NRG’s Research On Underground Water System Accepted By A Texas Varsity
Methodical ways of traditional rainwater harvesting fascinated her from childhood. And now, Keya Majmundar — who grew up in a pol and is currently based in the US — has had her research paper on the walled city’s underground water conservation systems accepted by an American university. Majmundar, a multimedia and visual communication professional, submitted her paper to Austin Community College, Texas.
The paper documents how farsighted residents of the walled city collected rain water from terraces on their houses and directed it to underground cisterns. This conservation practice was followed in an era in which ‘going green’ was not a buzz phrase.As for her research, Majmundar has created a website to make the findings available to audiences across the world.
Majmundar’s research — entitled the ‘Tanka Project’ — has been carried out to spur the revival of traditional ‘tankas’ as the source of water in households. As the same aim informed the rationale of a pilot project conceived by the AMC in 2005, Majmundar had submitted her research wisdom to the AMC as well.
The subterr aneancis – tern (tanka), which is still a part of many A h m e d ab a d households in the walled city, is a rare par t of the heritage of Gujarat. Sadly, it is fast passing into oblivion, Majmundar’s research notes. “The walled city of Ahmedabad has unique tankas — water harvesting systems — a concept that was fostered under royal patronage and was later dislodged due to British orders ,” the paper observes. “In Ahmedabad, these tankas have not been in use for over fifty years, as the then British government passed an ordinance for their closure fearing that freedom fighters might use them as hiding places.”
To understand the working and the construction of tankas, the systems at two houses in Dhobi-ni-Pol were documented and eight other tankas at various areas in the walled city were also studied. “Going by a conservative estimate of 25,000 litre of water per tanka, there is a potential to harness 25,00,00,000,00 litres per year in the walled city,” the research says. “Hence, the revival of ancient wisdom will have far-reaching positive repercussion.”
One of the most interesting aspects of the research emerges from the lab testing of the water stored in these tankas for years. The water was found to be portable and hygenic to drink.
