Dissertation - Relationship of settlements with traditional water systems

An Architectural Research Paper on RELATIONSHIP OF SETTLEMENTS WITH TRADITIONAL WATER SYSTEMS. (in context of Satara)

by Ghogale Atharva Sujit (4th year B.arch)

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RELATIONSHIP OF SETTLEMENTS WITH TRADITIONAL WATER SYSTEMS. (in context of Satara)

Atharva Ghogale 4th year B.Arch.

Abstract Settlements and spaces in the context of water resources reveal specific characters, functions and activities as well as socio-cultural values of the society. It relates to gathering of the society. The purpose of the study is to understand the natural stream network which also connects the different settlements through water systems.

The study limits to the Indian context because here there is the existence of the different communities along water bodies. In my study it majorly focuses on the two or three types of the settlements in the context of satara where they are connected with the natural stream line but around the different traditional water systems.

The Paper Describes all the factors considering the water as an Asset to the settlements.it also includes some expert views over the connection of these water systems therefore settlements and also author’s personal observation. It gives an overview of traditional water systems their connections and their current state with the review of local people.

Keywords: Asset, Cisterns, Community tanks, Natural water Streamline, Settlements, Traditional water systems, Wells.

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1. Introduction We all know water is essential, but too many of us think it’s unlimited. In reality, fresh water is a finite resource that is rapidly becoming scarce. In India, a warming climate is drying up lakes and rivers, while rapid urbanization and water pollution are putting enormous pressure on the quantity and quality of surface and ground water. The country’s fragile agricultural system still depends primarily on rainfall and a bad monsoon season can wreak havoc on the national economy. floods and droughts were regular occurrence in ancient India. Perhaps this is why every region in the country has its own traditional water harvesting techniques that reflect the geographical peculiarities and cultural uniqueness of the regions. The basic concept underlying all these techniques is that rain should be harvested whenever and wherever it falls. and also, Archaeological evidence shows that the practice of water conservation is deep rooted in the science of ancient India. Excavations show that the cities of the Indus Valley Civilization had excellent systems of water harvesting and drainage.

Drawing upon centuries of experience, Indians continued to build structures to catch, hold and store monsoon rainwater for the dry seasons to come. These traditional techniques, though less popular today, are still in use and efficient.

Water plays an important role in making of space which indirectly relate to the link between built and community hierarchy of spaces from small private space to public space. Exploring through traditional spaces like talav, Cisterns, Wells that caters to their community and settlements respond to the water exploring human activities, traditions and rituals which happens around the water.

Background of the study starts with the relationship between the settlement and the water systems around it.

This study also gives a clear indication of how settlements are connected to its surrounding and what makes it connected. And how the daily activities of those people daily are connected to the water.

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Talabs (Talav) are reservoirs that store water for household consumption and drinking purposes. They may be natural and sometimes manmade. Its use depends upon the Settlement around it.

Cisterns (Haud) are the small-scale reservoirs that store water for the single house, mainly for the drinking purpose. these are manmade built on the mainly catchment areas from where water can be drawn out.

Wells are similar to the cisterns but the scale is larger than it and which are also manmade.

Ornamentation, Scale, depth etc. changes on the location and the use of the wells. sometimes they can be used for the cultural activities which are related to water.

It may be public or private depending on the storing capacity, Scale and location.

The main aim of the study is 1. How the settlements on the contours are connected because of the natural stream line to the traditional water systems and water and how the system works.

2. Activities which happens because of the scale of the water systems around it.

3. How these systems were used in previous decades.

4. How the surrounding i.e. settlements changes around the water systems because of its scale and the use.

2. Literature Review Gulab sagar lake located in Jodhpur, Rajasthan is a part of case study.

Where it is surrounded by the settlements which includes residences, shops, Temples etc.

The people living in this dessert sought all the possible ways to harness water. Not only did the settlements develop in the vicinity of water sources, but various systems were advised to conserve and optimize the use of it. system named ‘Khdin’ they used for the preservation. this is based on the principle of harvesting rainwater on farmland and subsequent use of this water saturated land for crop production.

Architecture of the stepwell, tanks, ghats etc. in the Rajasthan is very rich and meaningful. and the settlements formed around this architecture developed over the years, with that several features also developed to collect, preserve and access the water. this included artificial lakes, tanks, reservoirs, wells and stepwells. the collection of large quantities of water in lakes involved construction of on form of bund or another. There are 4

such water bodies with earthen dams as well as beautifully structured stone masonry retaining walls.

