Khadin system of water

management
 KHADIN
SYSTEM OF
WATER
MANAGEMENT

BY- SHAILESH KUMAR PANDEY

 contents
• Introduction
• Principle and functioning
• Soil characteristics
• Cropping pattern and agro-forestry
• Importance
• Intervention of government
• Effects
• Analysis
• Scope
• Suggestion
 Introduction
• A traditional method to harvest surface runoff water.
• First designed by the PALIWAL BRAHMINS of JAISALMER in
15th century.
• Khadin system has great similarity with irrigation method
found in Iraq around 4500 BC & Middle East.
• Similar system found in Israel over 5000 years ago & 9000
years ago in Jordan.
• Ensures atleast one crop annually.
• Man made oasis.
 PRINCIPLE AND FUNCTIONING
 KHADIN SYSTEM IS A RUNOFF FARMING ON
STORED SOIL PROFILE MOISTURE & GROUND
WATER RECHARGING SYSTEM.
 BASED ON HARVESTING OF WATER RUNOFF
FROM CATCHMENT AREA WHICH IS SITE
SPECIFIC IN PROXIMITY OF PLAIN VALLEY LAND.
 THE RATIO BETWEEN ROCKY CATCHMENT AND
CULTIVABLE KHADIN AREA VARRIES FROM 12:1
TO 15:1.
 SOIL CHARACTERISTICS
(A)PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTIC
 SOILS ARE MEDIUM TO FINE IN TEXTURE AND HAVE GOOD WATER
RETENTION CAPACITY

FORMED OF HEAVY FLUVIAL DEPOSITS MAINLY OF FINE SEDIMENTS OF

STANDING WATER

(B)SOIL MOISTURE
MOISTURE IS NATURALLY MAINTAINED BY HARVESTED WATER

AS WATER RECEDES INTO SUB-SOILS AND SUBSTRATA DURING WINTER

SUPPLIES MOISTURE TO THE DEEP PENETRATING AND GROWING ROOTS OF
THE CROPS
 CONTD……

 (C)SOIL FERTILITY
 CONTAINS RELATIVELY HIGH ORGANIC MATTER OR HUMUS
 RICH IN MOST NUTRIENT REQUIRED BY A PLANT
 (D) SOIL SALINITY
 OLD KHADINS INDICATED NO ACCUMULATION OF SALTS EVEN
THOUGH LOTS OF SALTS HAVE BEEN GENERALLY ACCUMULATED
OUTSIDE KHADIN.

CROPPING PATTERN AND AGRO FORESTRY

 Main crop :-
 In kharif season:-Bajra
 Rabi season:-wheat,Gram,chickpea etc
 Multipurpose perennial tree like Acacia nilotica,Prospis
cineraria,Zizypus maulitiana etc

 IMPORTANCE
• Has efficiently functioned for agricultural use without
causing degradation of soil or land
• Instead it has progressively enriched the soil with fresh
deposits and moist conditions
• The economic status of those farmers who share khadins
is certainly better than other farmers
• Good, dense and tall natural vegetation are found on the
foot pole of such sites which provides green shady trees,
top feeds and grasses as well as drinking water for
animals and human beings
INTERVENTION OF GOVERNMENT
• Khadins have received great attention under soil and water
conservation programme.
• New khadins are being made under desert development
programme (DDP)
• institution like central arid zone research,jodhpur;state
remote sensing applicaton center etc. are suggesting more
and better sites for khadins.
• State is ensuring better management & utilisation of existing
khadins.
 EFFECTS
Traps rainwater in field and prevents erosion of soil by water
Organic manure and minerals from the field do not flow with
rainwater
Plants and agriculture waste lying in the field also get converted
into manure due to stagnating water
Yield of BAJRA in khadins is estimated to be double that of on a
normal field
Can also produce two crops from the same field but if bund
breaks then its not possible.
 Analysis
 The construction of khadins is largely dependent on the
economic factor the rate of return of a khadins constructed by
undertaking earthwork is between 11 and 14 per cent,which
is not economical.
 SCOPE
Can have 3-4 fold increase in agricultural production in
comparison with non-khadins condition.
Ensures atleast one crop in a year.
Can play vital role in improving socio-economic conditions of
desert dwellers.
Helpful in recharge of ground water.
Can create positive impact on the ecology of the region.
 suggestions
 The design of khadins must be improved to minimized
the loss due to breach of the bund. A structural
engineer, as well as a team of village technicians, may
be asked to look into the ideal design and dimension.
 The construction of khadins by strengthening the baad
by more systematic KANABANDI should be studied
and propagated.it is a low-cost technology.The
topographical conditions(slope,wind speed and
direction,soil type etc),which make it possible to
construct such khadins,may be enumerated and
propagated.
 Crops which are best suited to this system needs to be
developed.
 REFERENCE
• Soil and Water Conservation: Dr. R.K.
GOYAL(C.A.Z.I Jhodhpur).
• Traditional Agriculture & Water Technique:
Bharat Jhunjunwala.
• www.google.com.