SECONDARY KEYWORDS:
Burra Pahadi
Meri Mati Farm
water conservation
rainwater harvesting
rainwater management
soil erosion control
land restoration
water harvesting
swale
farm water conservation
natural water flow
sustainable farming
ecosystem restoration
SUGGESTED TAGS:
Meri Mati Farm, Burra Pahadi, Continuous Swale, Water Conservation, Rainwater Harvesting, Soil Erosion, Land Restoration, Water Harvesting, Sustainable Farming, Natural Farming, Ecosystem Restoration, Rainwater Management
Sometimes the Land Shows You Where the Water Wants to Go
When we first began working on Meri Mati Farm, one thing became very clear very quickly.
The land already had its own natural system.
Rainwater came down from the hill above the property, locally known as Burra Pahadi. Because the hill itself is sloping, rainwater could enter the property from different parts of the hillside and move downhill with considerable speed.
At that time, the land was largely barren.
There was not enough grass or vegetation to slow the water naturally. As the water moved across the slopes, it carried soil with it. Rainwater that could have become a resource for the land was instead moving away from it.
We therefore had to ask ourselves a simple question:
Instead of fighting the natural movement of water, could we work with it?
That question led us to one of the most important features of our water-conservation system at Meri Mati Farm — a continuous swale running parallel to Burra Pahadi.
It became more than a trench in the ground.
It became part of a connected water system.
Understanding Burra Pahadi
Burra Pahadi is the hill located above Meri Mati Farm.
The hill is not flat. It has a natural slope, which means that rainfall can move downhill from different points.
When the land below the hill was largely bare, this movement of rainwater was very visible.
Water would come down the slope, gain speed and continue toward the lower parts of the property.
For us, the hill was therefore not something separate from the farm.
It was an important part of the farm’s water system.
We began looking at the relationship between the hill, the slope, the soil and the lower parts of the property.
The objective was not to stop water completely.
The objective was to slow it down, guide it and give it places where it could remain within the landscape.
That became the thinking behind the continuous swale.
What Is a Continuous Swale?
A swale is a shallow, elongated earthwork designed to influence the movement of rainwater across a landscape.
At Meri Mati Farm, our swale follows the natural terrain and runs parallel to Burra Pahadi.
It is not simply one isolated trench.
It is part of a continuous system connecting different water-holding areas.
The swale follows the slope and guides water toward different reservoirs and ponds.
Because the land itself is sloping, water naturally moves from higher areas toward lower areas.
Our work was to create a landscape in which that movement could happen more slowly and through a series of water-holding structures rather than rushing directly away.
This is where the idea of “working with the land” became real for us.
Rainwater Enters From Different Parts of Burra Pahadi
One important thing about our system is that rainwater does not enter the property from only one point.
Because Burra Pahadi is sloping, water can come down from different parts of the hill.
From there, the water can move toward the continuous swale.
The swale then becomes a pathway through which the water can move across the property.
At different points, water encounters reservoirs and other water-holding structures.
Instead of allowing all the rainwater to move rapidly toward the lowest point, the system gives it several opportunities to slow down and collect.
This was particularly important because the land was originally vulnerable to soil erosion.
The Continuous Swale Runs Along the Hill
The continuous swale was created parallel to Burra Pahadi.
Its position was determined by the natural shape and slope of the land.
We did not want to create an artificial water path that ignored the terrain.
The idea was to understand the direction in which water was already moving and then create a system that could work with that movement.
The swale therefore became a long connecting feature.
On one side, it receives and guides water coming from the hill.
Along its course, water encounters different reservoirs and water-holding areas.
At the lower end, the water eventually moves toward the larger ponds.
The entire arrangement works as a connected landscape rather than as individual excavations.
The First Reservoir: R1
Along the continuous swale is a reservoir that we call R1.
R1 is located behind the hut we call H2.
The reservoir is approximately 5 feet deep and about 8 feet broad.
Its position is important because it lies directly within the water-flow system.
As water moves along the swale, it first reaches this reservoir.
Rather than allowing the water to continue immediately through the entire system, R1 provides another place where water can slow down and collect.
From R1, the water continues along the swale toward the next part of the system.
This is one of the things we learned while developing Meri Mati Farm:
A water-conservation system does not have to depend on one enormous pond.
Several smaller and larger structures can work together.
From R1 to R2
Further along the same continuous swale is another reservoir that we call R2.
