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Structure and Working of Check Dams

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STRUCTURE AND WORKING OF CHECK DAMS The word 'dam' carries a connotation that has always reminded me of a massive towering structure built over a gushing river. However, there is another kind of dam, implemented in regions such as Rajasthan: the check dam. Unlike their larger counterparts, checks dams are designed stop water to enable it to perculate into the ground to recharge the acquirers. Rajasthan, with its arid climate and frequent droughts, has been a pioneer in the use of check dams for many years. Over the last few years, through government programs and community efforts, traditional water conservation techniques like johads (small earthen check dams) have been revitalized.  Typically constructed in areas of steep terrain,  Check dams, also known as gully plugs are small barriers built across natural drainage channel to capture and store runoff water. Essentially, in a small catchment area, the small dams store extra water flow during monsoon rains. The impounded wate...
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Evolution of Check Dams

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Over the years, I have garnered basic knowledge about check dams and their utility. Learning that I would be putting that knowledge to use and building a check dam with my own bare hands seemed like an exciting proposition. Although it was a sweltering hot afternoon, my classmates and I enjoyed building the base of the check dam together.  On returning home, I began researching more about check dams and their structures. I learned that for a capital-starved country like India, check dams are pragmatic ways of building infrastructure projects with high turnaround rates while benefiting the environment.    Agriculture and animal husbandry are the main sources of income in the rural areas of Rajasthan. The adverse effects of scanty and scattered rainfall distribution have been increasing the gap between potential and actual production in North Western India. The main benefits of the construction of check dams are land development and soil conservation. Subsequently, it facil...
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My First Visit to a Check Dam

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During my first visit to a rural village in Rajasthan, I met a young, 8-year-old girl, Sunita. The innocence of her childhood had been sapped by the heat of the desert. My interaction with that girl has left an imprint on my memory. Her sore legs were forced to walk 8 km just to get water for domestic use every day. Her father was a farmer who worked tirelessly under the merciless sun. He was unable to provide his family with dinner on the table at night because his crops had failed. My family is originally from Rajasthan and so it is heart-breaking that there are people living in such regions without access to the basic human necessity- water.         Water sources in such regions are varied and often seasonal, ranging from ponds, lakes, and streams to open wells, bore wells, and irrigation canals. Majority of the year, the citizens of Rajasthan experience a severe shortage of water for agricultural and domestic use. Due to erratic water availability crops often fai...
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