News and Articles

Assam's river atlas to tackle floods, deforestation
News this week Posted on 15 Jan, 2018 09:07 PM

Assam prepares river atlas to tackle floods, erosion, deforestation

People take a boat to cross Brahmaputra. (Source: IWP Flickr photos)
Temples of conservation
Temple sanctuaries of India play an important part in conserving fish diversity in rivers. River Mahanadi is an example. Posted on 12 Jan, 2018 11:54 AM

Rivers hold a special place in Indian civilisation and culture. They are treated divine and temples are located along the course of rivers. Rivers, with a variety of mesohabitats in it, support rich and diverse native fauna and act as natural reserve of fish germplasm.

A temple in the Mahanadi at Sonepur in Odisha.
Pest gene to kill pesticides
Researchers isolate a pest gene that can help fight pesticide contamination in environment. Posted on 11 Jan, 2018 03:09 PM

Persistent use of chemical pesticides to increase crop productivity has led to their accumulation in soil, water and even food. Now a group of researchers from Pune have isolated an enzyme from a pest and found that it can be used to clean up pesticide residues from food and environment.

A new gene from pests can destroy the pesticide residues in food and environment. (Source: IWP Flickr photos; photo for representation only)
Solar power solves water supply issue
A water supply scheme based on solar power solves the lack of availability of water in a village. Posted on 10 Jan, 2018 09:28 AM

The Makhala village is located in the Amravati district in the southwestern Satpura mountain ranges. Situated at 959 m above mean sea level, this Maharashtra village has 352 households with a population of 1045. Although accessible by road in all seasons, the village is isolated and surrounded by forests. The nearest village is Semadoh at a distance of 12 km.

Makhala village in Amravati district
India's weather forecast computing capacity gets better
The new supercomputer named Pratyush promises to make major improvements in weather, climate and ocean state forecasts. Posted on 09 Jan, 2018 05:55 PM

India today took a major step ahead in upgrading computing capacity in the area of weather forecasting and climate monitoring.

A better weather forecast maybe able to reduce the effects of cyclones. (Source: IWP Flickr photos)
Protest in Chennai to save the Ennore Creek
News this week Posted on 09 Jan, 2018 08:59 AM

Saving the Ennore Creek: Chennai fisherfolk stage Jal Satyagraha

The Ennore creek smothered on all sides by thermal power plants. (Source: IWP Flickr photos)
Rs 5,369 crore approved for Jal Vikas Marg Project
Policy matters this week Posted on 09 Jan, 2018 08:47 AM

Government approves Rs 5,369 crore for Jal Vikas Marg Project

Navigating rivers through simple boats. (Source: IWP Flickr Photos)
Stubble burning banned, farmers stumped
While banning stubble burning is a positive step towards reducing air pollution in the Delhi-NCR sector, the farmers need support from the government to adopt measures to enable smooth crop rotation. Posted on 07 Jan, 2018 06:20 PM

Amar Singh sits in his huge courtyard at the centre of his home in the village of Atraula in Meerut. Lying in the far west part of Uttar Pradesh, this is a flourishing sugarcane belt. An important agricultural region, its demographic, economic and cultural patterns are similar to that of nearby Haryana and Rajasthan.

A large amount of crop residues are available in western UP and most of these are burnt in the field (Image: Ed Dunens, Flickr Commons)
Too close for comfort
A river threatens a village by eroding the mud, inching closer to the houses and hampering the villagers’ lives and livelihoods. Posted on 07 Jan, 2018 11:38 AM

Ashok Kumar Dolai can hardly control his tears whenever he sees the river flowing near his house and a narrow red earth road snaking beside it. 

Villagers use boats to cross the river. (Photo courtesy: Gurvinder Singh)
Dam spells doom for villagers
Baldiha dam that once quenched the thirst of farmlands and provided livelihood to Odisha farmers is now bereft of water, thanks to the apathy of the administration. Posted on 05 Jan, 2018 11:43 AM

Located at Shamakhunta block of Mayurbhanj district, around 28 kilometers from Baripada town in Odisha, Baldiha dam was constructed during the rule of Maharaja Shri Ramchandra Bhanjdeo in 1912.

Water flows into the dam. (Photo courtesy: Gurvinder Singh)
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