Some of these lakes are also connected to the small lakes within the town limits by a network of canals.

Figure 1 – gulabsagar lake Jodhpur, Rajasthan Surrounded by the settlements.

Even today, one can see the supply of water piped in the towns. that people continue to hold water as a very significant element of their traditional beliefs. These shows the sensible management of the scare sources in the dessert. they do worship of trees and water bodies as their daily routine.

The celebration of rain water is very strong component of Rajasthan’s tradition. Among the rain water harvesting system, Lake is the largest system they have. often referred to as a ‘samand’ like Balsamand in Jodhpur.

They also have tanks as a traditional storing system of water. which were built within the town areas where the design efforts were much more elaborate. and the most important thing about this architecture or the water system is, Even today, one can see the high quality of architecture rather than being abounded.

Gulab sagar in Jodhpur is very fine example of beautifully built tank. In this case all four sides are built with stone and most importantly have been kept clean. The water here was brought from Balsamand through a canal.

Gulabsagar is located in between the core city surrounded by the settlement where one can get access to the tank by the small lakes coming out from this settlement.

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Figure 2 – Gulabsagar in plan, Surrounded by the community.

Banganga, is a well-known Heritage precinct found amidst the Hustle bustle of the city’s concrete jungle at tip Malabar hill. It is an Amphitheatre with a water stage surrounded by Temple, Samadhi (Memorials), Matths, Dharmshalas, permanent and temporary settlements.

According to the common man ‘Myth’ is a system of communication; it allows one to perceive that myth cannot be an object, concept or an idea but a mode of signification. It exploits beliefs, concepts of rituals and practices by shaping culture. All cultures have myths, they develop their own mythology with time which includes legends of their history. religions and their deities.

It is a world created to attract and influence people for it grow and spread amongst the masses.

On other hand ‘rituals’ is a stereotype sequence of activities, involving gestures words and objects, performed in a holy place to influence or honour people or deities. they rise amidst the traditions and cases expresses reverence for a deity or idealistic state of humanity.

Banganga is the perfect existing example of the culmination of Myths and Rituals. If one unwraps the rich history of this site, one realizes it is an outcome of the various legends that we have been hearing in the past few centuries.

Banganga has always known to be a religious spot with over 108 temples within its boundary along with a number of local inhabitants. there are various layers to this site. starting from the centre - the main central stepped tank, a layer of heritage temples around it and through the year layers of contemporary housing structures developing around it with a number of communities.

Existing – Walking through the streets and experiencing the spatial fabric of precinct. The Spatiality of Banganga is an Expression of Physical and association relationships between its people, its architecture and its usage.

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Layers- Spaces in Banganga are layered with activities and physical growth over time. THE KUND is the main focus of the precinct, a multifunctional space in terms of religious and non-religious activities. STREETS derive their character from the edge conditions of religious (TEMPLES) and Residential (HOUSEHOLD) built form that line them.

Transitions – On the already layered architectural spaces, the in between space that allows movement from one layer to another, establishes the inside outside relationship between it.

It’s the physical change that establishes a platform of its linkage between the various observed layers.

Figure 3 and Figure 4 – various layers for the area around the Banganga.

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Figure 5 – Sections through the Banganga tank and settlements, streets, temples etc. around it.

Figure 6 – Birds eye view of banganga tank with the surrounding built structures.

3. Research Method – Research and Observations will be both Quantitative and Qualitative. Based on the requirements.

1. Quantitative: Books.

Secondary sources.

Research papers.

2. Qualitative: Online case study.

Research papers.

Article reviews.

Experts view Local people interview.

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Research method starts with 1) mapping of the water systems in the overall context of Satara.

2) then selecting a location where two or more types of systems are connected because of the natural stream lines flowing along the contours.

3) Understanding water channels running along the contours 4) Identifying different water systems like Ponds, Wells, Cisterns and Lakes, Stepwells etc.

5) Identifying different clusters which are along these water systems and how they were developed over the period of time.

6) Secondary study of the Gulab sagar lake from Jodhpur surrounded by the settlement.

7) to Identify different parameters for study 8) comparative study and the analysis in between case study and the selected settlements 9) Understanding the dependency of the selected settlements over the water and the systems and how it has changed over the years.

3. Analysis & Results

Fig 7 - Map of Satara showing the water systems and stream lines.

(Source- Ar.Hrishikesh Astekar)

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Fig 8 -Selected area and the different water systems connected each other and the settlement around it.

