Livelihood Augmentation in Rainfed Areas - Development Support ...

foundations, are uneconomical.
Infiltration pit: A pit dug to a permeable depth of soil for infiltration of harvested
rainwater into the sub-surface soil. (Kakade, 2005) It has the effect of reducing surface
run-off but increasing sub-surface flow.
Purpose: To increase soil moisture levels and ground water availability in the lower
reaches. The top layer of the soil remains uninterrupted for farming.
Jal kund: A small dug-out with silpholin plastic lining. (Kakade, 2005)
Purpose: To store rainwater.
Khadin: A very popular form of inundation farming or rainwater conservation
practised in western Rajasthan. ‘Khadin’ is a local term for a submergence tank.
(Mahnot et. al., 2003)
Purpose: To conserve water during the kharif season for irrigation and other purposes.
Once the stored water is used, the residual moisture in the land is utilized to raise an
agricultural crop, usually in the rabi season.
Kuin: An age-old rainwater conservation and storage system prevalent in areas where
water is scarce. It is a system that collects sweet water for drinking only from the
rainwater or moisture conserved in the deep sand strata. A kuin is a very narrow,
shallow, vertical and cylindrical structure, which helps to transform the moisture that is
hidden in the sand into precious drops of drinking water. (Mahnot et. al., 2003)
Purpose: To conserve moisture and use it as drinking water in places of acute drinking
water shortage such as the arid and saline regions of Rajasthan, where the practice
has evolved.
Kunds or tankas: Older communities in desert cities use the roofs of their houses and
courtyards to collect rainwater and store it in covered underground tanks that prevent
loss due to evaporation. A tanka is a small circular or rectangular underground tank
with lime mortar or cement plaster, constructed normally on shallow ground. (Mahnot
et. al., 2003)
Purpose: To store rainwater for drinking water and domestic use in arid and desert
climates. Small tankas can meet the needs of individual families whereas larger tankas,
built as common property, meet the requirements of groups or communities.
Land levelling and grading: The process of preparing or modifying (that is, reshaping)
the land surface to a planned grade, to provide a suitable surface for cultivation.
Purpose: To prepare a suitable field surface, control the flow of water, check soil erosion
Glossary of Terms
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