What is water harvesting? How can this technique help in the conservation of water? ( CBSE 2016)

Water is the basic necessity for all terrestrial forms of life. Conservation of water is very essential because it is needed for all the biological activities. Water harvesting is an age-old concept in India and is practiced in India from years. It is a conservation technique in which rain water is captured when it falls and the measures are taken to clean it.

This technique helps in the conservation of water when there is scarcity of rain or there is shortage of water because it can be utilized at that time. Moreover, it also recharges the ground water and reduces the dependency on rainfall for irrigation purposes.