(May it be blend with drip irrigation technique?)
The first impression of the word ‘Charas’ usually comes in mind is the intoxicant made with opium. But, ‘Charas’ had very close relation with the farmers particularly in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, and Western Uttar Pradesh. In India, It is also known as “mohte” and it has a bucket made of leather or rubber, with a hole in its bottom which is held closed by a flap which is pulled tight by a second rope harnessed to the animals. The new generation in these states may not aware much about it because ‘Charas’ is now disappeared from the life of rural area.
‘Charas’ was the age old traditional implement/method of lifting water from the well for irrigating the farm lands. It is a leather bucket with one to two meter trunk at the lower portion called ‘Sund’. The upper portion ties with a thick iron ring (thickness of the ring is about 2-3 inches and circumference is about 4-5 feet) with four spokes. The upper portion of the ‘charas’ is joined with a thick rope known as ‘Lao’ and the ‘sund’ is attached with a comparatively thin rope called ‘Hindoriya’.
It was used in arid and semi-arid regions where water not abundantly available with a regular underground flow. A Pair of bullock fastens together at their necks with a rectangular shaped wooden hand-made system called ‘panjhali’ requires to pull the ‘charas’. Both the ropes viz; ‘lao’ and ‘hondoriya’ lash with the ‘panjali’ to pull the ‘charas’ full of water. When the ‘charas’ is dropped into well become heavy with water and the string draw become tight. The bullock pulls the ‘charas’ up by ropes over wooden pulleys. The way in which the bullock walks for pulling is a kind of ramp which allows the bullocks some mechanical advantage. The pulley fixed at the rim of the well is known as ‘Bhun’ and other 2 – 3 pulleys fixed depending on the length of the ramp are called ‘Bhunies’. The Mugal Emperor Babar minced no word while describing the ‘charas’ method of irrigation, he wrote “This is a labourious and filthy method, noting when at the end of ramp the bullocks turn back, the rope was lying in the path and it got filthy before it was dropped again into the well”. Use of ‘Bhunies’ helps in easy pulling of ‘charas’ and also prevent the rope from become filthy during the ‘charas’ irrigation process.
When the charas filled with water reaches at height as the wells rim, it rest on a stony tray, the gathering ropes slackens and water pours out for irrigation. Then, the bullocks back again in back gear to fill it with water. While pulling the ‘charas’, the farmer used to ride on the rope to increase tension because the charas is shaped like funnel and its bottom must be kept tout until the pocket is above the ground.
The ‘charas’ irrigation as usual chores had been observed in the villages during seventies and eighties but in nineties it started disappearing due to replacement by motor pumps and diesel pumps. In those days, particularly in the winter season, the newlyweds couples found in the fields for irrigating the crops. The husband and wife were not talk together publically. While operating the ‘charas’, the husband used to communicate with his wife through folk songs and the wife used to reply/communicate also through folk songs while operating hand flour mill (Chakki) early in the morning ( 4 -5 A.M.). The path-passers from other villages used to take some rest at such wells and discussed their agriculture, social and other aspects to know each other.
Now the scenario has been changed, the ‘charas’ alongwith the folk songs have been moved out. It is only in the memories of the old crop of the farming community. Instead of ‘charas, now they are being found in the queues at petrol pumps to buy diesel and at electricity office to deposit bill and making complains regarding power cut/failure.
It is an economic means of irrigation which a marginal or small farmer can maintain easily. Can it be conserve through blending the technique with drip irrigation method in the scenario of climate change??
