The Johads Of Rajasthan
In the arid northwestern state of Rajasthan in India, where water is a precious resource, the people have mastered survival in one of the harshest terrains on earth.
This huge desert state, home to various ancient architectural marvels was once dotted with thousands of small reservoirs–johads–which captured the fleeting rainfall and replenished underground water reserves.
These structures sustained their communities for generations. However, as modernisation and colonialism took hold, these johads became obsolete. The consequences for the people and their communities were disastrous. Wells and rivers dried up and villages were left struggling. The situation was only made worse by unemployment.
This was until the mid-1980s when a grassroots organisation led the revival of these structures, as well as a renewed connection between the people and their land.
The desert state of Rajasthan in India has been known for its traditional water harvesting systems. One of the most prominent of these systems was the johad, a crescent-shaped dam built using earth and rocks, dating back to 1500 BC that was built to slow down the run-off from rainfall and enhance groundwater percolation, the infiltration and downward movement of water through the soil, and recharge, the replenishing of water underground (Sehgal Foundation, 2014).
Figure- Diagram of a Johad from No Tech Magazine
Previously, the construction of the johads was financially supported by the rulers of Rajasthan.
As the British eventually became the new rulers of India in the 20th century, the johads had gradually begun falling out of use. They brought with them their own systems of water management, including dams, sewers, and irrigation channels. In his article, Vasintjan (2015) points out the British then discouraged the community management schemes necessary for the maintenance of the johads.
In the 1930s and 1940s, the Aravali mountain range of Rajasthan was draped in lush, green foliage, like an oasis in an otherwise dry and desolate land, sustained by an intricate networks of indigenously built water reservoirs that ensured the scarce rainfall was captured in order to provide sufficient water to the people in times of drought (Singh, 2021).
However, relentless logging, along with the disappearance of the johads triggered a water crisis, marked by the vanishing water sources, crop failure, and the displacement of entire communities. However, this wasn’t the end of their struggle.
Revival of the Johads
One of the worst droughts was ravaging the Alwar district in the mid-1980s, despite receiving an average of 615 mm of rainfall, as per data from 2022. By comparison, districts like Bikaner in Western Rajasthan received 476 mm in rainfall (Rajasthan Monsoon Report, 2022).
Despite receiving a healthy amount of rainfall, Alawar’s water levels had been so critically depleted in the 80s that the government had to declare it, along with another area, part of a ‘dark zone’, an area where water levels were so low that groundwater extraction was prohibited (Singh, 2021).
Matters were only made worse as people from the district began migrating to the cities for better opportunities, leaving behind women and children. Many of those who migrated either worked for a meagre pay or ended up in urban slums. Centuries of colonial rule, coupled with government mismanagement, had robbed both the land of its people and resources.
In light of these crises in the mid 1980s, the collective efforts of the people led to change.
A grassroots organisation called ‘Tarun Bharat Sangh’, led by Rajendra Singh, later known as the waterman of Rajasthan, visited the Gopalpura village in Alwar in 1985 to provide basic healthcare and literacy to the locals (Singh, 2021).
However, one of these locals, a tribesman from the area, refused. He said he didn’t want their literacy. “We want water”, he said. Intrigued, Singh asked what he thought the solution to the water crisis would be. The tribesman said Singh and his organisation should help the villagers rebuild their indigenous water reservoirs- the johads (Singh, 2021).
A quiet revolution began and the villagers began the rebuilding of the johads. Gradually, the people built 375 johads, which increased water flow to these structures.
People returned to their villages, the women didn’t have to walk long distances to fetch water, and the villagers became an organised entity that could negotiate with the government on issues about their well-being (Singh, 2021).
Soon, Tarun Bharat Sangh, and the villagers of Gopalpura, led the rebuilding efforts and rebuilt over 3500 johads with the help of communities from 750 villages (Singh, 2021).
By 2003, the number of these johads had ballooned up to 5,000 with the rejuvenation of 2,500 older ones (Vasintjan, 2015).
The rebuilding of the johad also served as the rejuvenation of communities and their practices, which only goes to show that people are not only connected to their kin, but also their land and its wisdom.
We don’t often need to seek wisdom from people if we can find it in the environment around us. The Johads are one of those timeless edifices that serve this purpose.
Lessons From The Johad
The rebirth of the johad teaches us lessons that have been forgotten over time. We can very well take away points about efficient water management, agricultural practices, and the conservation of wildlife, all of which were the result of the revival of these structures.
They demonstrate how traditional and low-cost methods can be crucial to conservation efforts in water-scarce areas.
They can modernise sustainable farming by recharging the groundwater in semi-arid regions.
The revival of johads also brought communities together and reinvigorated lost hitherto lost cultural practices.
The economical nature of the structure offers a low-cost alternative to underprivileged communities.
Johads embody the bond between people and their land, reminding us of the values of human connections, which can have a ripple effect on our wider society, paving the way for the betterment of humanity, regardless of its circumstances.
The world is currently faced with an ongoing water crisis with approximately 10 per cent of the global population living in countries with critically low levels of water availability, as per UN Water (2024). For clarity, that equals the combined populations of the US, Mexico, and Indonesia, which effectively means hundreds of millions of people don’t have enough water to survive.
Water is also a finite resource that has been growing in demand as the global population increases. In light of these circumstances, conserving water is imperative, especially in countries that lack the infrastructure to do so.
A simple structure like the johad can become crucial for communities around the world in order to conserve water as around 1.42 billion people, including 450 million children, live in areas of extremely high water vulnerability (UNICEF, 2021). The relatively low costs involved in building and maintaining a johad can also be an economically viable option for underprivileged communities.
However, at its core, the history of this structure teaches us something that seems lost on us, despite the abundance of information in today’s age: our connection to the people around us and their stories and wisdom.
The johads remind us that wisdom isn’t just found books or policies. It also lives in our traditions, stories, and the shared knowledge of our ancestors. Whether it’s a simple ritual, family tradition, or an old practice, take a moment to reconnect with them and implement their core values in your life. It just might bring about the ripple effect that can make the world a better place.
References
Singh, S. (25 C.E.). Johads: Revival of Traditional Rainwater Harvesting Structures. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
UN-Water. (n.d.). Water Scarcity | UN-Water. UN-Water.
Vansintjan, A. (n.d.). Water Johads: a Low-Tech alternative to Mega-Dams in India.
Admin. (2025, February 21). Conserve rainwater and improve percolation by Johad. S M Sehgal Foundation.
RAJASTHAN MONSOON REPORT-2022. (2022). INDIA METEOROLOGICAL DEPARTMENT METEOROLOGICAL CENTRE, JAIPUR. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