(Source- Ar.Hrishikesh Astekar)

This study is mainly focuses on the three types of traditional water systems – 1. Ponds – tank which serves for the community where common gatherings takes place .

2. Cisterns – Private and used by indivisual wada’s.

3. Wells – which are private and for indivisual houses.

1) Phutka Tale (lake) –Community lake surrounded by settlements from all the sides located in the core part of the city located on the contours

Fig 9 - Panaromic Views explaining the context around the temple and water body.

(source – Author)

Fig 10 - Showing the temple and the settlement facing opposite to the water body.

(Source – Author)

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Initially it was a quarry where water comes from the stream lines and it was used for drinking by the surrounding community where they all are dependant on this water body(quarry).

Later,after few decades, temple was built over this water body which came with cultural activities around and over it.After that the water body (lake) and spaces around it were used for cultural celebrations, public gathering and community open space.

In current scenario though cultural activities and gathering spaces are in place but the use of water has changed. Over the years the water from this lake has shed away with the old purposes and adopted new purposes for the community. No longer this remains a source of potable water and has become a water body to swin and hold cultural activities like ‘Ganesh Utsav’.

Fig 11 - shows the public gathering spaces around the water body,roadd networks and the footpath along its sides.

(Source – Author)

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Fig 12 - shows where the cultural activities takes place such as ganesh festival and dahihandi on the water body itself.

(Source – Author)

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Fig 13 - Section through Community water tank.

(Source – Author)

Section Showing the settlements around it on the contours and the activities in front of the temple

‘Phutka tale’ is located in the old city of satara,between the settlements, schools and roads surrounding it.Here,all the Backsides of the settlements are facing the water body.

Cultural activities like ganesh utsav is celebrated on the water body where ganesh idol is kept floating over the water body for 10 days of the utsav.

And also, Water dahihandi is celebrated and played over it, which is the main attraction point of the local crowd.

Daily activities like chitchatting,passing the time,jogging and walking around it also takes place.

These all are the activities which binds the settlements,water body and the temple together and makes it more lively.

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2) Abhyankar wada and deodhar wada (private Cisterns) Private cisterns are located in the old wada’s which are connected to each other and the phutka tale via stram line

Fig 14 - Abhyankar wada with the cistern in front of it.

(Source –

Author)

Panaromic view showing the wada, cistern and nallah in the direction of the slope of the contour

Fig 15 & 16 - Showing the front facade of the deodhar wada and the current state of a Cistern. (Source – Author)

Catchment areas are formed along the contours form where Natural stream line flows.

Cisterns were introduced at these small catchment areas as a traditional water system.

Initially this was the connected system via stream line where cisterns gets filled by the water one by one according to their positions on the contours.

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Fig 17 - Showing the positions of the different water systems above the contour connected via water stream line.

(Source – Author)

Traditional systems which are at the top of the contours were gets filled up first by the water and then stream lines serves the water to the other systems in line.

As cisterns are smaller in size they were used by an individual family having their own houses(wada) adjacent to the system.

Fig 18 - Typical section through an individual house, Cistern and nallah running along the connected water stream line.

(Source – Author)

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Fig 19 - plan showing the arrangement of wada.

(Source – Author)

It shows the connection of two wada’s with the cisterns and therefore ‘Nallah’ Use of this water was mainly for the drinking also for the other daily activities by the householders.

In current Scenario, due to the new sources of the tap water to every individual houses and also the cost of maintenance for these cisterns, use of these systems over the period of time is minimized. In very few cases these systems are in use which gets filled by the tap water not by the natural steam line.

Two houses Deodhar wada and Abhyankar wada from the selected area having this typology of traditional water systems.

Where cisterns are still in use in Abhyankar wada.

The individual houses were built close to the road & due to the high water table which is available next to the natural water drains, wells were dug for usable water

3) Wadas – Somwar peth area (Private wells behind)

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Fig 20 - Typical wada from the main access road.

(Source- Ar.Hrishikesh Astekar)

Fig 21 - Well behind the wada (not in use)

(Source- Ar.Hrishikesh Astekar)

The individual houses were built close to the road & due to the high-water table which is available next to the natural water drains, wells were dug for usable water.

Water which was came from the stream lines and also rainwater was used and stored in this system i.e. wells.

Wells are located behind the every wada. in between the Nallah and wada Initially pully system was in use where water drawn by pulling the bucket from the well manually. (in other cases due to the small in height, water drawn directly from the above of the systems)

Fig 22 - Section through wada, well and the stream line.

