Hydrological assessment of Haveli-based traditional water harvesting system for the Bundelkhand Region, Uttar Pradesh, India

Water harvesting is a critical component of any approach to alleviating India's water crisis. Traditional rainwater harvesting systems are found in every region of the country. Haveli is one such system found in almost every village in the Bundelkhand region, Uttar Pradesh, India. A defunct Haveli in the Parasai-Sindh watershed of Jhansi district, Uttar Pradesh, was rejuvenated by providing a cement concrete core wall to the earthen embankment to address the problem of breaching, and the existing outlet was also expanded. This study was conducted from 2013 to 2019 to analyse the hydrology of the rejuvenated Haveli and to understand its impact on surface-water availability and recharging groundwater. The study period was divided based on long-term southwest monsoon (SWM) as wet (SWM > 20%), normal (SWM & PLUSMN; 20%) and dry (SWM < 20%) years. It was found that the Haveli could harvest about 1.91-2.0 times, 1.13-1.72 times and 0.2 times its capacity during a wet, normal and dry year, respectively. There was a 1.41 m difference in hydraulic head between pre- and post-Haveli rejuvenation in a wet year, whereas, a normal year, the difference was 2.71 m.