At a glance
- Khadin farms the moisture: wheat or chickpea is sown in the wet soil the water leaves behind and ripens without irrigation.
- Season: the khadin's water sinks in or is let out by about November, before the winter crop is sown.
- Johad revival: from 1985 Tarun Bharat Sangh, led by Rajendra Singh, revived johads in Alwar.
Khadin
| What it is | A long earthen bund across the foot of a rocky slope; the monsoon runoff stands on the farmland behind it, and a spillway lets out the surplus |
|---|---|
| Makers | The Paliwal Brahmins, centuries ago |
Nadi, tanka, kund and johad
| Structure | What it is |
|---|---|
| Nadi | A dug or embanked village pond that stores runoff for people and animals |
| Tanka | A covered underground cistern that stores rain from a clean catchment for drinking; forts such as Jaigarh have large ones |
| Kund (kundi) | A circular underground well in the middle of a saucer-shaped catchment called agor, for drinking water |
| Johad | A small earthen dam or pond across a slope that holds runoff and recharges groundwater |
Remember: often mixed up
- KhadinJaisalmer is the district it is tied to, not Nagaur, Bikaner or Pali.
- Khadin or tankaa khadin waters a field for a crop · a tanka stores drinking water.
Test yourself: asked in exams
RAS Prelims 2024 · Q8
In which district of Rajasthan 'Khadin' is a popular method of water conservation ?
- (1)Nagaur
- (2)Bikaner
- (3)Jaisalmer
- (4)Pali
Show answer
✓ (3) Jaisalmer
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