, particularly its catchment characteristics. An adequately large
catchment area has to be selected or artificially prepared to
produce adequate runoff to meet the storage requirements
of the kund. The catchment size of kunds varies from about
20 sq m to 2 ha depending on the runoff needed and the
availability of spare land. A 2 ha catchment area, having a 2-3
per cent slope on a heavy textured soil free from vegetation,
is generally sufficient for a kund of 200 cubic metres (cum)
capacity.
The catchment areas of kunds were made in a variety of ways
using locally available sealing materials such as pond
silt, murrum, charcoal ash, and gravel. After clearing the soil surface of vegetation, the land was given a smooth
gradient of 3-4 per cent towards the kund and the cleared surface was lined with pond silt obtained from
nearby talabs or nadi beds. A local technique was used after the first shower of the monsoon season to make
this layer semi-permeable. In places where a calcium-carbonate zone was available below the soil surface at a
shallow depth, water-proofing of the soil was done with murrum. After clearing the soil surface of vegetation, a
thin layer of murrum was spread over it. With the onset of the monsoon, sheep and goats were made to move
over themurrum repeatedly till the surface was compacted and became semi-impermeable. During this process
water was also sprinkled, if needed. Although charcoal ash was not used as a surface sealing material by itself, it
was used to repair the catchment area made of pond silt and murrum. As the ash settled down, it filled the
pores making the surface water-proof. In certain areas, where rock exposures occurred, kund catchments were
made of gravel layers. Such catchments were, however, very few, depending on the availability of gravel.

Benefits
The benefits of kunds during inadequate rainfall have been in doubt. However, however, daily rainfall records
for 14 years in three or four raingauge stations in each of the 11 desert districts of Rajasthan puts these doubts
to rest. It was calculated that there was effective rainfall (25 mm) on at least four to six days every year, except in
Jaisalmer, Pali and Sikar.
With this rainfall, a kund with a catchment of 100 sq km could easily collect 10,000 litres of water. Kunds with a
diameter of 56 m and a catchment area of 2,463 sq m will bring in 246,000 litres of water. Even if we assume
that only 40-50 per cent of rain will turn into runoff, a kund can still store 0.1 million liters of water. The rainfall
data collected showed that areas with 100 mm of rainfall can use the kund system effectively. Even if
the kunds do not collect sufficient water they can be used as water reservoirs which can be filled by
transporting water through water tankers.

Present
 At present, tankers remain in the village till such time as the villagers have filled their pitchers, making
numerous trips and losing a lot of time in the process. By filling the kunds, the tankers would need to make
fewer trips as the entirekund could be filled up at one go.

4. Kuis and dakeriyan - Deep pits near tanks - W.Rajasthan

Kuis or beris were deep pits dug near tanks to collect the seepage. They were also used to
harvest rainwater in areas with scanty rainfall. From a narrow mouth a kui gets wider to
prevent evaporation of collected water but at the same time facilitates more water

collecting.

They are found in abundance in Bikaner district of western Rajasthan. These are 10-12 m
deep pits dug near tanks to collect the seepage. Kuis can also be used to harvest
rainwater in areas of meager rainfall. The mouth of the pit is usually made very narrow to
prevent the collected water from evaporating. The pit gets wider as it burrows under the ground, so that water
can seep in into a large surface area. The openings of these entirely kuchcha (earthen) structures are generally
covered with planks of wood, or put under lock and key. The water is used sparingly, as a last resource in crisis
situations.

A kuin is a very narrow, shallow, vertical and cylindrical structure. They serve to
slowly convert the moisture in the sand into water. It is a little difficult to
understand the system, but we must not forget that, for centuries, people have
been using this technique with great ease. In a very slow process, the kuin
converts the conserved moisture of the sand to water and is employed
particularly in those areas where ground water is saline and no other source of
drinking water is available. Saline ground water is commonly found in all those
areas where a hard stratum of gypsum or chalk exists. Kuins are mainly
constructed on such hard strata to check the percolation of rainwater .

