Published Paper Details:

India's ancient water management systems are a complex mixture of engineering skill, ecological equilibrium, and cultural devotion. Covering various geographic and climatic regions, these systems range from stepwells (baolis), tanks, johads, kunds, canals, and rooftop rainwater harvesting structures discovered and perfected over centuries to serve the household, agricultural, and religious requirements of societies. This research examines the various dimensions of traditional Indian water systems by viewing them through the filters of indigenous engineering, socio-cultural practices, and paradigms of sustainability. The study explores the structural and functional dynamics behind these systems, shedding light on how local materials, geomorphology, and hydrology were cleverly combined into decentralised, community-led designs. The stepped geometry of Gujarat's vavs, tank cascade systems of South India, and the Northeast's bamboo drip irrigation are examples of water technologies that show incredible resilience, flexibility, and affordability attributes that are becoming increasingly pertinent in the era of contemporary water crises and climate change. In addition to their engineering importance, these systems were integral to the socio-religious life of Indian society. Water bodies tended to be associated with temples, festivals, and rituals, which strengthened stewardship through cultural norms. Such blending promoted sustainable water use practice based on collective responsibility and spiritual ethos. Over the last few decades, though, numerous traditional water systems have gone out of use or been deconstructed as a result of urbanisation, abandonment, and centralised water infrastructure development. In a multi-disciplinary analysis involving field surveys, archival work, and interviews with stakeholders, this article weighs the ecological and cultural costs of such decline. It also provides nascent examples of resurgence frequently initiated by local communities and civil society groups where traditional systems are being renewed and hybridised with contemporary technology. The results posit in favour of the revalorization of India's water heritage in modern water governance and urban planning. By reconciling ancient knowledge with modern innovation, ancient Indian water systems present replicable models for sustainable and equitable water management in the age of Anthropocene.