Every Drop Counts: Long Long Ago
Every Drop Counts: Long Long Ago
Every Drop Counts: Long Long Ago
51
2020-21
Through the eyes of Al-Biruni
More than a thousand years ago, a traveller came to
India. His name was Al-Biruni. The place that he came
from is now called Uzbekistan. Al-Biruni carefully
observed and noted down the details of all that he saw.
He wrote especially about those things that he found
very different from his own country. Here is a part of what he
wrote about the ponds of that time.
The people here are very skilled at making ponds. My
countrymen would be surprised to see them. They pile up huge
rocks and join them with iron rods to build chabutaras (raised
platforms) all around the lake. Between these, there are rows
of long staircases, going up and down. The steps for going up
and coming down are separate. So there is less crowding.
Today when we study history, we can learn a lot about those days
from the writings of Al-Biruni. (This stamp came out in 1973, one
thousand years after his birth.)
Drop-by-drop
Besides Jaisalmer, many places in Rajasthan, get very little
rainfall. Here it rains for only a few days in the entire year,
sometimes not even that much. The rivers here do not have
Teacher’s Note : We can tell children how Al-Biruni’s book is helpful to know
about the past. Also discuss about other sources of history, such as old buildings,
coins, paintings, etc. Help children to locate Uzbekistan in the world map.
52 Looking Around
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water all round the year. And yet, most of the villages in
these areas did not have a shortage of water. People knew
that every drop of water was precious. Lakes and johads
were made to collect water. Water was
everyone’s need. One and all came
together in this work – be it a
businessman or a labourer. Some water
from the lakes soaked into the ground
and reached the wells and bavdis
(stepwell). The soil of the area also
became wet and fertile.
Every house had a system to collect
the rain water. Look at the picture on
your right. How do you think the
Teacher’s Note : How does the earth soak water and how does it reach wells and
stepwells? This can be discussed with children.
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Long ago, people used to make long journeys with their
caravans of animals and goods. People felt it was a good
thing to give water to thirsty travellers. Thus, they built
many beautiful stepwells.
w Have you ever faced a shortage of water in your area?
If yes, then what was the reason for it?
Talk to your grandmother or any elderly person. Find
out, when they were of your age:
w From where did they get water for the house? Has there
been a change now?
w What kind of water arrangements were made for
travellers – for example piau, mashak (leather bag) or
any other? Now what do people do about water when
they travel?
Customs related to water
Even today people get water from very old lakes, dharas,
stepwells and naulas. Many customs and festivals are related
to water. At some places,
whenever lakes get filled up
with rainwater, the people
gather around the lake to
celebrate.
See the bride of Uttarakhand
in this picture. After getting
married she has come to the
new village. She bows to the
spring or the pond. In cities
Devraj Agarwal
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Do you have some special pots for water at your place?
Look, water is being filled in this beautiful copper pot. The
shining yellow pot of brass is seen in the other picture. Many
stone carvings are also made near the place of drinking water.
Have you ever seen any beautiful building near the place of
water? Where?
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Think over it!
In 1986, there was no rain in Jodhpur and the surrounding areas.
People remembered the old and forgotten stepwell (baoli). They
cleaned the stepwell and more than two hundred trucks of garbage
was taken out of it. People of the area collected money. The thirsty
town got water from the stepwell. After a few years it rained well
and again the stepwell was forgotten.
Discuss
There are two old wells in the area where Punita lives. Her
grandmother says that about fifteen - twenty years ago there
was water in these wells. The wells could have dried up
because:
w Water is being pumped up from under the ground,
with the help of electric motors.
w The lakes in which rain water used to collect are no
longer there.
w The soil around trees and parks is now covered with
cement.
w Is there some other reason for this? Explain.
The story today
Let us see the different ways in which people manage water today.
See page 57 and discuss.
Do you get water in your house by any of these ways? Put a tick (✓)
on that. If you get water by some other way, write in your notebook.
56 Looking Around
2020-21
A Jal Board water tanker We fill water from the well. We get water at home for
comes to our colony twice a The nearby well dried up a half an hour. We fill this in
day. We have to stand in a year ago. Now we have to the tank to use all day.
long queue to get water from walk far to reach the other Sometime it is dirty.
the tanker. People at times well. We are not allowed to
have fights over water. take water from some of the
wells because of our caste.
This is how
we get
water There is a handpump
nearby, but the water that
We get water from our taps,
all day long. we get from it is salty. We
have to buy water for
drinking.
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Discuss
w Everyone has the right to live. Yet, is everybody getting
enough water to live or even water to drink? Why is it
that some people have to buy drinking water? Should it
be like this? Water on this earth is for one and all. Some
people draw out water from the ground by deep bore
wells. How far is it correct? Have you ever seen this?
Why do some people put a pump directly in the Jal Board
pipe line? What problems would other people face due
to this? Do you have any such experience?
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It can be done
There are some groups that work hard to bring water to the
people of different areas. They ask the elders about the water
arrangement in their times. They rebuild the old lakes and
johads, and also build new ones. Let us see how the group
called Tarun Bharat Sangh helped Darki Mai.
w Have you ever read this kind of news in any newspaper? How
did people solve their problem of water? Did they repair and
reuse any old lake or stepwell?
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