Question

With the help of a diagram, explain the Khadin water harvesting system.

Answer 1

Khadin water harvesting system

1. Khadin is an ingenious construction designed to harvest surface runoff water for agricultural purposes in Rajasthan.
2. It is based on the principle of harvesting the rainwater on the farmland and subsequent use of this water-saturated land for crop production.

Components of the Khadin system:

1. It is a very long earthen embankment of around 100 - 300m in length.
2. It is built across the lower hill slopes.
3. The sliding gate system allows excess water to drain off.

Figure: Khadin system