Political

Saving Ramgarh Lake
All efforts to rejuvenate the lake near Jaipur have failed as authorities continue to ignore obstructions to its natural flow. Posted on 19 Jan, 2017 10:32 AM

Last year, a crocodile walked seven kilometres to reach Jamwa Ramgarh village near Jaipur looking for food. It had ventured out from Jamwa Ramgarh dam, which used to have around 100 of its species at one time. Since 2006, however, the dam is dry, leaving little fish or other prey for the aquatic reptiles. 

The reservoir that has been dry for the last 10 years.
No man's land
The state of the poromboke lands in Chennai signifies the deteriorating nature of its ecology. Saving them is important not just to preserve a tradition but also to safeguard growing urban spaces. Posted on 18 Jan, 2017 09:39 PM

From its rather benign origins connoting a type of land classification, the term poromboke has transformed into something grotesque over the years. This term had been in use since the Cholas denoting stretches of land reserved for shared communal use which cannot be bought or sold.

The Ennore creek choked by fly ash. (Screen grab from the Chennai poromboke paadal)
International Groundwater Conference 2017
The 7th international groundwater conference is on "Groundwater Vision 2030 - Water Security, Challenges and Climate Change Adaptation"
Posted on 17 Jan, 2017 10:40 AM

National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee, India in association with Association of Global Groundwater Scientists; Central Ground Water Board, India; and Texas A&M University,USA is organizing 7th International Groundwater Conference on Groundwater Vision 2030 - Water Security, Challenges and Climate Change Adaptation during December 11-13, 2017 at New Delhi, India.

Chennai takes the wooded road
Better green cover could be a way to reduce the extent of disaster a Vardah could bring. Here’s a lowdown on the trees that Chennai must have. Posted on 16 Jan, 2017 10:45 PM

 

One of the many trees uprooted by cyclone Vardah in Chennai (Image: Seetha Gopalakrishnan, IWP)
Acquired lands lay barren, SC questions states
Policy matters this week Posted on 16 Jan, 2017 12:11 PM

Why are lands acquired from farmers barren? SC asks states

Women farmers protest against land acquisition (Source: IWP Flickr Photos)
TN suffers the worst north-east monsoon in 140 years
News this week Posted on 16 Jan, 2017 11:50 AM

Tamil Nadu declares drought

TN farmers in the midst of a crisis. (Source: IWP Flickr photos)
State of rivers goes south
Rivers turn muck in many stretches in south India calling for action before they dry up completely. Posted on 14 Jan, 2017 05:40 PM

At a time when the government’s attention is steered towards the concerns of the northern rivers like the Ganga and the Yamuna, it is seldom that the polluted rivers of the south India come up for discussion.

Water-borne litter in Salem, Tamil Nadu. (Source: Parvathisri, Wikimedia Commons)
Weather or not: Women workers need care in summer
There is a grave health concern around women manual workers who work under extreme conditions of heat with poor access to sanitary facilities. This needs urgent redressal at the policy level. Posted on 11 Jan, 2017 10:49 AM

In a tropical country like India, the summer months are hot which threaten the health of millions of people every year.

Women work under poor working conditions. (Source: Wkimedia Commons)
The doer from the Thar
There are many unsung heroes amidst us who go about their good work silently. Chattar Singh is one such hero who has revived traditional water management system of the parched Jaisalmer villages. Posted on 10 Jan, 2017 10:53 PM

“Can you see the alternating bands of light and shadow in the sky?” Chattar Singh asks me. When I nod in affirmation, he continues, “This is Mogh. There are clouds where the sun is setting right now. If we get a favourable wind, these clouds will reach here and we may get rain by night. In desert, people live by such clues from nature.”  

Despite all the great work, Chattar Singh's demeanour remains unassuming. Source: Farhad Contractor
Closing the loop
A village near Bengaluru sets an example of reusing wastewater by innovatively using the reject water from a community RO plant to eliminate fluoride contamination. Posted on 09 Jan, 2017 03:58 PM

With a total population of 1200, Sonnahallipura village in Hoskote taluk of Bangalore Rural district has 250 homes. This village was chosen by the Rotary Club of Bangalore, Indiranagar to start a micro-credit programme for 10 women’s self-help groups (SHG) and a low-cost sanitary napkin manufacturing unit.  

The RO plant in Sonnahallipura village.
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