Question

Explain rahat and moat/pulley system.

Answer 1

Hint: Rahat and moat are two kinds of irrigation methods used in agriculture.
In the rahat method, a big wheel is rotated to draw water whereas in moat, a pulley is used to draw water from reservoirs.

Complete Answer:
Water is an essential part of plant bodies for healthy growth. Irrigation is the process of supplying water to crops at a regular interval. Irrigation process depends upon the amount and frequency of water needed by the different types of crops. Various sources of irrigation include ponds, tube well, well, river, lake etc.
- Rahat: It is one of the traditional irrigation methods. It is also called Persian wheel as it came from Persia back in the 1970s. it is generally a large wheel where buckets or containers are placed on the rim of the wheel. It is rotated by domestic animals like cattle, horse, donkey to uptake the water from the reservoir.
- Moat: It is also a traditional irrigation method. It is also called a pulley system as a pulley is used to draw water from the sources. It consists of a rope and pulley. At one end of the rope, a bucket is tied and another end is pulled by the animals to draw water.

Note: Irrigation methods can be divided into two categories: traditional irrigation and modern irrigation. Traditional irrigation methods include moat/pulley system, chain pump, dhekli and rahat. Modern irrigation methods include sprinkler systems and drip irrigation.
- Traditional methods use human or animal labour whereas modern irrigation uses machinery pumps or engines.
- Irrigation process is much more important and used in kharif crops than the rabi crops.