📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Channveer.p
Agriculture
Bidar's Karez System Proposed as Blueprint for India's Water Conservation
✍️ Udayavani
🗓 10 Oct 2026, 01:38 PM
👁 14
The traditional Karez water network in Bidar is being highlighted as a scalable solution for water scarcity across the country.
Bidar, a historic city in Karnataka, has drawn attention for its centuries‑old Karez water system – an underground channel that taps groundwater and delivers it to the surface without evaporation losses. Local authorities and water experts say the system’s low‑energy operation and high efficiency make it a viable template for regions facing chronic water shortages.
The Karez’s design, which relies on gravity and a network of gently sloping tunnels, allows water to be collected and distributed with minimal infrastructure costs. Proponents argue that replicating this model in other arid and semi‑arid zones could reduce dependence on costly borewells and surface reservoirs.
While the concept is not new, renewed interest in the Bidar Karez reflects a broader shift toward indigenous, climate‑resilient technologies in India's water management strategy. Stakeholders are now assessing how the system can be adapted to modern urban and rural settings without compromising its ecological benefits.
The Karez’s design, which relies on gravity and a network of gently sloping tunnels, allows water to be collected and distributed with minimal infrastructure costs. Proponents argue that replicating this model in other arid and semi‑arid zones could reduce dependence on costly borewells and surface reservoirs.
While the concept is not new, renewed interest in the Bidar Karez reflects a broader shift toward indigenous, climate‑resilient technologies in India's water management strategy. Stakeholders are now assessing how the system can be adapted to modern urban and rural settings without compromising its ecological benefits.