6. Every Drop Counts - NCERT

1 6. Every drop CountsPawan Gupta5151515151 Long Long AgoThis is a picture of Ghadsisar. Sar means a lake. King Ghadsiof Jaisalmer got it made 650 years ago with the help of thepeople. All around the lake there are ghats with steps leadingto the water, decorated verandahs, large halls, rooms andmuch more. People came here to celebrate festivals and forprogrammes of music and dance. Children came to study inthe school on the ghat. The talab belonged to everyone andeveryone took care to keep it collected in this lake spread over many was made in such a way that when the lake was full, theextra water flowed into another lake at a lower level. Whenthat too filled up, theextra water flowed intothe next lake.

2 This wayall nine lakes filled rain water could beused throughout theyear. Today, Ghadsisar isno more in use. Many newbuildings and colonieshave come up in betweenthose nine lakes. Now thewater does not getcollected in these lakes. Rain water just flows away and 2023-2452 Looking AroundTeacher s Note : We can tell children how Al-Biruni s book is helpful to knowabout the past. Also discuss about other sources of history, such as old buildings,coins, paintings, etc. Help children to locate Uzbekistan in the world Jaisalmer, many places in Rajasthan, get very littlerainfall. Here it rains for only a few days in the entire year,sometimes not even that much. The rivers here do not haveThrough the eyes of Al-BiruniMore than a thousand years ago, a traveller came toIndia.

3 His name was Al-Biruni. The place that he camefrom is now called Uzbekistan. Al-Biruni carefullyobserved and noted down the details of all that he wrote especially about those things that he foundvery different from his own country. Here is a part of what hewrote about the ponds of that people here are very skilled at making ponds. Mycountrymen would be surprised to see them. They pile up hugerocks and join them with iron rods to build chabutaras (raisedplatforms) all around the lake. Between these, there are rowsof long staircases, going up and down. The steps for going upand coming down are separate. So there is less when we study history, we can learn a lot about those daysfrom the writings of Al-Biruni.

4 (This stamp came out in 1973, onethousand years after his birth.)Observe and find outwLook at the area around your school. Are there anyfields, farms, pucca roads, drains, etc. Is the areasloping, rocky or flat? Think, what will happen herewhen it rains? Where will the rain water go intothe drains, pipes or pits? Is some water also gettingsoaked into the soil?Rationalised 2023-24 Every drop Counts53water all round the year. And yet, most of the villages inthese areas did not have a shortage of water. People knewthat Every drop of water was precious. Lakes and johadswere made to collect water. Water waseveryone s need. One and all cametogether in this work be it abusinessman or a labourer.

5 Some waterfrom the lakes soaked into the groundand reached the wells and bavdis(stepwell). The soil of the area alsobecame wet and house had a system to collectthe rain water. Look at the picture onyour right. How do you think therainwater that falls onthe roof will reach theunderground tank?Draw the you ever seena stepwell? Look atthe picture. Can youimagine by looking atthe picture that thesteps go down severalstoreys deep? Insteadof drawing the water up from the well, the people could godown the steps and reach the water. That is why they arecalled s Note : How does the earth soak water and how does it reach wells andstepwells? This can be discussed with 2023-2454 Looking AroundLong ago, people used to make long journeys with theircaravans of animals and goods.

6 People felt it was a goodthing to give water to thirsty travellers. Thus, they builtmany beautiful 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. Findout, when they were of your age:wFrom where did they get water for the house? Has therebeen a change now?wWhat kind of water arrangements were made fortravellers for example piau, mashak (leather bag) orany other? Now what do people do about water whenthey travel?Customs related to waterEven today people get water from very old lakes, dharas,stepwells and naulas. Many customs and festivals are relatedto water. At some places,whenever lakes get filled upwith rainwater, the peoplegather around the lake the bride of Uttarakhandin this picture.

7 After gettingmarried she has come to thenew village. She bows to thespring or the pond. In citiesone can see an interestingform of this custom. The newbride worships the tap in her home. Can we even imagine lifewithout water?Devraj AgarwalRationalised 2023-24 Every drop Counts55 Find outIs there a lake, well or stepwell near your house or school?Visit it and find out more about old is it? Who got it built?wWhat kinds of buildings are around it?wIs the water clean? Is it cleaned regularly?wWho all use the water?wIs there any festival celebrated at this place?wIs there any water today, or is it dry?Devraj AgarwalDo you have some special pots for water at your place?Look, water is being filled in this beautiful copper pot.

8 Theshining yellow pot of brass is seen in the other picture. Manystone carvings are also made near the place of drinking you ever seen any beautiful building near the place ofwater? Where?Rationalised 2023-2456 Looking AroundThink over it!In 1986, there was no rain in Jodhpur and the surrounding remembered the old and forgotten stepwell (baoli). Theycleaned the stepwell and more than two hundred trucks of garbagewas taken out of it. People of the area collected money. The thirstytown got water from the stepwell. After a few years it rained welland again the stepwell was are two old wells in the area where Punita lives. Hergrandmother says that about fifteen - twenty years ago therewas water in these wells.

9 The wells could have dried upbecause:wWater is being pumped up from under the ground,with the help of electric lakes in which rain water used to collect are nolonger soil around trees and parks is now covered there some other reason for this? s Note : Discuss the unequal distribution of water with children. It isimportant to know how people get water from different sources and the problemsthey face. Though it is challenging, yet it is important to discuss issues of casteand class related to water, especially from the chilldren s story todayLet us see the different ways in which people manage water page 57 and you get water in your house by any of these ways? Put a tick (3)on that. If you get water by some other way, write in your 2023-24 Every drop Counts57 This is howwe getwaterWe have put a motor topump up the water fromthe borewell.

10 But there isno electricity, so what dowe do!We get water from our taps,all day get water at home forhalf an hour. We fill this inthe tank to use all it is fill water from the nearby well dried up ayear ago. Now we have towalk far to reach the otherwell. We are not allowed totake water from some of thewells because of our get water from the is a handpumpnearby, but the water thatwe get from it is salty. Wehave to buy water have put a pumpdirectly in the Jal Boardpipeline. Now we don't haveany problem!A Jal Board water tankercomes to our colony twice aday. We have to stand in along queue to get water fromthe tanker. People at timeshave fights over drop Counts57 Rationalised 2023-2458 Looking AroundLook at this bill and tellwFrom which office has this bill come?