GHALANAI, Mohmand Agency -- The Persian water wheel is a centuries-old system for raising water out of a well by using a series of wooden wheels, cogs and buckets powered by an ox moving around in a circle.
In modern times, most of these traditional irrigation systems have given way to tube wells, but Pakistan Forward found at least one farmer in Mohmand Agency still using the traditional system.
The system is comprised of two gear wheels: as the first wheel revolves, buckets attached to the second wheel dip into the well and fill with water. As the buckets rotate, the water pours into a metal shaft that in turn empties into an intricate network of troughs that distribute water through the farmer's cropland.
The following photographs, taken May 15, demonstrate how the Persian water wheel functions and highlights the beauty of this cultural treasure.
![A farmer's son in Mohmand Agency uses a centuries-old system to irrigate the family's land May 15. [Alamagir Khan]](/cnmi_pf/images/2017/06/13/8197-15-585_329.jpg)
A farmer's son in Mohmand Agency uses a centuries-old system to irrigate the family's land May 15. [Alamagir Khan]