5. Baoris / bers- Community wells - Rajasthan

These structures were constructed to mitigate drinking water supply, particularly in cities and towns. The bawri
(step-well) was simply made pukka providing pulley to draw the water through rope and bucket. These are
often example of beautiful mansions and many of them carry the name of either important social or royal
personalities or the holy sites. It has been seen that in general ground water aquifers of bawri and step-well
were essentially sweet water aquifer and not saline. These systems used to get very regular heavy recharge
every year to meet the society's requirement. Thus, the site selections for these essentially must have been
based on sound scientific line of exploring ground water with high and regular recharge source of high quality
 Birkha Bwri - Jodhpur Mahila Bagh ka Jhalra Toor ji ka jhalra - Jodhpur

6. Talab - Lake (surface water) - Bikaner, Rajasthan

In the city of Bikaner itself, there were eight talabs since 1985 but today most of them are non-functional and
abandoned. A reservoir area of less than five bighas is called a talai; a medium sized lake is called
a bandhi or talab; bigger lakes are called sagar or samand. The functional ones are also having problem of
reduction in runoff water from their respective catchments due to urbanization and unchecked encroachment.
Sansolao, Harshalao, Devikundsagar, Kalyansagar, Surajnath talai, Navalpuri talai and Shivbari talab are the
important ponds of Bikaner city. These larger sized ponds intercept water from the local catchment and store
it for optimum utilization. Such structures not only reduce the erosive velocity of runoff but also prevent the
gullies from further enlargement. The water retained on the upstream side or behind the structure can be used
for lift irrigation and as drinking water for people, as well as for cattle and other animals.

Gadisagar lake – Jaisalmer Harsholav pond, Bikaner

7. Jhalaras – Tank - Rajasthan, Gujarat

They were human-made tanks, found in Rajasthan and Gujarat, essentially meant for community use and for
religious rites. Often rectangular in design, jhalaras have steps on three or four sides. Jhalars are ground water
bodies which are built to ensure easy & regular supply of water to the surrounding areas. The jhalars are
rectangular in shape with steps on three or even on all the four sides of the tank. The steps are built on a series
of levels. The jhalaras collect subterranean seepage of a talab or a lake located upstream. The water from these
jhalaras was used for only community bathing and religious rites. Jodhpur city has eight jhalaras two of which
are inside the town & six are found outside the city. The oldest jhalara is the mahamandir jhalara which dates
back to 1660 AD.
8. Nadi - Village ponds - Jodhpur, Rajasthan
They are village ponds, found near Jodhpur in Rajasthan. They are
used for storing water from an adjoining natural catchment during
the rainy season. The site was selected by the villagers based on an
available natural catchments and its water yield potential. Water
availability from nadi would range from two months to a year after
the rains. In the dunal areas they range from 1.5 to 4.0 meters and
those in sandy plains varied from 3 to 12 meters. The location of
the nadi had a strong bearing on its storage capacity due to the
related catchment and runoff characteristics.

9. Khadins, Dhora - Embankment across lower hill slopes - Jaisalmer, W. Rajasthan

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 khadin system 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 practiced 4,000 years
ago in the Negev desert, and in southwestern Colorado 500 years ago.

10. Vav / Vavdi / Baoli / Bavadi –

Traditional stepwells are called vav or vavadi in Gujarat, or baolis or bavadis in Rajasthan and northern India.
Built by the nobility usually for strategic and/or philanthropical reasons, they were secular structures from which
everyone could draw water. Most of them are defunct today. Stepwell locations often suggested the way in
which they would be used. When a stepwell was located within or at the edge of a village, it was mainly used for
utilitarian purposes and as a cool place for social gatherings. When stepwells were located outside the village,
on trade routes, they were often frequented as resting places. Many important stepwells are located on the
major military and trade routes from Patan in the north to the sea coast of Saurashtra. When stepwells were
used exclusively for irrigation, a sluice was constructed at the rim to receive the lifted water and lead it to a
trough or pond, from where it ran through a drainage system and was channeled into the fields.
11. Tobas - ponds - Rajsthan
Tobas is the local name given to a ground depression with a natural catchment area. A hard plot of land with
low porosity, consisting of a depression and a natural catchment area was selected for the construction of
tobas.

