This article draws upon the role of women in sustainable development and highlights the need for empowerment to ensure equitable distribution of resources
I have used a pop up filter (rainy type) to filter rain water and inject it into a open well. The water in the open well sometimes stinks and it is not clear where the contamination has occurred because all wells in the area are smelling. In our area water is available at about 7 feet depth. Obviously rooftops have bird droppings as a major source of infection. Now by pouring the filtered water into the open well -
Soil and water conservation are necessary to make agriculture self sufficient, sustainable and viable especially in hilly regions that are hard pressed for these resources. MYRADA (Mysore Resettlement and Development Agency), as an institution, is involved in a big way in various activities that engage local people in planning for the development of their area in the three southern states. In Erode district of Tamil Nadu, the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) has been instrumental in bringing about a marked change in the topography of the region.
Khandwa is a medium-sized town located in western Madhya Pradesh. The 'Khandwa water supply augmentation project' has been awarded to Vishwa Utilities Pvt. Ltd., a Hyderabad based company under the Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns (UIDSSMT) on a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) basis for water supply augmentation to the town, for the next 25 years. The project has been under execution since October 2009. The private party would supply water to the town @ Rs 11.95 per KL. The raw water for this would be pumped from a reservoir 51 km, away from the town. This report by Gaurav Dwivedi and Rehmat, Manthan Adhyayan Kendra deals with the privatisation of urban water supply in the town.
This article criticises the Government of India’s proposal of addressing the twin problems of floods and water scarcity in the country by interlinking rivers
This article questions the logic behind the implementing of the river interlinking project by using dams, embankments and canals, which have failed in Bihar to control floods
This paper in the Economic and Political Weekly (EPW) by Dr. Imtiaz Ahmed, University of Dhaka deals with the Supreme Court’s verdict directing the Government of India to implement the interlinking of rivers. The article opines that the judgement seems to have overlooked the regional and international implications of what the Indian Court strangely considers “the rivers of the country”.
This paper published in the magazine Science highlights the importance of the Himalayan glaciers, the current uncertainties in relation to the status of glaciers, their implications for water resources in the region and the prevailing public and scientific debate around them. Current evidence indicates that most Himalayan glaciers are losing mass at rates similar to glaciers elsewhere, except for emerging indications of stability or mass gain in the Karakoram.
This paper published in the journal Bulletin of Environment, Pharmacology & Life Sciences describes the findings of a study that was carried out to check the effects of industrial and agricultural activities on the groundwater properties in terms of heavy metal concentration. Polluted groundwater is defined as groundwater that has higher concentrations of dissolved or suspended elements than the maximum permissible concentrations fixed by national or international standards for drinking, industrial or agricultural purposes. Sometimes natural groundwater pollution may also occur because of the presence of the respective substances above the prescribed limits.
Today India is looking at permanent membership in the UN, and is already a prominent member of several international organisations like SAARC and BRICS.Many big MNC’s have already made their homes in India and many are in the process to do so. India is also achieving great heights in industries and in the defence sector.
By looking at these developments we can say that indeed India is progressing at a very fast pace! But to an extent it is a artificial or illusion.
Still India is thousand years behind if we compare it with the developments of western countries , A country which is in 21st century is still bound by the shackles of caste & religious atrocities, honour killings , manual scavenging for thousands of years, then how can we say that this country is developing in a true sense?
This paper published in the Indian Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine sheds light on the occupational health hazards among sewage and sanitary workers. The paper informs that manual scavenging still persists in our country and the situation of the manual scavengers has continued to remain unchanged, despite the fact that the Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993, is in enforcement. This Act provides for the prohibition of the employment of manual scavengers as well as construction or continuance of dry latrines and for the regulation of construction and maintenance of water-seal latrines for assuring the dignity of the individual.
Vasudha Vikas Sansthan with the help of Water Aid and with the technical support of Peoples’ Science Institute undertook fluoride testing and fluorosis mitigation programme in Tirala, Dharampuri and Umarban blocks of Dhar district in Madhya Pradesh. The program began on November 5th, 2008. The data generated and major results of the research undertaken under the programme is presented in this report.
The Supreme Court has recently given direction to Government of India to implement Inter Linking of Rivers (ILR) within a time frame as it brings many benefits to our people. Many feel that ILR has some inherent problems including reluctance of the States. But Supreme Court wants the net working of rivers (NWR). This article by J Prabudoss looks into the issue.
The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is introduced by US government as flexibility mechanisms under Kyoto Protocol and allows developed countries to meet their emission reduction commitments by promoting clean development in developing countries. As a policy mandate, it aims to design project-based mechanisms to reduce emissions. These reductions are produced and then subtracted against a hypothetical baseline of emissions which are predicted to occur in the absence of a particular CDM project. India as a signatory of this protocol have been registered 2313 projects up to August 2010, out of these, 64 projects are of hydro power generation and Chanju power project of 36 MW is one of the CDM project in India. Dr Mohinder Kumar Slariya in this article showcases the primary data research based view point, which he presented in the "International Scientific Conference" at Hohenheim University, Germany.
Evolution in the paradigms of disaster management concept and framework from ‘response and relief’ to ‘mitigation and preparedness’ has brought in the light four major approaches, namely – (1) Engineering based solutions, (b) Community based disaster risk reduction, (c) Ecosystem approach to disaster risk reduction, and (d) Externality based response and relief approach. This report by National Institute of Disaster Management deals with this.
Climate change is already taking place. Rural areas will be particularly affected as it impacts water resources, agriculture, overall biodiversity and ecosystems like forests and coastal zones, as well as human health. This report by GIZ - Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit deals with the issue.
Hydro-meteorological disasters particularly floods, drought, desertification, cyclone, extreme weather events, pest attack, forest fire, man-animal conflict are inextricably linked with environmental systems, resources and ecosystems. Environmental challenges and their complexities have been growing with the advancement in human development and economic stewardship. This report by National Institute of Disaster Management deals with this issue.