Irrigation tank

An irrigation tank or tank is an artificial reservoir of any size, mainly in India. (The word sagar refers to a large lake, usually man-made). It can also have a natural or man-made spring included as part of a structure. Tanks are part of an ancient tradition of harvesting and preserving the local rainfall and water from streams and rivers for later use, primarily for agriculture and drinking water, but also for sacred bathing and ritual. Often a tank was constructed across a slope so to collect and store water by taking advantage of local mounds and depressions. Tank use is especially critical in parts of South India without perennial rainfall where water supply replenishment is dependent on a cycle of dry seasons alternating with monsoon seasons.

Reasons for why Tank irrigation more common in South India

1. The undulating relief and hard rock’s make it difficult to dig canals and wells.

2. There is little percolation of rain water due to hard rock structure and ground water is not available in large quantity.