Piped water only for 40% of the middle class
Only 15% of the middle class, households with an annual income above Rs. 88,800, get about three hours of water supply says the latest data from National Council for Applied Economic Research
Low rainfall in Western Ghats means less water for cities
Rainfall in Western Ghats has reduced by 20-25% over the years, impacting groundwater table and water bodies which are a source of water supply to Bangalore, Mangalore and a few others near the Ghats, says a study by the Indian Institute of Science
110 industries in Surat to use recycled water
The city municipal corporation will provide about 40 million litres of recycled water per day to the textile industries in Pandesara industrial area from its tertiary treatment plant
Privatised and purified: drinking water in Andhra district
People in villages of Krishna district prefer buying purified water at a cost rather than fetch some from the Panchayat tap which is free. Increased health awareness and subsidised cost of the filtered water behind the phenomenon
Island people don't have water
Island villages on Kolleru lake in Andhra's Krishna district, one of the biggest fresh water lakes in India, do not have drinking water. People have to crossover a canal in boats to fetch water from the nearby West Godavari district
Elections priority, water testing can happen later
The Thiruvanathapuram district election office has taken away Kerala Water Authority's only vehicle that went about collecting samples to check the quality of drinking water, for election related work
Mecca of medical tourism, but no toilets
750 million people in India, one of the world's fastest growing economies, live without a toilet. In rural areas, seven in ten people still practiced open defecation as per a survey in 2010
Poop talks: why sanitation is important
About 2000 children die every day from diorrheal diseases caused by unsafe water and no access to proper sanitation"The Big Necessity: the unmentionable world of human waste and why it matters," a book by Rose George, says
Organic farming: for people's and environmental health
Chemicals used in agriculture have creeped into our soil and water bodies. We need to make multi-directional efforts now to popularise organic farming among the producers as well as consumers
Mangroves tackle climate change
Mangrove conservation can drastically reduce the physical impact of cyclones and also provide income generating opportunities to coastal communities. A case study from Kendrapada, Odisha
This is the news roundup of April 5 and 6, 2014.