BOOK REVIEW 111 arrangement of tank, the channel and distribution and management identified a tank as conservationist technology rather a utilitarian technology (STS Reddy 1990). These tanks which are usually gravity flow type are different from pond, jhil, pokhar, taalab, sagar and beel etc. requiring lift in other parts of the country. Tanks in Rajasthan are a special type of protective storage structures. The excellent technique of maximising the utilisation of moisture are the submergence tanks. The Khadin in Rajasthan, Haveli system in Madhya Pradesh, Guhl in HP and UP and Ahar in Bihar are some of the prominent ones. These structures retain rain water by a low bund on the opposite side of catchment flow and allow the water to spread in an extensive area and a thin layer of water is retained as late as the end of monsoon (say November) and later drains off the water to prepare the land for rabi cultivation without irrigation. Ironically, success has been achieved even in the Thar desert of Rajasthan. Unlike conventional storage tanks, it does not require storage reservoir on the surface, rather the water percolates down to enrich the ground water level (a kind of underground storage structure). It also releases the tank bed for cultivation and the soil is extremely rich in fertility. Area benefitted by this traditional system is substantially large. Other virtues of traditional systems like tanks includes famine proof, desalinity effect conservation and crop control, maximum use of land, gr.ound water recharge, flood control by diversion works, minimum power requirement, and of course, sustainability. Despite the long list of merits of these traditional systems, why are the traditional water harvesting systems declining? If the communities are loosing interest on the traditional works, attempt to pursue the ways and means to regenerate the users interest on the water harvesting system is to be intensified. If the state is neglecting the system then the policy should be changed to accommodate simultaneous emphasis on minor as well as major irrigation projects. The policy of bottom up approach should be promoted rather than the top down approach. After all it is the masses for which the facilities are created, therefore, they should get the scope of total participation in the overall development of water resource management system. Certain recommendations of the design alteration are suggested to make the system relevant. It is essential to rethink of the alternative to modem development rather than encouraging such slogans as 'Big is beautiful' in the context of water resources development at a time when depletion Of the country's natural resource is an important issue. B.C. BARAH