Question

A drought-prone district wants to adopt a sustainable water conservation method using traditional knowledge. Suggest two suitable rainwater harvesting practices that could be implemented.

Hint:

Think of the old Rajasthan methods and what a family can do on its own roof.

Answer 1

Step 1: Understanding the Question:
The district faces drought, so water is scarce. We need traditional, sustainable methods that catch rainwater and keep it for later use. Two such methods are asked for.

Step 2: Practice 1: Rooftop rainwater harvesting:
Rain falling on the roof is led through pipes into a tank or an underground storage. This water is kept for household needs.
In dry months the family can use the stored water, so it relies less on surface water and groundwater. In Rajasthan, such water is stored in underground tanks called tankas, which is an old form of this method.

Step 3: Practice 2: Johads or khadins:
In dry regions people build small earthen check dams called johads, or khadins in Jaisalmer, to stop the flow of rainwater. The water is held behind the bund.
It then seeps into the ground. This raises the groundwater level, fills wells and supports irrigation in water-scarce areas.

Step 4: Why these suit a drought-prone district:
Both methods are cheap, use local knowledge, need little technology and are easy to maintain. They store water at the place where rain falls, and they restore groundwater for the future.

Final Answer:
Rooftop rainwater harvesting and johads (khadins) are two suitable traditional practices. \[ \boxed{\text{Rooftop rainwater harvesting and johads or khadins}} \]