News and Articles

Touched by very little water
Anupam Mishra talks about how the desert societies of Rajasthan have managed their scarce water resources for over 1000 years. Posted on 01 Aug, 2013 11:54 AM

Author and conservationist, Anupam Mishra has spent decades promoting water conservation and management. Through his travels across various states of India, he has been studying and teaching the time-tested techniques of rainwater harvesting.

Kunds and tankas have been used to collect water
Fall in love with Tso Moriri
A monastery, a village, rare bird species and a high altitude lake in Ladakh - this is the beautiful setting of Tso Moriri. Posted on 01 Aug, 2013 07:59 AM

This brackish lake is located 4,595 metres above sea level, an altitude to tax the lungs of the most dedicated trekker. With two wetlands - the Nuro Sumdo on the North, and the Pare Chu on the South - the lake is a breeding ground for many rare bird species. It is a day's travel from Leh and a popular destination for the avid birdwatcher.

Tso Moriri during spring time
Forest panel rejects highly opposed dam projects in the Northeast
Forest panel rejects dams in the Northeast, government releases new poverty statistics and citizens' refuse the '24x7' water supply scheme are the highlights of this week's news. Posted on 28 Jul, 2013 04:22 PM

Forest Advisory Committee rejects the controversial Tipaimukh and Dibang hydro-electric projects

The idyllic Barak river (source: Wikimedia)
Post-monsoon celebrations
This photo essay captures the range of activities post-monsoon in rural areas of Maharashtra including the celebration of the Vatapoornima festival. Posted on 25 Jul, 2013 04:38 PM

June signals the start of the monsoons in many parts of India. Pune and its surrounding areas in Maharashtra have witnessed heavy showers since the first week of June. The rains let up for a weeks time during which I visited a few places on the outskirts of Pune city.

Ready to plough his fields
Beware of genetically modified crops!
The passing of the Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India bill will hasten the arrival of genetically modified (GM) crops in India. Are we aware of all the facts around it? Posted on 25 Jul, 2013 01:36 PM

When the DNA of a plant is modified using genetic engineering techniques or biotechnology, the plant is said to have been genetically modified (GM). What does this mean to you and I? Quite simply, it means that the crop could have undergone this process in order to become something that it wasn't in the first place. 

Protest against BRAI bill Source: Greenpeace
Water for sale - to the highest bidder!
Water is a natural resource that should be 'free' for all or at least easily accessible but why is India allowing more and more companies to privatise it? Posted on 25 Jul, 2013 01:02 PM

Did you know that the planet would die in three days if it ran out of water? Water is a basic necessity and the United Nations recognized the right to it as a basic human right in 2010. Isn’t it ironic that we are still allowing a few utility companies privatise it, speculate over it and control it?

Rising cost of water Source: K.N. Balraj
Free the river! Let it flow!
Flooding in Assam caused by embankments on the mighty Brahmaputra is routine news. It makes the headlines every year but not for long. Political apathy however, continues. Posted on 25 Jul, 2013 12:46 AM

Floods are an annual event in the north-eastern state of Assam. The newspapers expect it at this time of year, every year. For the world, this is routine, something not even worth a front-page story like the Uttarakhand floods maybe because it does not involve pilgrims or religion.

The Brahamputra in spate (Photos: Amita Bhaduri)
The Dongria Kondhs' tribals bring the judiciary down on its knees
Niyamgiri tribals' decision to veto mining, environment degradation's effect on the country's GDP and Maharashtra's carbon trading scheme are the highlights of this week's news. Posted on 22 Jul, 2013 01:40 AM

Dongria Kondh tribals stand firm against mining of Niyamgiri

Celebration Dance (Source: Wikimedia)
Fighting the good fight using the Right to Information Act (RTI)
Sanjay Jaiswal of the Lok Vikas Samiti educates Mehdiganj (near Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh) to use the RTI in their fight against Coca Cola. Posted on 20 Jul, 2013 11:21 AM

What exactly does a 'campaign' look like? What do people actually do when they 'protest' against something? And how do the protesters get hold of all the facts that they quote? These questions surfaced every time I read about a campaign or a protest on environmental or human rights issues but I never got any answers that made me wiser. Until this summer.

Sanjay Jaiswal in Mehdiganj
Rainwater harvesting saves college lakhs of rupees
Yenepoya Medical College in Mangalore, which has implemented rainwater harvesting (RWH) within its campus has reduced its dependence on water tankers. Posted on 20 Jul, 2013 11:04 AM

Yenepoya Medical and Dental College, some 15 kilometres away from Mangalore city near Delarekatte, is located in a developing neighbourhood; three other medical colleges, many schools and the Mangalore University are all situated in the same area. A software park is also expected to come up shortly.

Rainwater harvesting pond in Yenepoya College
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