History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c24.s6.26

v1.c24.s6.26

Nārada (XI.18) classifies irrigational works into two: kheya (canal) or that which is dug into the soil in order to drain off excessive water, and bandhya (embankment) or that which is constructed to prevent water from flowing away. The Bṛhatkalpasūtra Bhāṣya (123a) (Motichand, p.165) records the regional peculiarities of irrigation devices. Certain regions (like Lāṭa) depended solely upon rains, others (like Sindhu) used the rivers, some others (like Dravida country) relied upon reservoirs, some (like Uttarāpatha) used wells, at some places (like Banāsa) seeds were sown after the floods had receded, while in others (like Kananadvīpa) paddy crop was cultivated on boats.