Back to news
11 Apr 2017 | Blog

Reviving the dying tradition of dug wells in Potohar

Ali Kamran & Masooma Hassan

0 mins Read

70% Complete
Traditional dug well with animal-driven Persian Wheel-these traditional systems are disappearing in the midst of the technlogical revolution that the country has seen over the past decade. Photo Credit: Tariq Mustafa

Dug wells have been the only source of water for many areas in the Potohar region for ages. Agriculture is the main source of livelihood for most communities, and it is dependent on rainwater. When rainwater is insufficient to support the crops, these dug wells are the only hope of these vulnerable farming communities. The irrigation of crops through these dug wells is labour-intensive, animal-driven, and time-consuming. Though still operational at a few places, they are now being considered old-fashioned and out-dated options, because pumping water through them is uneconomical. Earlier, farmers used them for irrigation of their crops and domestic needs, but now they have almost abandoned this system.

<READ MORE>>

Stay current

Stay up to date on what’s happening around the HKH with our most recent publications and find out how you can help by subscribing to our mailing list.

Sign Up

Related Content

Continue exploring this topic

12 Jun 2019 Blog
ICIMOD supports efforts to integrate the use of geoinformatics into biodiversity conservation in West Bengal, India

Wildlife monitoring and the management of protected areas can benefit tremendously from the use of geospatial tools. With this in ...

8 Nov 2016 Blog
Monasteries natural advocates for sustainability and conservation

According to Buddhist belief, religion and the environment are intertwined. Buddhists believe religion is inextricable from the environment itself. Rites ...

8 Mar 2019 Gender in Koshi
Breaking Taboos: My Parents’ Stand for Gender Equality

Growing up, our sense of the world – all that is right in it and all that is wrong – ...

14 Mar 2017 Blog
Mountain women as agents of change

“At first I was afraid about having to come here by myself. But now I am happy with my decision. ...

22 Jan 2016 Blog
Our take on the HI-AWARE Academy

http://hi-aware.org/?id=165

19 Feb 2016 Gender in Koshi
What do youth have to do with women’s participation?

An age old question that plagues our society is: where are the women? In my recent field visit to Sinduli, ...

24 Apr 2019 RMS
Homestays in Bhutan: A gateway for women’s empowerment and gender equality

The homestay business in Haa dzongkhag (district), along Bhutan’s western border, has been transforming women’s roles in rural Bhutan. Seventy-year-old ...

10 Jun 2017 Blog
Giving dugwells a new lease of life with solar powered pumps in the Soan Basin, Pakistan

Novel interventions for climate change adaptation are a step forward in meeting grass-root needs. Such has been the case with ...