Traditions Of Water Conservation, Sanitation And Augmentation: Insights From Gujarat

Abstract

Evaluation of traditional, traditional-modified and modern rainwater harvesting and sanitation systems in Gujarat (India) has revealed a strong case for blending traditional wisdom while devising modern solutions to contemporary problems.
Traditional systems adapted to local conditions in India perform well and users prefer water from these sources than water coming from other ones. Also, traditional-modified systems providing drinking water have been well accepted. The main constraint of the roof-top based rainwater harvesting systems is that it limits the water availability since collected rainwater is not particularly sufficient to supply water to users throughout the whole year. Also, the microbial contamination may pose problems at times. Traditional systems that have been modified with modern components in order to improve water quality or water quantity are especially promising.