Karez: The buzzword in irrigation

Bidar: It was one of his last initiatives as Bidar Deputy Commissioner before he was transferred and later found dead in Lucknow. Thanks to the late IAS officer,  Anurag Tewari, Bidar has almost regained its traditional water management system, "Karez." It was one of his last initiatives as Bidar Deputy Commissioner before he was transferred and later found dead in Lucknow. Thanks to the late IAS officer, Anurag Tewari, Bidar has almost regained its traditional water management system, "Karez."  

Mr Tewari completed the process of cleaning and dredging over 130 tanks and 110 open wells - which are part of the Karez system  -  within a few months, in the summer of 2016 when the district was facing its worst drought in decades. Bidar gained immensely when it later received 40 per cent more than its average rainfall, which filled up  the tanks and wells he had cleaned.

As Deputy Commissioner, Mr Tewari saw to it that a detailed project report was prepared  and submitted  to the state government, but was transferred  even before the Department of Tourism could  approve it. Although the department has since cleared the project and provided funds, work on it has come to a standstill. "There has been little progress in the work since December 2016. What is agonizing is that due to the negligence of the district administration, a  lot of the silt  dredged out of the wells and tunnels, has fallen back into them in the recent rain," say official sources. 

But not giving up, the tourism department organised an international seminar on the Karez systems, which concluded on Tuesday. Mr M.L. Khaneiki, groundwater expert from UNESCO's International Centre on Qanats and Historic Hydraulic Structures, Tehran, who  presented a paper at the conference, said the  'Karez' water system has the potential to qualify as a UNESCO heritage structure. The state should consider applying for the recognition, he said.