R2 is located close to H3, the hut that we call Poppy Lilly.
R2 is approximately 6 feet deep and about 20 feet broad.
The important point is that R1 and R2 are not isolated water bodies.
Both are located along the continuous swale.
Water can therefore move from the first reservoir toward the second as it follows the natural slope of the property.
This creates a sequence:
Burra Pahadi
↓
Continuous Swale
↓
R1
↓
Continuous Swale
↓
R2
↓
Further Swale
↓
Small Pond
↓
Big Ponds
The exact movement of water depends on rainfall and the conditions of the land, but the basic landscape connection remains.
The Small Pond Before the Big Pond
After moving through the swale and the reservoir system, the water continues toward a smaller pond.
This small pond is approximately 2 feet deep and about 25 feet broad.
It acts as another water-holding point before the water reaches the much larger ponds.
The reason for having water-holding structures of different sizes was simple.
The property itself has different slopes, different soil conditions and different levels.
We therefore did not try to make every water body the same.
Instead, we created a sequence of structures that followed the character of the land.
Finally, the Big Pond
From the small pond, water continues toward the large ponds.
The main large pond is approximately 20 feet deep and about 50 feet broad.
This pond became one of the major water-storage points of the Meri Mati Farm system.
The water therefore does not have to travel directly from Burra Pahadi to the large pond.
Before reaching the large pond, it passes through a series of smaller and larger water-holding structures.
The journey is gradual.
Hill to swale.
Swale to reservoir.
Reservoir to reservoir.
Reservoir to small pond.
Small pond to large pond.
This sequence is one of the most important aspects of our water-conservation work.
The Other Direction: Water Toward the Dam
The continuous water system does not work only toward the large ponds.
The landscape also directs water toward another important area at the opposite end of Meri Mati Farm.
There is a reservoir system that we call the “dam.”
The dam is divided into three parts, which we refer to as D1, D2 and D3.
The three sections provide multiple stages for water to slow down and collect.
This was especially useful because water coming from the hill can arrive with considerable speed during heavy rainfall.
Having several sections instead of one single large collection point gives the water more stages through which to move.
The dam is located toward one end of the property, close to the hut we call Orchid.
Why Three Parts in the Dam?
The three sections of the dam — D1, D2 and D3 — are part of the same overall philosophy.
Slow the water.
Hold the water.
Give the land time to absorb and retain moisture.
Instead of thinking only about storage capacity, we looked at the movement of water through the landscape.
The land is sloping.
Water naturally wants to move downhill.
Therefore, our intervention was to create a sequence that could work with that movement.
The three sections of the dam became another example of this approach.
The Role of the Hand-Dug Trenches
The swale and reservoirs were not the only water-conservation work carried out at Meri Mati Farm.
There was another problem we had to address.
Soil erosion.
There is a hill-like, sloping area behind the large ponds.
Because of the slope, rainwater could move quickly across this area and carry soil with it.
To slow the water and reduce soil erosion, we manually dug a series of pits and trenches.
These were approximately 2 feet deep and about 4 to 6 feet broad.
We call this area the “trench” behind the big ponds.
These hand-dug structures became another layer in the water-conservation system.
They were not created as a replacement for the swale.
They were created to work with the landscape in another area where water movement and soil erosion needed attention.
Why We Did Not Use One Design Everywhere
One of the biggest lessons from working on 20 acres of land is that no two parts of the property behave exactly the same way.
Some areas are more sloping.
Some are rocky.
Some have different soil.
Some receive more runoff.
Some areas naturally collect water.
Because of this, we did not follow one identical design throughout Meri Mati Farm.
Some structures were small.
Some were larger.
Some were dug manually.
Some larger excavations required a JCB.
Some areas received pits and trenches.
Other areas were connected through swales.
Reservoirs and ponds were placed according to the terrain and the movement of water.
The land itself influenced the design.
From Individual Water Bodies to One Connected System
At first glance, someone visiting Meri Mati Farm might see ponds, pits, trenches and reservoirs as separate structures.
But that is not how we see them.
They are parts of one larger system.
The continuous swale connects different sections of the landscape.
R1 and R2 sit along the swale.
The swale continues toward the small pond.
The small pond connects into the larger pond system.
At another end, water moves toward the three-part dam.
Behind the large ponds, hand-dug trenches and pits help slow water and reduce soil erosion on the sloping land.
The result is a network.
