step wells (Baori) water supply for drinking in shivalik hills of village Bandrai (sunderbani)

BONTA CHOES (unfinished well) 

Bandrai is a village in Sunderbani Block of Rajouri District (J&K), India. It belongs to Jammu Division. It is located 90 KM towards Northwest from state capital Jammu. The village Bandrai is located at the junction of two Districts Reasi and Rajouri. Bandrai is lies on the shavalik hills the outer most range of Himalayas. Shivalik hills are running parallel to the himalyan ranges of J&K.

SULLA NALLA Step well (Baori)

The term Shivalik has also been used synonymously to Outer or Lower Himalayas. The Shivalik region in Jammu and Kashmir covers an area of around 9410 sq km in different districts of Jammu division; Samba, Kathua, Udhampur, Reasi, Rajouri and Punch and running for 1,600 km from east India through southern part of J&K towards northern Pakistan.

Shavalik region of India 

Shavalik region of J&K

They extend over a width of 10-15 km and the hills have an average height of 900 to 1,200 m. The word "Shivalik" literally means tresses of Lord Shiva and Nagas.  My village Bandrai is situated in between the Himalyan range and Shivalik hills. Bandrai is a flat-floored valley surrounds it by Shivaliks, Kali Dhar and Trikuta range. Small hills in my village are belongs to the tertiary deposit of outer Himalayas and composed of sandstone and conglomerate rocks which are the solidified detritus of Himalayas. The forests consist tall, softwood evergreen trees like Chir Pine (Pinus roxburghii), Khair,  Shisham , Sal and Cedar which are the important varieties of trees in this forest.

Three walls and rooftop at RUMBAL WALI BAORI

Our region has a good potential of groundwater because of Heavy rains occur during monsoons. The main source of drinking water in my village is Baori also known as flowing artesian well. These are inverted pyramid shaped Baori surrounded by blocks of stone arranged in step-by-step manner, enclosed with a three walls room with rooftop and  the shapeless, unfinished well is locally known as Choes.

The flowing artesian well is a well in which pressurized water naturally rises to the surface without drill. Water comes out of the ground with no need of pump. The pressure from the flowing aquifer beneath the ground it enough to push the water up and then collected in the step well (Baori) these wells exist only under certain conditions. First the aquifer must be tilted, sloping down to considerable depth and it must be sandwiched between two impervious layers. They are fed by rainwater. The water follows in between cracks and folds in the land as it flows downhill and when pressure is increased water flow out of the well. Then this water is collected in a tanks and supply to village by the PHE department. At the peak of the summer every year, the water level in the well became so low that the water supplying system of PHE department has completely failed to provide proper drinking water to the people of village.

low water level during summer

Shivalik hills represent most fragile ecosystem of Himalayan mountain ranges Due to peculiar geological formations. The steep slopes and undulating terrain gives rise to more runoff and increases soil erosion during the monsoon season. The wells located near streams or Nallas ( Khads) are contaminated by infected water make it unfit for drinking and  some wells are not constructed properly it allow germs to enter groundwater  from the well itself during bathing and drinking. Contaminated well water can cause nausea, diarrhea and vomiting and potentially lead to serious health problems, such as kidney disorders, brain damage and cancer. Since tap water in Bandrai is usually contaminated during monsoons with both bacteria & pollutants, it’s not safe. My advice to people of my village does not drink water without filtered or boiled.