Surangam

Description

In News

The karez system in Afghanistan, a legacy of its Persian cultural moorings, has suffered extensive damage in 43 years of war and stares at an uncertain future under the Taliban’s second regime.
But hundreds of miles to the south, a similar system in southern India is thriving.

Surangam- Traditional Water Management System

Surangam is basically a tunnel dug through a laterite hillock from the periphery of which water and moisture seeps out. This system has been very effectively used for domestic and agriculture purposes in dry areas of northern Malabar.
Surangams resemble karez both in structure and spread.
These are similar to qanats which once existed in Mesopotamia and Babylon around 700 Before Common Era.
By 714 BCE, this technology had spread to Egypt, Persia and India.
The surangam or suranga is today usually found in northern Kerala and southern Karnataka.

Region	Traditional Water Management System
Ladakh	Zing
Himachal Pradesh	Kul, Naula, Kuhl, Khatri
Eastern Himalaya	Apatani
Nagaland	Zabo
Brahmaputra Valley	Dongs / Dungs/ Jampois
Indo-Gangetic Plains	Ahars – Pynes, Bengal’s Inundation Channels, Dighis, Baolis
Thar Desert	Kunds, Kuis/beris, Baoris / Ber/ Jhalaras, Nadi, Tobas, Tankas, Khandins, Vav/Bavadi, Virdas, Paar
Central Highlands	Talab, Bandhis, Saza Kuva, Johads, Naada/Bandh, Pat, Rapat, Chandela Tank, Bundela Tank
Eastern Highlands	Katas / Mundas / Bandhas
Deccan Plateau	Cheruvu, Kohli Tanks, Bhandaras, Phad, Kere, The Ramtek Model
Western Ghats	Surangam
West Coastal Plains	Virdas
Eastern Ghats	Korambu
Eastern Coastal Plains	Eri / Ooranis
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands	Jack Wells