(Source- Ar.Hrishikesh Astekar)

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Fig 23 - Showing the wadas and their connection with the wells and stream line.

Now a days due to tap water and mechanized systems traditional systems of pulling off the water from the well are not used by the householder which leads to lack of maintainace of these systems.

And which leads to the construction of apartments where they are directly built on these wells in some cases.

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Discussion & Conclusion From the research ine can understand that, water systems which were used by the community or which were public are in good condition and are in still use, where cultural activities and the rituals related to the water and the systems binds the community together. where on other side private water systems are not used by the users/owners in today’s scenario, as it requires maintenance and also its cost is high.

It can be possible that, like Public used systems handled and conserved by the Heritage department/Government similarly private heritage properties like Cisterns, Wells etc. which creates their unique identity in the City/area/region can be Handled / conserved / maintained by the same department. and also, if one can compare, traditional water systems in the Jodhpur is well organized/conserved/maintained than the documented systems in context of the satara.

Satara, area where there is continuous flow of these natural steams, rainwater, and water supply by the tap waters to the individuals minimizes or depletes the value of these traditional systems.

Exactly opposite to these, in Rajasthan they store as much as water they receive via Rainwater or by other sources in each of these systems. and because of that, these systems are still in use by the community and kept clean by the users itself. they use it for the cultural as well as the regular use so their association with the water is comapartively more. these shows that those who gets the ample amount of the water never promotes/caters to conserving systems of the water in selected context. and where water sources are very few available dependency, scarcity, association with those systems of the settlemetns is very strong (still they are connected) which is the main reason these systems are lacking behind / not preserved in today’s context. and which can be handled or catered or conserved by the local authorities/ Government bodies/ Heritage departments.

Bibliography –

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1. Ramachandran, K.B. (1998). In the service of the sacred: development for conservation (Doctoral dissertation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology).

2. Lal, B. B. (1961). Palaeoliths from the Beas and Banganga valleys, Punjab.

3. Mehta, P. (2014). Comparative analysis of water quality parameters due to festival wastes immersion and consequential impacts in Jodhpur. International Journal of Geology, Earth & Environmental Sciences, ISSN, 2277-2081.

4. Chakravarty, K. K., Badam, G. L., & Paranjpye, V. (2006). Traditional Water Management Systems of India. Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya.

5. Bhattacharya, S. (2015). Traditional water harvesting structures and sustainable water management in India: A socio-hydrological review. International Letters of Natural Sciences.

6. Bhatia, H. (2001). Banganga: The ‘Whole’as a ‘Part’in Metropolitan Mumbai. Journal of architectural conservation, 7(1), 72-87.

Resource Persons Experts – Ar. Hrishikesh Astekar.

Ar. Aniket Salunkhe.

Mr.Aditya Abhyankar.

Disclaimer: Written consent of resource persons must be procured before publishing the research paper in any conference or journal or magazine or any other publication house besides PVPCOA 7. Appendix 1.List of Figures Fig1– Gulabsagar lake Jodhpur, Rajasthan Surrounded by the settlements. Fig 2 – Gulabsagar in plan, Surrounded by the community.

Fig 3 and 4 – various layers for the area around the Banganga.

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Fig 5 - Sections through the Banganga tank and settlements, streets, temples etc. around it.

Fig 6 – Birds eye view of banganga tank with the surrounding built structures.

Fig 7 - Map of Satara showing the water systems and stream lines.

Fig 8 -Selected area and the different water systems connected each other and the settlement around it.

Fig 9 - Panaromic Views explaining the context around the temple and water body.

Fig 10 - Showing the temple and the settlement facing opposite to the water body.

Fig 11 - shows the public gathering spaces around the water body,roadd networks and the footpath along its sides.

Fig 12 - shows where the cultural activities takes place such as ganesh festival and dahihandi on the water body itself.

Fig 13 - Section through Community water tank.

Fig 14 - Abhyankar wada with the cistern in front of it.

Fig 15 & 16 - Showing the front facade of the deodhar wada and the current state of a Cistern.

Fig 17 - Showing the positions of the different water systems above the contour connected via water stream line.

Fig 18 - Typical section through an individual house, Cistern and nallah running along the connected water stream line.

Fig 19 - plan showing the arrangement of wada.

Fig 20 - Typical wada from the main access road.

Fig 21 - Well behind the wada (not in use) Fig 22 - Section through wada, well and the stream line.

Fig 23 - Showing the wadas and their connection with the wells and stream line

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