What are Johad and Khadins?

By Balaji

Updated on: March 9th, 2023

Johad and Khadins – Johads are tiny earthen check dams that collect and store rainwater, enhancing groundwater recharge and percolation. Khadin is a clever structure made to collect surface runoff water for use in agriculture. Johads are dispersed throughout more than 650 villages in Rajasthan’s Alwar district.

Table of content

1. Johad and Khadins
2. Facts about Johads and Khadins
3. What are Johad and Khadins?

Johad and Khadins

By gathering and storing precipitation, Johads, which are small clay check dams, promote groundwater recharge and percolation. There are more than 650 villages in Rajasthan’s Alwar district, which means the water requirement is high. Khadin is a system of land usage.

To collect surface runoff water for use in agriculture, a clever structure known as a Khadin was constructed. A long (100–300 m) earthen dam constructed across the lower hill slopes beneath gravelly uplands is the dominant feature of the area.

Facts about Johads and Khadins

Here are some facts about Johads and Khadins.

With the help of sluices and spillways, extra water can be drained away.
It is employed where valley plains and rocky catchments are close.
The lower valley floor, encircled by an earthen “bund,” serves as a retention area for the catchment’s runoff.
During the monsoon, water is stored in the Khadin.
By the first week of November, it might already have been buried.
Due to the ongoing deposition of fine sediment, the soil in the Khadin is incredibly fertile.
A johad is a name for a rainwater collection tank.
It continuously gathers and stores water.
For drinking, both people and animals use it.
These were constructed in low-water areas.
There may not be enough rainfall in many areas of the state to make the water potable.
Johads retain the rain that falls in July and August and throughout the year.

Summary: