Rainwater Harvesting in Chettinad, India

 Chettinad comprises of 74 villages and two towns of which 11 villages are recognized by
UNESCO as three clusters. Chettiars migrated from the fertile Chola Kingdom to arid Pandya





Kingdom and settled in these 74 Villages and 2 Towns.


Chettiars planned their houses in unique Chettinad Architecture as it suited their lifestyles. All the rainwater from the entire house is pooled over Vazhavu and collected from four corners through





very big brass vessels ( Andah) 500 to 1000 liters capacity. The water so collected after filtering through the year, especially during summer. This conservation system is followed in every household for their personal needs.

For the community, they build an Oorani ( Tanks) in the center of the village and mostly in front of village temples. Such tanks have a very well-laid water collection system with a unique filtering mechanism using well-rounded pebbles, sand, and brick pieces. This ensures the availability of water throughout the year.






Similarly, for cattle, separate tanks are built with distinct identification and names. On the outskirts of villages, Kanmois are built for cultivation. Just like Ooranis, they are also well laid out rain collection and filtering systems that ensure the availability of water throughout the year.






The whole system is eco-friendly and self-sustaining with little to no maintenance. This Chettinad style


of water harvesting and conserving is worth adopting in any village which is in need.

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