12. Paar – shallow well – Jaisalmer, W.Rajasthan

This is a common water harvesting practice in the western
Rajasthan region. It is a common place where the rainwater
flows from the agar (catchment) and in the process percolates
into the sandy soil. In order to access the rajani pani (percolated
water) kuis or beris are dug in the agor (storage area). Kuis or
beris are normally 5 metres (m) to 12 m deep. The structure was
constructed through traditional masonary technology. Normally
six to ten of them are constructed in a paar. However
depending on the size of the paar the numbers of kuis or beris are decided. There are paars in Jaisalmer district
where there are more than 20 kuis are in operation. This is the most predominant form of rainwater harvesting
in the region. Rainwater harvested through PAAR technique is known as Patali paani.

13. Naada / Bandha –land submerged in water - Mewar, Thar

Desert
Naada/bandha are found in the Mewar region of the Thar Desert. It is a
stone check dam, constructed across a stream or gully, to capture
monsoon runoff on a stretch of land. Submerged in water, the land
becomes fertile as silt deposits on it and the soil retains substantial
amounts of water.

14. Rapat – percolation tank - Rajasthan

A rapat is a percolation tank, with a bund to impound rainwater flowing through a watershed and a waste weir
to dispose of the surplus flow. If the height of the structure is small, the bund may be built of masonary,
otherwise earth is used. Rajasthan rapats, being small, are all masonry structures. Rapats and percolation tanks
do not directly irrigate land, but recharges well within a distance of 3-5 km downstream. Silting is a serious
problem with small rapats and the estimated life of a rapat varies from 5 to 20 years.
15. Bundela Tank – steps leading to water - Rajasthan
These tanks are bigger in size as compared to Chandela tanks. These tanks had solidly constructed steps
leading to water in the tank; but these structures had chabootaras, pavillions and royal orchards designed to
show off the glory of the king who built them. But these tanks are not as cost effective and simple as Chandela
tanks. These tanks were constructed to meet the growing water demands in the area; maintenance of these
tanks was done by the person employed by the king but in case of smaller tanks villagers collectively removed
silt and repair embankment.

Case Study: Beriyanwali, Bikaner

There is one village called Beriyanwali, in the district of Bikaner. People of this village were never thirsty till they

were dependent on the traditional sources of water. When the canals water reached their homes through pipelines,
the traditional water sources began to be neglected. Such situation has to be faced by many villages in the Thar

Desert, which have now become dependent on the water supply by PHED. People feel cheated and the traditionally

reliable sources now stand neglected.

Back in time, this village had about 350 kuiyan-beriyan or wells-small and less deep. People of Thar Desert used to

develop water bodies as per their requirement and suitability. They have been known as ‘beriyan’, ‘kuiyan’
and ‘ukeriyan’. These are small walls with little depth; local material has been used for constructing and

consolidating the walls of these wells. The material includes locally available lime, from domestic stoves and the
straw which is locally available. These small wells are 15-20 feet deep. Local people by their traditional knowledge

identify such places where hard rocky surface is available at little depth, the wells are constructed there.

The rainwater is collected in such areas. This water channelizes and percolates down the surface and is collected
underground. There is a rocky sheet below 15 to 25 feet and the water does not percolate further below this sheet.

The harvested water remains underground and is drawn from the well as per the need.
To prevent evaporation, the mouth of the well is kept narrow and the lid made of indigenous material is kept over
it. Collected water is called ‘palar pani’ i.e. the pure rain water. These water bodies belong to communities or to

individuals.

