Political

River water quality data by Central Pollution Control Board (2005)
Rivers are one of the prime suppliers of drinking water. They are also important for agriculture, fisheries and recreational activities. However some of these activities also pollute the rivers. Pollution can be either from point sources such as industrial or sewage effluent discharges, or can be diffused from roads or agricultural run-off. Therefore it is necessary that rivers are protected from pollution and are managed as a sustainable resource for all of the activities that depend on their water quality. Posted on 19 Mar, 2013 06:41 PM

Against this backdrop, this document by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) elaborates on the river water quality in India. The Central and State Pollution Control Boards / Pollution Control Committees in Union-Territories of India are responsible for restoration and maintenance of the wholesomeness of aquatic resources.

Bangalore celebrates World Water Day 2013 on 22-23 March
On 22-23 March 2013, Bangalore will celebrate World Water Day like never before - with an explosion of events all over the city Posted on 19 Mar, 2013 06:28 PM

We invite you to visit homes and workplaces that have harvested rainwater, treated their sewage, and acted as water stewards. From lakes to apartment complexes to corporate offices, people from each part of Bangalore will open their doors for you. Join us!

Model Groundwater Bill lays responsibility for protecting the resource from contamination primarily with the states concerned - Roundup of the week’s news (March 11- March 17, 2013)
The roundup this week includes news on the formulation of the model bill for groundwater development in India, Posted on 18 Mar, 2013 05:23 PM

the drought situation in Maharashtra, the traditional rainwater harvesting system in Rajasthan. Besides this, the news also includes reports on the campaign to save the Loktak lake in Assam and mangroves in Sundarbans, the water supply schemes in Kerala and the dropping of groundwater levels in India

New bill to control groundwater exploitation

Sweet smell of success: Human waste fertilises land & turns farmers wealthy in Bangalore
Farmers fertilise the soil with rich organic carbon and nutrients in urine and faeces, reduce chemical additives and gather a bumper harvest. Posted on 17 Mar, 2013 05:07 PM

Human excreta is loaded with nutrients, which when disposed off discriminately, increases pollution and leads to a loss of resources. On an average a human being produces some 500 litres of urine and 50 kilograms of faeces a year, sufficient to fertilise plants that would produce more than 200 kilograms of cereals!

Organic gold: Learn how to prepare Panchagavya and organic pest repellents for use in your garden or farm
This video by Seetha Gopalakrishnan describes the way to make Panchgavya, a concoction made up of cow dung and urine fermented with a host of other ingredients from the farm Posted on 17 Mar, 2013 04:43 PM

Long before ‘organic’ became a buzzword, several farmers across the country practised holistic farming where nothing was considered useless. Most farmers had cattlen on their farms. While the milk was consumed by the family, the cow dung and urine were recycled back into the farm.

Experiences from a civil society initiative to restore stretches of toxic Yamuna: Report of a conference organised by PEACE, Thames River Restoration Trust and WWF India at New Delhi in March 2013
Amita Bhaduri reports on the lessons learnt from the Thames and Ganga Twinning Project on March 1, 2013 at the India International Centre, New Delhi. Posted on 16 Mar, 2013 09:12 PM

Dr Peter Spillet of the Thames River Restoration Trust shared that the Trust was the recipient of the 2010 Theiss International Riverprize funds on behalf of many organizations involved in the restoration work on river Thames in United Kingdom. He said that the Trust had shared the money for twinning projects in various countries including in India.

Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme given near-exclusive priority in 12th five year plan, but will it solve India’s water problems?
This article by Amita Bhaduri gets into the nitty gritty of the Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP). Posted on 16 Mar, 2013 09:04 PM

There is a palpable sense of a looming water crisis in India. Conflicts across competing users and uses are on the rise. In the irrigation sector, it is widely felt that “paucity of resources and poor performance of existing major and medium irrigation systems are the two main problems”(1).

Sunlight-cleaned water: Research papers on the advantages, economics and safety issues of treating water through solar disinfection (SODIS)
Solar water disinfection (SODIS) is a simple technique of disinfecting water through solar energy Posted on 16 Mar, 2013 06:40 PM

In this technique, transparent containers are filled with contaminated water and placed in direct sunlight for at least 6 h, after which time it becomes safe to drink. This simple, straightforward disinfection method that utilises the abundant, freely available sunlight is low cost, easy to use and sustainable.

Online course: Increasing transparency, accountability and participation in the water sector, Water Integrity Network, April - June 2013 - Register by March 31, 2013
Posted on 16 Mar, 2013 05:45 PM

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About Water Integrity Network

The Water Integrity Network (WIN), hosted by Transparency International, was formed in 2006 to respond to increasing concerns among water and anti-corruption stakeholders over corruption in the water sector.

About the course

In partnership with the Virtual School of UNDP, WIN is organizing online course on increasing transparency, accountability and participation in the water sector.

The course targets water sector practitioners interested in deepening their knowledge and sharing their experiences in the area of anticorruption; and people working on projects and initiatives in the water sector related to anti-corruption, transparency and human development issues in the water sector.