There was a severe drought in Alwar district in Rajasthan during 1985-86. In 1985, volunteers from the Tarun Bharat Sangh (TBS), a voluntary organization led by Rajendra Singh, came to Alwar. The Alwar District had once thrived, but logging, mining, and other industrial activities resulted in land degradation that intensified flooding and droughts. The traditional water management system using johads was abandoned. TBS revived the tradition of building johads, an example of traditional technology that provided water for use and recharging ground water. Now smaller cemented johads are popularly known as tankas in most parts of the arid state of Rajasthan.