hOLDING & RELEASING
An overflow system along the Luni River in Rajasthan, India
This project takes place in Tilwara, a small town on the Luni River in Rajasthan, India. The area is faced with low groundwater levels and pollution due to the presence of textile units upstream. The lack of rainfall restricts soil fertility and agricultural activity, while the erratic rainfall patterns cause soil degradation. Using printmaking as an exploration, research, and design tool, the project creates a series of filtering devices that remediate polluted water, retain soil moisture and prevent erosion. These filters enable a system along Luni, that supports the river’s natural self-purifying ability. They take the form of sediment detention dams, wind breaks, water harvesting structures and aquatic plant beds. Subtle topographical variations allow for the concentration of water that is slowed down, held, filtered and released. It is then diverted through irrigation canals to village tanks, facilitating a series of local traditional practices to take place: agriculture, dry land farming, salt harvesting, pottery.
Academic Project / University of Pennsylvania / LARP 702 Final Studio / instructor: Anuradha Mathur