Q1.
Let us Read — What a Tank! Read the passage and enjoy it.
Answer
Here is the whole passage, in the order in which you read it on pages 65, 66 and 67.
Water conservation is a practice that has existed for centuries. Even hundreds of years ago, there were huge water storage structures. These did not just store water but also protected cities from floods, provided drinking water, and brought people together.
Today in many parts of India, many communities still practice the traditional water management methods. In Tamil Nadu, Ooranis store rainwater for drinking and farming. In Kerala, Panam Keni wells are known for not drying up even in the hottest months. Similarly, Tankas as shown below are quite common in Rajasthan’s Thar region. They are underground tanks that can store enough water for six to seven months.
Nowadays most people have water tanks to store water in their homes. These tanks store hundreds and even thousands of litres of water. Usually, they are kept or built on the roofs. Such water tanks are called overhead water tanks.
Most of us are familiar with water tanks but there is something different about the overhead tanks of Punjab.
Punjab is a state in the northwestern part of India. Rich in culture and heritage, Punjab is also known for the unique designs of water tanks in its rural areas. You may see tanks shaped like a giant flower, a large football, a brown rooster, a statue or even an aeroplane.
People carefully plan the design of their water tanks. Every tank tells us something about the people of the house. For example, if the owner of the house is a farmer, the water tank may be in the shape of a tractor or a bullock cart or even a rooster. If the owner likes football, the water tank of the house may be shaped like a football.
All these tanks are made of cement. The frame of the water tank is made using steel rods. Later, concrete is used to give it final shape. Then it is installed on the roof of the house. The final product is a unique tank that can hold hundreds of litres of water. These unique water tanks are the heart of the communities in rural Punjab.
Today in many parts of India, many communities still practice the traditional water management methods. In Tamil Nadu, Ooranis store rainwater for drinking and farming. In Kerala, Panam Keni wells are known for not drying up even in the hottest months. Similarly, Tankas as shown below are quite common in Rajasthan’s Thar region. They are underground tanks that can store enough water for six to seven months.
Nowadays most people have water tanks to store water in their homes. These tanks store hundreds and even thousands of litres of water. Usually, they are kept or built on the roofs. Such water tanks are called overhead water tanks.
Most of us are familiar with water tanks but there is something different about the overhead tanks of Punjab.
Punjab is a state in the northwestern part of India. Rich in culture and heritage, Punjab is also known for the unique designs of water tanks in its rural areas. You may see tanks shaped like a giant flower, a large football, a brown rooster, a statue or even an aeroplane.
People carefully plan the design of their water tanks. Every tank tells us something about the people of the house. For example, if the owner of the house is a farmer, the water tank may be in the shape of a tractor or a bullock cart or even a rooster. If the owner likes football, the water tank of the house may be shaped like a football.
All these tanks are made of cement. The frame of the water tank is made using steel rods. Later, concrete is used to give it final shape. Then it is installed on the roof of the house. The final product is a unique tank that can hold hundreds of litres of water. These unique water tanks are the heart of the communities in rural Punjab.
The passage in four parts:
- Long ago. People stored water hundreds of years ago too. Their big structures stored water, stopped floods, gave drinking water and brought people together.
- Old ways still alive. Ooranis in Tamil Nadu, Panam Keni wells in Kerala, and Tankas in the Thar region of Rajasthan.
- Tanks today. Most homes keep a tank on the roof. A tank kept up high like that is an overhead water tank.
- The tanks of Punjab. In the villages of Punjab the tanks are shaped like a football, a rooster, a tractor, a flower, a statue, even an aeroplane — and each shape says something about the family living there.
What you can see in the pictures: On page 65 there is a Tanka — a round tank of orange brick with a flat white top, and steps going down to it. On page 66 there is a tank shaped like a giant football and another shaped like a brown rooster with a bow tie. On page 67 there is a bright blue tractor sitting on a roof — that whole tractor is the water tank.
Why the chapter is called “What a Tank!”: It is what you would say out loud if you turned a corner in a Punjab village and saw a tractor sitting on top of a house. It is a sentence of surprise and delight — an exclamatory sentence. The chapter teaches you exactly that kind of sentence later, in Let us Learn.
Tip for reading aloud: Read the first two paragraphs slowly and plainly — they give facts. Then lift your voice at “there is something different about the overhead tanks of Punjab.” That line is the turn in the passage, where the surprise begins.