Concerns: The Science in Traditional Water management system; Stone spouts

The Science in Traditional Water management system; Stonespouts

During the road expansion many pipelines of RANA time can be seen along the road. The pipelines are metallic. Iron, Aluminum or alloys are used to make the pipes in that time. How the water was used to be managed in the Kathmandu before the introduction of the metal pipelines? Stone spouts, kuwa , ponds etc. may give the answer of the questions . We can see many stone spouts, kuwa, ponds etc. constructed many years ago. How the water continuously flows through the stone spouts? Are there any pipelines or canals?

We can see many stone spouts in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur ,Lalitpur .If we analyze ,there is complex traditional science used to manage water for the public , livestock and for irrigation . Stone spout system are also called Hiti system , ‘Hi’ means moving and ‘ti’ means conduit is the combination of kirat skills and Lichhabi skills . The kirat Used to live in sloppy land (in hills) and thy used to manage infiltrated sub surface water (spring management) for their livelihood and the Lichhabi people used to manage water by digging of in the surface (now called boring) . These two skills are combined to form a stone spout . The combination of kuwa and inar gives a dhungaedhara.

A Stone spout is association of-

1. Pond to recharge aquifer

2. An aquifer

2. Transmission Canal

3. Purification system

4. Location and structure of stone spouts

5. Drainage

6. Utilization of drained water

In fact, construction of Stone spout is a herculean task requiring sufficient knowledge, wisdom, strength, resources and strong commitment of locals and government.

Pond collects the water in the rainy season and in dry season water is infiltrated to recharge the aquifer. The pond is constructed just above the identified aquifer. Ponds insure the availability of much water. Especially pond associated stone spouts supply water for irrigation livestock etc. A complex ancient engineering was used to identify aquifer, transmission canal, filtration system and protection of structure. If water can easily move to a nearby stone spouts with the force of gravity from the aquifer, there is no need of the transmission canals. Transmission canals supply water from far source to the ponds or to the aquifer or to the stone spout directly. The transmission pipe is made up of wood during the Lichhabi period but replaced by stone in the Malla time. A cross chamber is used in between the transmission canal to change the direction or to change the height of flow. Today’s engineering uses complex modern mathematics to make the velocity non-silting and no- scouring velocity but without complex modern mathematics people of that time were capable of making the velocity non-silting and non-scouring in the wooden or stone pipelines. A complex structure made up of stones or bricks are used to filter the soil particles around the source or around the pond whereas much complex structure where the velocity is reduced and water allowed to move in jickjack way is used just beyond the stone spouts for the purification of the water. Biological purification system like using snake was also in practice. The stone spouts are located in the low land region or made a subsurface place. This is to insure continuous flow of water by natural force of gravity. Different arts are also done to make the structure beautiful to convert the spirituality to social work. We can see a well-managed drainage system even it is a subsurface management. The drained water was made to utilize for Duck farming, for buffalo and for irrigation in the low land agricultural field.

There is no expectation of volunteering for the management of the son spouts but instead GUTHI SYSTEM was used. The earning from certain land around it was utilized for maintenance and operation of the stone spouts. Different annual tri- annual 12 year festivals , jatras like MACCHINDRANATH ,Naag puga , Chhema puja etc are indirectly associated with protection of the stone spouts.

Many of the stone spouts are now not working because of construction of the buildings , construction of the roads which block the transmission canal beneath the surface , because of encroachment of the ponds which used to recharge the aquifer and moreover because of the development of concrete jungle in Kathmandu which prevents infiltration to recharge the aquifer .

The stonespout in SWYAMBHU is found buried under a house , the stone spout in Baneshwor is destroyed due to building of casino ,the raajkulo was disconnected due to construction of ring road etc etc etc . Many of the stone spouts are now destroyed and culture associated with it is being vanished day by day. This is so ridiculous that we are destroying our real property gifted by our ancestors and we are not being able to protect them. This is the time we should wake up to preserve and protect the stone spouts .