Socio-cultural value Attached to Water

Water in the desert has a very close relationship with people and society. Therefore, it is a precious commodity. A
lot of faith and respect is attached with water. Hence, wastage of water is condemned. It is used to satisfy the dire
needs of the people and not used as luxury. Water has been equated with the prestige and honor of a person.

The grat hindi poet Rahim quotes “ Rahiman pani rakhiye, bin paani sab sun, / pani gaye na ubre moti, manas

chun.”Meaning – always save water - all is in vain without it. If water is lost, pearl, men and flour are of no use.
Water is shine of a pearl, prestige of a person and the life of flour. Flour cannot be cooked without water.

Present day scenario

Ancient Rajasthan was self-reliant based on their own traditional water harvesting techniques. They formed a

structured society to protect and care for water. They realized and revered the value of water. But the advent of
technology and urbanism brought Indira-Gandhi canal to provide water from the hills. This led to the
encroachment of these valuable innovations. There were large areas under agors of talab, talai, bawri, tanka etc.
Slowly the traditional practices faded away. It led to depletion of these water resources. Many people stressed on

removal of encroachment on agor (catchment) that may be by government or individual. It is the main reason for
low amount of rainwater supply. A decade back around 2000 villages of the districts of Bikaner, Jodhpur and

Jaisalmer suffered crisis of drinking water. These villages were connected with the canals for drinking purpose but

there were no water available in the canals. About 17 lac people were affected.

It has been estimated that is the rainfall of about 100mm on 1 hectare of land is harvested; it can give us

approximately 1 million liters of water. Likewise rain water harvested on 5 lakh hectares can be sufficient for two
and half crore of the people for one year at the rate of 50 liters per day. These old structures should be maintained

and they need to be cleaned and dug well before onset of monsoon rain. The agor area should be demarcated and
fenced well and the stored water should optimally be used. When the respondents have been asked who should

take responsibility for care of this age old technique, the majority 266 (77.1%) of them replied that the government
should take care of these water structures with the local participation. The Proper Management and Conservation
of Natural Resources is a must, or it will lead to a great Problem for Planners to meet the Increasing Demand of

Water. Water Harvesting Is Indispensable Technique For The Safety Of Water Resources. The Old Water Structures

Which was demolished and encroached upon, are to be revived.

References
1. DU Journal of Undergraduate Research and Innovation - Volume 2, Issue 2 pp 165-171, 2016
Water Management in Western Rajasthan Tejbir Singh Rana1, Bharat Ratnu2, Sukhram3 Pranjal Singh,
Drishti, Nilakshi Pathak, Rajnish, Munish, Rinkal, Ujala, Srinwanti Shee, Kalpana Pandey, Paras Panwar.
2. Rural Empowerment through Revival of Traditional Techniques of Water Harvesting in Arid Region: A
Geographical Study of Bikaner District (Rajasthan)
3. CGWB report_nrmc_Traditional water harvesting
4. Development of Underdeveloped Regions: A Case of Arid Regions – edited by Sheo Kumar Lal and
Umaid Raj Nahar.
5. Water Conservation: Traditional Rain Water Harvesting Systems in Rajasthan - Dhruv Saxena1 1M.E.
Student, M.B.M. Engineering, JNV University Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India, 2017.
6. Training Package for Rain Water Harvesting - Sulekha1 , Rajendra Rathore2 and Prem Nath, 2015
7. Rainwater harvesting: a key to survival rainwater harvesting: a key to survival in hot arid zone of
rajasthan - Dr. R.K.Goyal
8. Urmul – working in the desert terrain finding sustainable solutions – Deepika Nayyar, 2015

9. Life thrived in the Thar Desert with the Age old wisdom of water conservation - Shubhu Patwa
10. Aaj bhi khare hai talab – Anupam Mishra