Assam

Majuli: A hungry river and a succumbing island
Erosion in Majuli, a large island on the Brahmaputra, has left scores of people bereft of livelihoods and hope. While the government has spent crores on anti-erosion measures, it hasn't helped much. Posted on 24 Sep, 2016 08:30 PM

Brahmaputra is the highest siltation-carrying river in the world, and controlling erosion is not easy. Because of its characteristics, it does not have a parallel with any other river in the world. Mythologically also, the Brahmaputra has always been a disturbed river, highly meandering, says Gunajeet Kashyap (ACS), Election Officer, Majuli.

A boatman looks at the vast and furious Brahmaputra
Forgotten water bearers of Guwahati
Most of the ponds in Guwahati are in a sorry state now. They need to be preserved, not just as heritage sites, but also as drinking water providers and collectors of surface runoff. Posted on 19 Sep, 2016 06:04 PM

Guwahati, one of the fastest growing cities in India, is thousands of years old. Once known as Pragjyotishpura or the city of eastern light, Guwahati has many ancient stories attached to it. This beautiful city finds mention in epics such as Ramayana, Mahabharata and the Puranas.

Jorpukhuri near Ugratara temple.
Majuli, world’s largest river island
News this week Posted on 11 Sep, 2016 08:34 PM

Guinness World Records names Assam’s Majuli world’s largest river island

The Majuli river island in Assam. (Source: IWP Flickr Photo)
Children of a lesser God
Underprivileged children are the most affected by Assam’s annual floods. Their schools washed away and health affected, they also fall prey to nefarious activities. Posted on 09 Aug, 2016 10:32 PM

In what is considered the worst flood in a decade, the flood in Assam this year has swept over 2,800 villages away and submerged more than two lakh hectares of crop. More than 26 lakh people have been affected in 28 out of 34 districts of the state.

Children take refuge in temporary shelters.  (Photo source: Jhai Foundation)
Assam, Bihar reel under severe flood
News this week Posted on 08 Aug, 2016 11:13 PM

One of the worst floods in Assam and Bihar

Flood in Bihar. (Source: IWP Flickr Photos)
When coal goes unheard
This paper tries to understand the effect of coal mining in the northeast India and ways to control its impact on the environment Posted on 01 Jul, 2016 12:21 PM

India has the fifth largest coal reserves in the world [1].

Coal mines in Meghalaya (Source: The Hindu)
33 crore people across 10 States hit by drought: Centre
News this week Posted on 26 Apr, 2016 12:25 PM

Drought has hit 33 crore people across 10 states, informs Centre

Drought in India (Source: IWP Flickr Photos)
Water is more than a job for them
Celebrations for World Water Day 2016 in Nagaon, Assam personify passion by honouring grassroots water-workers for their thankless efforts. Posted on 21 Mar, 2016 08:39 AM

"A job isn’t just a job. It’s who you are". That quote seems to define the five people who are being honoured for their extraordinary dedication in ensuring water to the people in Nagaon and the newly declared Hojai district of Assam.

Contribution of water sector workers at the grassroots level goes unrecognised very often
Indigenous knowledge helps fisherfolk cope with floods
Observations based on changes in animal behaviour and the position of celestial bodies among others have helped Dhemaji's fisherfolk in the early prediction of rains and floods. Posted on 03 Jan, 2016 05:39 PM

Dhemaji is one of the most flood-affected districts in Assam. Although the majority of its population depends on agriculture and sericulture, fishing and driftwood businesses are also practised on a smaller scale. People of Dhemaji are intimately associated with fish culture and capture for their livelihoods.

High frequency of floods and its effect on livelihoods

Fisherfolk, traditional knowledge, and coping with disasters (Source: India Water Portal)
Tea trouble brewing in Assam
Decreasing rainfall in Assam is causing a decline in tea yield, but the crop itself is somewhat adapting to the impacts of climate change, as are tea growers. Posted on 05 Dec, 2015 10:31 PM

Assam, which lies on either side of the Brahmaputra River and borders Bangladesh and Myanmar, is the world's largest tea-growing region (Wikipedia). According to estimates by the Tea Board of India in 2007, the state has 3.11 lakh hectares of area u

Women plucking tea leaves at a garden in Golaghat
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