Water Conservation

Through
Architecture

Traditional Indian Practices

Rajastha
n

The Western Rajasthan Area

Receives least rainfall in the country- 9 inches
Ground Water level - 300 ft. below the ground level(Saline water)
Summers-48C
Clouds seldom visit this area
Suffers Water Insecurity

Traditional Practices To conserve

water
Kund or Taanka

Widely used for rain water

harvesting
A catchment area with slope
towards taanka is created.
40 ft. deep, with perfect
water proofing
Collects 100,000 litres of
water in one season
Surrounded with tiles to keep
water cool
Water used only for drinking
Water Remains for a year
around
A small Taanka or kund
Found in most Bikaner
houses.
Built in main house or
in the courtyard
10`x 10` in size
Constructed with lime
plaster and tiles.

 Paar system

Kui or

A common rainwater harvesting

technique in western Rajasthan
Rain water flows from the
agar(catchment) and percolates
in the sandy soil
Kuis and beris are dug in the
agor(storage area) to access the
rajani pani(percolated water).
Kuis and beris are 5m-12m deep
Constructed through traditional
masonry technology.
6-10 kuis are present in one
paar.
There are 20 of them in one
paar in Jaisalmer.

 Kunds

Covered underground tanks

developed to tackle
drinking water scarcity
Looks like upturned cup
nestling in a saucer.
Provides convenient, clean
and sweet water for
drinking.
Has a saucer shaped
catchment area that gently
slopes towards the center
where the kund is situated.
A wire mesh Across the inlet
prevents debris from falling
into the well pit.
The sides of the well pit is
covered with (disinfectant)
lime and ash.
A dome shaped cover
usually covers the kund
from top.

 Step Well or Baolis or

Bavadis

Built by the nobility usually for strategic

and/or philanthropical reasons.
Secular structures from which everyone
could draw water
Sculptures and inscriptions in step wells
demonstrate thetraditional social and
cultural lives of people.
When a step well 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 step wells were

located outside the village,
on trade routes, they were
often frequented as resting
places
Use of pillars to mark the
place so the people should
not make the place dirty.

Rain water harvesting in

Jaisalmer

Receives only 16 cm of
rainfall, yet highest colorful
life flourish
A stream runs below every
house as every house
collects rainwater.
Every house collects more
than 25,000 litres of water in
one season
Apart from this 52 beautiful
water bodies are designed
around the town.
Water bodies are present for
all season.
Combination of Aesthetics
with engineering.
Sculptures for mass
communication.

Jaigarh Fort

Jaigarh fort is a great example of

self sustenance and rain water
harvesting.
Its age is 400 yrs.
Brings water from the hills
through several canals.
Collects water through many
wide channels.
Storage is done in the mainly
3underground tanks.
The biggest tank collects 6million
gallon of water in one season.