Not one pond.
Not one trench.
Not one swale.
A network of water-holding structures working across the property.
Watching the System During Rainfall
The real test of any water-conservation work comes when the rains arrive.
In the early years, when the land was still largely barren, rainfall moved quickly across the property.
There was little grass or vegetation to slow the water.
The difference became increasingly visible as vegetation developed.
Grass began growing.
Plants became established.
Trees grew.
The soil became more protected.
As the landscape became greener, the movement of water also changed.
These are observations from our experience at Meri Mati Farm rather than measurements from a formal scientific study.
But watching the land respond season after season taught us something important.
Water and vegetation are deeply connected.
The more the landscape developed, the more opportunities there were for water to slow down and remain within the property.
What the Hill Taught Us
Burra Pahadi became more than a geographical feature of Meri Mati Farm.
It became one of our teachers.
It showed us that the hill, the rainwater, the soil and the farm could not be treated as separate things.
Rain falls on the hill.
The hill’s slope influences the direction of water.
Water enters the property from different points.
The swale guides the movement.
Reservoirs slow and hold water.
The small pond receives water further along the system.
The larger ponds provide greater storage.
The dam provides another sequence of water-holding areas.
The trenches help address runoff and soil erosion on the sloping land.
Everything is connected.
Working With Nature Instead of Against It
The philosophy behind this work is actually quite simple.
We did not want to fight the natural slope of the land.
We wanted to understand it.
We did not want to make the rainwater disappear.
We wanted to retain it.
We did not want to treat soil erosion as an isolated problem.
We wanted to understand how water movement, bare soil and vegetation were connected.
And we did not want one giant structure to solve everything.
We wanted many smaller and larger interventions to work together.
That approach became an important part of the identity of Meri Mati Farm.
Work with the land.
Observe.
Adapt.
And allow the landscape to become part of the solution.
More Than a Swale
Today, when we look at the continuous swale, we do not see only an earthwork.
We see the beginning of a relationship between the hill and the farm.
Burra Pahadi sends rainwater toward the property.
The swale receives and guides it.
R1 and R2 provide intermediate water-holding points.
The small pond becomes another stage.
The large pond provides greater storage.
The three-part dam manages water at another end of the property.
The trenches behind the large ponds help slow runoff and protect the soil on the slope.
Together, these structures became part of a larger landscape restoration effort.
The Journey Continues
The water-conservation work at Meri Mati Farm did not happen in a single day.
It developed gradually from 2021 onward and continued through the following years.
We observed rainfall.
We watched where water moved.
We saw where soil was being carried away.
We understood the slopes better.
And we continued modifying and expanding the system.
Eventually, more than 200 small and large water bodies and water-holding structures became part of the property.
But the number itself is not the most important thing.
The important thing is what those structures represent.
They represent an attempt to understand the land before changing it.
They represent the idea that rainwater can become a resource rather than simply runoff.
And they represent our belief that restoring land begins by restoring its relationship with water.
From Burra Pahadi to Meri Mati
When we began, the land was largely barren.
Today, it is a very different landscape.
Grass has returned.
Trees have grown.
Water bodies have become part of the property.
The soil is more protected.
And the movement of rainwater is no longer simply a story of water entering the property and quickly leaving it.
There is now a network of places where water can slow, collect and move gradually through the landscape.
The continuous swale along Burra Pahadi is an important part of that transformation.
It taught us that sometimes the best solution is not to impose a completely new system on the land.
Sometimes the best solution is to understand the system that nature has already created — and help it work better.
What Comes Next
The continuous swale is only one part of the larger water-conservation story at Meri Mati Farm.
Once water began to stay longer in the landscape, another transformation became visible.
The land became greener.
Grass, plants and trees became established.
The soil began changing.
And the way water behaved across the property also changed.
In the next article, we will look at what happened when the rains came year after year — and how the transformation from barren land to a greener landscape affected the way Meri Mati Farm held water.
This is where we move from the design of the water system to what we actually observed after putting it into practice.
Final Thought
At Meri Mati Farm, we learned an important lesson from Burra Pahadi:
Water already knows where it wants to go.
Our work was to understand that journey.
Then we created places where the water could slow down, stay longer and become part of the landscape.
The continuous swale was not the end of the journey.
It was the beginning of a new relationship between the hill, the rain, the soil, the water and the life growing around them.
And that relationship continues to evolve with every monsoon.
