Political

Power play in Kinnaur
Villagers are making informed decisions when it comes to government projects that affect ecology. Equipped with legal knowledge, they are challenging damaging hydropower projects. Posted on 07 Jun, 2017 12:23 PM

Lippa is a small village in the Kinnaur region in Himachal Pradesh, close to Asrang wildlife sanctuary. On May 27, the village witnessed hectic activity as the gram sabha was to decide the fate of a hydroelectricity project to be constructed near the village. The project demands the water from the Kerang stream be diverted for power.

People believe that tunnels such as these cause irreversible damages to the environment.
Why rivers don’t flow anymore
In a two-part series, we look at the health of rivers across India. Here’s a comprehensive assessment of the rivers of the north and the east. Posted on 07 Jun, 2017 11:13 AM

Rivers in India are always in the news whether it’s the interstate water sharing disputes, dams, sand mining or the recent order of the Uttarakhand high court declaring Ganga and Yamuna as living entities. Seven major river systems, over 400 rivers and numerous streams have sustained lives and livelihoods in India for centuries.

A villager washes utensils in the black water coming out of the coal mines at Kodkel in Raigarh district, Chattisgarh.
Solar irrigation cooperative to solve groundwater crisis
News this week Posted on 06 Jun, 2017 08:16 AM

India's groundwater crisis: Gujarat's solar irrigation cooperative embarks on a solution

A solar water pump (Source: Sehgal Foundation)
CGWA mandates NOCs for tubewells in Punjab
Policy matters this week Posted on 06 Jun, 2017 07:29 AM

NOCs for running tubewells must for Punjab industries 

Tubewells in Punjab. (Source: IWP Flickr photo)
Sourcing water: When informal is the norm
Villages in peri-urban Hyderabad rely on various informal water sources for their daily needs. Posted on 05 Jun, 2017 11:02 AM

In the first hour of our field work in Malkaram--another village in peri-urban Hyderabad--for the project Ensuring Water Security in Metropolitan Hyderabad, one thing became very evident.

People depend on informal sources of water in peri-Urban Hyderabad. (Source: SaciWATERs)
Clean Kali: All eyes now on government
The water of East Kali is heavily polluted. It would hopefully change with the NGT taking notice of it. Posted on 03 Jun, 2017 07:58 AM

Rampura, situated in Bulandshahr district in western Uttar Pradesh, is one of the 1,200 villages on the banks of the 300-km long East Kali, a tributary of the Ganges. The river is named after goddess Kali who, according to the Hindu mythology, is fierce and fights evil by ingesting it.

The polluted Kali river. (Image source: Neer Foundation)
Can we save our farmers?
The economic condition of farmers is getting progressively worse resulting in increasing number of farmer suicides. Here's a look at possible solutions. Posted on 02 Jun, 2017 09:22 AM

The year 2009 was an exceptionally dry year for Maharashtra. There was an acute shortage of water. The farmlands went dry. The farmers, unable to pay their debts, were a worried lot. Lakshman Ambilkar of Kinni village in the Yavatmal district of Maharashtra was one such farmer who could not take it anymore. He killed himself, leaving a young, distraught wife to fend for herself.

A devastated farmer Kalu Ram Nishad of Mohamara village. (Pic:India Water Portal)
Ken-Betwa river link approved
Policy matters this week Posted on 30 May, 2017 12:26 PM

Forest panel clears Ken-Betwa river link

Ken-Betwa river link shown on a map. (Source: Shannon via Wikipedia)
Nainital lake drying up, human activities to blame
News this week Posted on 30 May, 2017 11:52 AM

Nainital lake is drying up, environmentalists concerned

A view of the Nainital lake. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Their will, their way
Pune citizens come together to save their water resources, show ways to use water sustainably. Posted on 27 May, 2017 05:34 PM

Pune has a story similar to many other cities in India that grew exponentially without much warning. The unplanned development hit the water resources badly, increasing the city’s dependence on groundwater. Now, the city experiences water scarcity every year, even when the monsoons have been plentiful.

Dr Vishram Rajhans and Mr Ravindra Sinha
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