Amita Bhaduri

Amita Bhaduri
Living rivers, dying rivers: Ganga and the river systems of Bihar
The first lecture was on the Ganges by Rama Rauta and K C Sivaramakrishnan, and the third on the river systems of Bihar--Kosi and Bagmati--by Dr. Dinesh Mishra.
Posted on 10 Jul, 2015 11:11 AM

Introduction: The Ganges

The first discussion was on June 4 2011, in which Rama Rauta and K C Sivaramakrishnan shared their experiences of working with the government and people’s organisations to save the Ganga.

Kosi river, Bihar (Source:Wikipedia)
Groundwater as Commons demonstrated in Mahbubnagar, Telangana
Farmers agreed to pool their groundwater to create a water sharing network. Result? Crops were saved, irrigated area was doubled, and grain production increased by 240%! Posted on 08 Jul, 2015 05:37 PM

By the year 2000, farmers in Mahbubnagar, Telangana could see how risky their investments on groundwater had become. The area barely received 600 mm of annual rainfall, and just 15 percent of its area was under irrigation.

Collectivising groundwater for protecting rainfed crop; Source: WASSAN
Udaipur's water threatened by India's largest reserve of phosphate
Pollution from the Jhamarkotra mines poses a threat to waters near and far, and also causes severe health issues in the miners. Why is there no post facto environment impact assessment?
Posted on 22 Jun, 2015 10:01 AM

Huddled in the Aravali range in the southern part of Rajasthan about 26 km from Udaipur, is the largest reserve of phosphate in India.

Piles of overburden (waste) dumped near the mine pits of Jhamarkotra
Puppets talk, people listen
A small colony of puppeteers in Delhi 'pull strings' and talk on issues that plague their lives: Water, sanitation and land takeover bids. Posted on 14 Jun, 2015 10:31 PM

All the world’s a stage and all men and women players in it, said Shakespeare. Kathputli Colony in Delhi is living testimony to this. ‘Kath’ means wood and ‘putli’ is the Hindi word for a doll or puppet.

Modern day puppets talk on issues pertaining to real life situations
Farmers field school in Jharkhand shows the way in integrated farming
The School has taught farmers how to use waste from their farms as inputs in their farming system. Other organic practices have improved the soil profile and water holding capacity of the fields. Posted on 14 Jun, 2015 03:38 PM

Chedua Bedia is a 47-year-old marginal farmer from Dubulabeda village, Angara block of Ranchi district. In addition to being a successful farmer, Chedua has founded a school and motivates other farmers from his village to attend classes!

A farmers field school at Angara
Abandoned dams; abandoned people
The National Green Tribunal allowed the ongoing construction on the Kanhar dam to continue despite its many illegalities. Four people who know the situation best explain why we should be disappointed. Posted on 19 May, 2015 04:07 PM

Kanhar, 1976; Polavaram 1941. These are just two of the several dam projects that were proposed decades ago but are yet to see the light of day.

We don't want dams, dams destroy  mountains' reads a slogan painted on a wall in Uttarakhand (Image Source: GJ Lingaraj)
Women assert their space under the sun
The face of female labour is changing under MGNREGA, a programme where water conservation is given the highest priority in the choice of work. What are its implications?
Posted on 05 May, 2015 02:12 PM

When Satya was asked by the Sarpanch to opt for the position of a worksite supervisor as a Mate, she was thrilled at the prospect of a better life. Brought up in Murayur village in Sivagangai district, Tamil Nadu, she knew how tough agricultural wage labour work was. While her mother left her with grandparents, her father also took on menial jobs and errands from big farmers.

Satya’s position as a supervisor is valued by all
Don't forget this Ambedkar Jayanti
Brutal reprisals on unarmed tribal and Dalit protesters are not uncommon, and Kanhar is just the latest. Here's how the next set of protesters could avoid being shot at. Posted on 04 May, 2015 06:40 PM

If Babasaheb Ambedkar had been alive today -- April 14, 2015 -- he would have been 125 years old. In the predominantly tribal and dalit district of Sonbhadra, it was natural that Gambhira Prasad, President of the Kanhar Bandh Virodhi Sangharsh Samiti (KBVSS), decided to mark the day.

The women of Sundari village protest
Niyamagiri hills get temporary respite from Vedanta
Violation of the Environment Protection Act, the Forest Conservation Act and the Forest Rights Act put an end to Vedanta's bauxite mining plans but for how long?
Posted on 03 May, 2015 07:09 PM

The Niyamagiri hills in the Eastern Ghats is peopled by indigenous groups such as the Dongria and Kutia Kondhs -- or 'primitive tribal groups’ in official phrasing. For them, these hills which spread over 300 sq kms in Rayagada and Kalahandi districts in southwestern Orissa, is the sacred abode of Niyamraja, their God.

The hills and the streams are their soul
Facing uncertain rains, farmers dig in
Bankura in West Bengal receives 1000 mm of rainfall a year, yet thousands of adivasi farmers in the area were faced with irrigation issues -- until 'happas' came to the rescue.
Posted on 20 Apr, 2015 12:40 PM

Amulya Soren couldn’t get stable yields in the kharif (monsoon) paddy in his farm. A member of the Santhal tribe, he was the beneficiary of a surplus land redistribution programme in Hirbandh block of Bankura, West Bengal. The undulating terrain in which his farm lies receives sufficient rainfall of about 1000 mm a year, yet sufficient irrigation was an issue.

Farmers constructing happa; Image: PRADAN
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