Andhra Pradesh

Unique way to tap groundwater

Ingenious method: A farmer squatting on a coconut placed over a roti-making pan for dowsing groundwater in his agriculture field.

ADILABAD: Summer season being round the corner, it is time for people in Adilabad district to prepare for augmentation of water supply for drinking and irrigation purposes. It is during such time that the wisdom of locals in exploration of groundwater is on display.

Tapping of groundwater sources had apparently exercised the minds of Indians even in ancient times. Old treatises on the subject like 5th century astrologer Varahamihira’s chapter on hydrology in his magnum opus ‘Brihat Samhita’ and the fact that different communities had evolved their own curious methods of dowsing is a proof of it.

The most common of the methods of dowsing since long ago is the use of the forked twig, rod or a pendulum. In Adilabad however, different methods of water divination were employed. The easiest of them all was just taking a stroll on a cold night in the area where a water source was needed. The spot where a pocket of hot air was found was ‘the’ spot because it indicated presence of underground water.

A more elaborate method of dowsing, that is perhaps unique to Adilabad, involves two persons, a couple of coconuts, a ‘roti’ making pan and the material used to perform puja. The method is simply known as ‘pani dekhna’.

After performing puja at a clean spot, one person squats on a coconut that is placed on the ‘roti’ making pan. The entire balance of the person’s body rests on the coconut though he steadies himself by touching his hands on the ground.

The other person goes around the field with another coconut held in his hand. He generally moves around in concentric circles starting from the periphery and getting closer to the squatting person each time.

When this person reaches a ‘water spot’, the person squatting on the coconut starts automatically moving round and round because it is believed that a force is exerted on the coconut under him.

The man moving about with the coconut held in hand earmarks all such spots for a borewell to be dug out subsequently. The success rate of this method is claimed to be quite high.

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu