Jalyatra, Exploring India's Traditional Water Management Systems, is an ecological travelogue that looks at links between water, society and places in an easy-to-read manner. This book places water resources in the local environmental and social context. It does so to make the case that water management evolved in keeping with local conditions to serve local populations.

Through eight locations in different parts of India, author Nitya Jacob brings out the stories around local water management systems. He describes in detail what existed, how it fitted into the socio-cultural milieu and was appropriate for the local climate and geography. He then examines reasons for their decline, as indeed most have, in recent decades.

In many places, NGOs and enlightened individuals are striving to revive these systems. Jalyatra captures their efforts. It makes the case for a mass movement to revive traditional water management systems, especially village ponds, across the country as one viable way to ensure water security in India.

Girl pulls drinking water from Oorani, Tamil Nadu Cormorants test in the Kabini lake Deeg Palace's beautiful water ways	Dhara in Uttarakhand for drinking water Evening aarti in Varanasi on the ghats Gora talaab in Bundelkhand
Bamboo shyngiar in Meghalaya Gate to regulate water flow in khazaan lands, Goa Kund in Shekhawati, Rajasthan