1. Pani Panchayat, Pune District, Maharashtra
   
   Mahur village, in the Pune District of Maharashtra, is situated in a drought-prone area. The people were not able to grow a good crop in most years; clean drinking water was also scarce. A man named Vilasrao Salunkhe initiated a movement, known as Pani Panchayat, to conserve water in this drought-prone area. Watershed development was initiated on a barren and uncultivated piece of land belonging to a temple. Soil conservation and water harvesting, brought about through a comprehensive micro-watershed management program, gradually led to a surplus of water. Out of the 16 ha of land in the village, 9.6 ha were brought under irrigation, 2.4 ha were afforested and 4 ha were converted into percolation tanks. Wells and field bunds were built. While 200 quintals of grains were produced on 24 acres of Salunkhe's land, 40 acres in the same area yielded only 10 quintals. This made other villagers follow suit, and the area rapidly turned green and productive.



2. Mewar, Rajasthan
   
    The Mewar region of Rajasthan has a rich legacy of traditional water-harvesting systems to share the available water for cultivation.
   
   Medhbandi: This is a stone embankment built on a hill-slope to help create a level field for cultivation. It controls erosion and conserves moisture.
   
   Noada/bandha: These are stone check-dams across streams or gullies that are constructed to capture runoff on a stretch of fertile land that is submerged in water during the monsoon. The land not only becomes more fertile after trapping silt, but also retains substantial quantities of water in the soil. These dams are constructed in phases over several years. The height is slowly increased up to the same height of the check-dam, which determines the size of the naada.
   
   Hembar: These are small temporary dams constructed with stones, twigs and mud over a seasonal stream, when water flows in it is reduced to a point that it cannot be taken directly to the fields for irrigation.
   
   Chak: Chak is a big plot of land, usually a charnot or village pasture land, enclosed by a stone boundary wall called a kot. Tree plantations, seeding of grass for fodder, contour bunds with trenches and loose stone check-dams are developed in the chak. The chak is used for fodder and fuelwood. It reduces soil erosion and enhances the recharge of ground water.
   
   Talab: The Mewar region is well-known for its built reservoirs {talabs). Udaipur City is famous for its large number of talabs, and is called the lake city. A small reservoir of less than five bighas is called talai, a medium-sized lake is called bandh or talab, and a bigger lake is called sagar or samand.
   
   Saza kuva: This is an open dug well, which has several owners. In Mewari language, saza means 'partner'. This is an important method for irrigation in the Aravalli hills. About 70,000 wells in the Udaipur District provide water for 80% of the area under irrigation and provide water for their owners. These are considered common property resources.